Post-Covid Plans: Founder Bak Kut Teh set sights on Hanoi after establishing in  Ho Chi Minh City in 2019.  

 

 

Mr Nigel Chua and Mr Chua Chwee Huatt  © courtesy of Founder Bak Kut Teh

 

With the vaccinations underway in many Asian countries, he is cautiously optimistic  that the company will slowly recover from the pandemic. While Singapore is expected  to recover by the end of the year, Mr Chua is setting his sights on growing the brand  overseas especially in Vietnam. 

In July 2020, Founder Bak Kut Teh established its new outlet in Ho Chi Minh City with  its Vietnamese partners at 119, Nguyen Duc Canh, Ward Tan Phong, District 7. The 

response was good, but it is still facing the impact of Covid-19 due to the current  lockdown. 

The Vietnamese partners are optimistic about the brand and have intentions to set up  another outlet at Takashimaya Vietnam at Tang B2, 92-94, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia,  Phurong Ben Nghe, Quan 1 when the current restrictions ease in the city. 

Key challenges in expanding in Vietnam  

When asked about the growth of the Founder brand in HCMC, Mr Chua pointed out  that, 

“The key challenge is the acceptance of our Singapore brand. In this respect, we are  grateful to have gained the local support and patronage for our brand. “ 

 

He further added that, 

“Language is the other challenge. Thankfully, we have partners who can communicate  in English or Chinese and that helps in paving the path for us to set foot in Vietnam.” 

In addition, Mr Chua further added that the menu had to be adjusted to suit the local  taste. More vegetable items were also added. He emphasised that he is mindful of  the adaptation and will work with the partners to develop a menu that will be most  suited to the locals. 

Future Development in Vietnam  

Over the next 3 years as part of the post-Covid response, Mr Chua hopes to help his  Vietnamese partners to develop his brand awareness in HCMC and to add more  outlets in HCMC. 

The other focus is to look for potential partners in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam and  hope that in the coming year, the first outlet in Hanoi could be established. 

A silver lining in the Covid pandemic  

Mr Chua concluded that the Covid pandemic has taught him a key lesson which is  when the landscape changes, the methods of maintaining survival or growth must be  modified.  

Covid is an outlier and companies must craft new strategies and responses to stay in  the competition and grow in the new reality and being an international company.  Founder Bak Kut Teh therefore must work with its overseas partners to deal with  Covid pandemic in Vietnam, just as the brand owner deals with the same pandemic in  Singapore.