Govt urged to look into migrant workers for restaurant industry
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The government should focus on supporting foreign workers, especially for the local restaurant industry, one major player says.
Nadim Xavier Salhalni, chief executive officer of ABP Cafe (Thailand), which operates the Au Bon Pain eateries, said that since there was a low level of unemployment in this country, competition for good-quality workers was very high.
“I would like to urge the government to put in place measures and policies that allow businesses to employ foreign workers to fill the gap left by Thais,” he said.
He said each Au Bon Pain outlet needed about 15 people to operate, while up to six people were needed to run each Dunkin’ Donuts outlet.
Since the cost of labour and raw materials have increased continuously, the company recently raised the prices of its baked goods and sandwiches by 5 per cent, though it has maintained the prices of beverages.
SEVEN NEW BRANCHES
Salhalni said the company had earmarked up to Bt40 million this year for opening seven new Au Bon Pain outlets. There are currently 53 Au Bon Pain eateries, of which 48 are in Bangkok and the remaining five in major tourist destinations in the provinces.
ABP has already opened three new Au Bon Pain outlets so far this year: one each at Vibhavadi Hospital, Siriraj Hospital and Siam Centre. Salhalni said that if expansion plans went ahead, there would be up to 90 Au Bon Pain outlets in Thailand by the end of this year.
“Thailand is one of the fastest-growing markets, driven by the rapid expansion of new cafe restaurants, which stands at between nine and 10 new stores per annum.
“We believe that in the next five to 10 years, the combined number of Au Bon Pain restaurants in Thailand and India will exceed the 250 stores currently operating in the United States,” he said.
The company targets its Au Bon Pain sales to increase by about 20 per cent this year.
