EXCLUSIVE: CHOPSTIX plans to double the number of sites by 2019
CHOPSTIX has announced plans to open three new sites and will take their store count to 75 by year end, spread across retail centres, high streets and motorway services. QSR Media went to find out more about the speed of store expansion and how the brand keeps ahead of the competition.
QSR Media: How many outlets do you expect to have opened by year end? In what locations?
By the end of this year, we will have created 255 new jobs across the UK with the opening of 17 new outlets with new locations including Camberley, Bristol and Belfast - this will take our year end outlet count to 75.
QSR Media: How large do you think your brand can grow? Over what time frame?
Given predictions* that customer demand for Asian influenced food is set to increase by 19% by 2019, the opportunity for Chopstix to grow is immense. Through existing and new relationships with multi-site franchise partners, it is entirely within the realms of possibility that by mid-2019, our count will have doubled again, and we are focussing our energy to ensuring we achieve this. (*Source is Mintel)
QSR Media: How are you seeing the market post Brexit? How are you preparing for it?
It’s still too early to know exactly what post Britain Brexit will look like. We do however, await with interest the outcome of the free movement debate because like almost everyone else operating in the hospitality sector, our staff are from a range of countries. Until the position is clarified, we continue with our recruitment policy of employing the best people for the new jobs we create.
QSR Media: Who do you see as your competition? How do you set yourselves apart from them?
Because we operate in high streets, retail centres and the motorway network, our competition is everyone and anyone operating alongside us. Our advantage is that we offer a healthier and fresher hot food alternative, and because our transactions take less than a minute, we also offer our customers a faster service than the majority of our competitors.
QSR Media: What is your top selling product?
Interestingly, there is a North/South divide when it comes to our top sellers – in the North, our biggest seller is Salt and Pepper Chicken whilst in the South, Caramel Chicken is our No. 1 dish!
