Long live the 40-year-old king!
For Chowking, it is not enough to be a big brand and the best-known Chinese fast-food chain in the country.
Ken Lingan, Chowking president, says they also want the brand to be loved, not just in the Philippines but all over the world.
Chowking has already established a presence in at least seven countries. Its goal now, as it marks its 40th anniversary, is to be the most-loved Chinese quick service restaurant in the world.
They call this vision the “Love-olution”, an evolution that starts at home—earning deeper love, one improvement at a time.
Lingan says the chain is not just about giving customers great value for their money but also about providing an experience that will earn their loyal patronage.
The commitment of the brand to consumer values is unwavering. Chowking does not want to be just a one-off experience for diners; it wants a robust repeat business.
Deliverables
“Chowking may be a food business but it is really a people business,” Lingan stresses.
To say that Lingan knows a little something about people business will be an understatement. While he got into the food business only in 2022 when he joined Chowking, Lingan does have the background in people business.
As the former CEO of Publicis Groupe Philippines, a French multinational advertising and public relations company, he had a lot of experience promoting products and services, influencing customer tastes and preferences and nurturing brand loyalty.
He has deployed some of the tools employed in his old job, like getting up-to-date customer feedback and keeping Chowking abreast of consumer trends.
For Chowking, the collection of customer comments is not an empty gesture. Lingan says they take note of daily customer feedback and hold regular audits of the chain’s performance.
Lingan constantly talks about evolution. Customer feedback is diligently monitored and regular audit results taken into account to improve products, introduce new items and effect other changes to ensure that Chowking is able to respond and meet customers’ changing and emerging needs and preferences.
Consistency in quality and satisfaction of customers are goals that are always top of mind.
Key challenges
The challenge for Chowking is bigger compared with other fast-food joints, Lingan points out. Chinese food has to always be freshly made. Chowking cannot cook in batches while awaiting customers’ orders. Dishes are prepared only when they are ordered.
“It is challenging to make Chinese food accessible … and great tasting,” he says.
What makes the task harder is ensuring that the same consistency in quality is maintained across almost 600 branches, most of them franchises.
The situation has become even more challenging now that the chain has opened drive-thru establishments.
Waiting time has to be reduced to the barest minimum even as every order is freshly made. There cannot be a gridlock as motorists wait for their orders to be cooked.
But Lingan assures customers, “We will not compromise taste for speed.” The chain remains committed to consistency of quality even in drive-thru outlets.
Harnessing technology
Chowking is investing in automation to speed up some of the processes, particularly the physically challenging task of stir-frying. Lingan says local experts have developed for Chowking an automated stir-fry equipment.
This is a very timely development as Lingan says Chowking remains to be a favorite destination for main meals. Its rice meals are still the most favored items among diners.
Digital technology is also being adopted to make it easier and faster for customers to place their orders.
Complementing the technological developments is the continuous training and retraining of staff to retain employees and build a strong sense of purpose.
To keep office staff fully aware of and committed to the Chowking business, the chain has launched the pioneering Adopt-a-Store program, which requires employees to work for a full day twice a year in a food outlet, doing tasks done by the service crew, including cooking.
As Chowking begins a new decade, it continues its evolution, expanding on the vision and purpose of founder Robert Kuan who opened the first Chowking store in 1985 at Rotary Arcade in Makati City.
Kuan wanted to create a space where families and friends could bond while enjoying hearty, affordable and authentic Chinese meals.
Chowking marks this latest milestone with the introduction of new products and packaging, based on customer feedback. Items like fried siopao and milkshakes have been added to the menu.
There will also be seasonal offerings as well as occasional “treats,” like chocolate siopao, in response to consumers’ demand.
Lingan says they are hoping to hit a total of 600 branches by the end of the year. The chain is introducing a fresh look. New branches will have a new appearance while older ones will be gradually transformed.
All the changes, transformation and new products the chain will roll out, Lingan says, are all inspired by Chowking’s commitment to give back to its customers.
