JomMakan debuts in London

The restaurant, a prototype of MalaysiaKitchen’s quick service restaurant franchise concept, would break even in 18 months, says JomMalaysia (UK) managing director

LONDON: JomMakan Restaurant, the first quick service restaurant (QSR) under the MalaysiaKitchen programme, has its soft opening last week and received warm response from Londoners.

The restaurant, which offers various Malaysian favourite cuisine including assam laksa, fried rice and noodles and Malaysian speciality, teh tarik, is located at Pall Mall, a high traffic area for business and tourists.

It has also received its first royal visitor, Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah, who was on an official visit to London last week.

"The restaurant, which is also a prototype of MalaysiaKitchen’s QSR franchise concept, is expected to have its first three branches by next year and would break even in 18 months,” managing director of JomMalaysia (UK) Ltd, Mohd Zuhri Abdullah, told a Malaysian media representatives here on Sunday.

JomMalaysia UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Perbadanan Nasional Bhd, was given the task to promote the JomMakan QSR restaurant worldwide under the MalaysiaKitchen programme.

The MalaysiaKitchen programme, a national initiative by the government, aims to strategically position Malaysia’s agricultural produce and agro-based products through the setting up of a strategic network of Malaysian restaurants and retail outlets abroad.

It is expected to promote the tourism industry, too.

Mohd Zuhri said the London JomMakan restaurant, the second under the MalaysiaKitchen flagship, aims to cater to the middle income group by serving quick but not a fast service food.

The first MalaysiaKitchen’s speciality restaurant, the JomMakan Tokyo at Daikanyama, Tokyo which was launched last year is managed by JomMalaysia Japan Co Ltd in an up-market residential area.

"The London restaurant, which could accommodate 140 people, has 36 staff, including 12 line cooks from countries like Romania, Poland, Nigeria, the UK and Zambia,” he said.

The company expects to make its revenue from the percentage it got from the franchise.

"Through the franchise concept, the company will be responsible for design, menu development and interior design and layout,” he said. — Bernama