McThai aims to grow further in 2018
McThai, the licensee to operate McDonald’s restaurants in Thailand, says it is continuing its investment commitments with the aim of being the “QSR (quick-service restaurant) of choice” in the country.
Pledging to offer great food at a fun place providing convenience and great services to all customers, the company plans to open 15 – 20 new restaurants and strengthen its brand communication in 2018.
Hester Chew, chairman of the executive committee and chief executive of McThai, said: “Although local domestic spending was down last year, affecting many retailers and restaurants, we will continue to build and grow our sales and guest counts.”
“Apart from great tasting foods at great value offering, the company has raised the bar for customers’ experiences in modern restaurants by using technologies to give McDonald’s the edge in the highly competitive QSR industry,” Chew said.
“We have employed self-ordering kiosks, digital menu boards, web and mobile apps, and cashless payment.”
The company has partnered with Omise to provide a payment gateway for web and mobile ordering of McDonald’s in Thailand “to deliver a seamless experience for the growing number of online customers”.
McDonald’s Thailand has also expanded its digital payments platform by partnering with mPAY, Blue Pay, AliPay and True Money Wallet, offering QR code payments at its restaurants.
The brand offers choices of payment at the restaurant and is the early adopter in cashless payments starting from VISA payWave through Electronic Data Capture (EDC) by Bangkok Bank in 2011, and Rabbit Card and Rabbit LINE Pay in 2013 and 2016. In November 2017, customers started using QR code payments including mPAY and Blue Pay, while Alipay and True Money Wallet will be launched in 2018.
“What we have done is to support the company’s present growth and future ambition while introducing experiences of the future and convenience to McDonald’s customers,” Chew said.
In 2018, the company will open 15 -20 new restaurants in Bangkok and major cities upcountry and strengthen its brand communication through its “Good Food” campaign.
The campaign aims to establish brand trust and express McDonald’s commitment to the highest food safety and quality standards, Chew said.