McDonald’s has just announced that it is adding a Vietnam restaurant this weekend, marking its entry to a new Southeast Asia country for the first time in two decades.
The new outlet, located at 2-6 bis Dien Biên Phu, Phuong Da Kao, Quan 1 Ho Chi Minh City, started its service today. The 1300 square meter flagship outlet has a seating capacity of 350 seats. The outlet is opened 24-7.
McDonald’s Vietnam entered the market through a local partnership with Good Day Hospitality, which is owned by Henry Nguyen, son-in-law of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Henry said that expanding the chain to at least 100 branches within a decade was an achievable, if tough, goal.
In a statement, Liam Jeory, a McDonald’s vice president for corporate relations, wrote: “The contract with Henry Nguyen as developmental licensee is the result of a rigorous selection process that began years ago. Nguyen brings a strong passion for the brand that he developed while working as a part-time crew member for McDonald’s as a young student in the United States.”
The first flagship outlet of McDonald’s Vietnam will feature a drive thru where customers can order McDonald’s meal without leaving their cars. There is also an indoor playground where the company hopes to attract families to the outlet. To ensure service quality, all the employees have to go through a training period of 3 to 9 weeks to familiarize themselves with the operating process. In order to prepare for the arrival of McDonald’s in Vietnam, the first batch of employees were sent overseas to undergo trainings.
There are about 400 McDonald’s in the Philippines, 260 in Malaysia, 195 in Thailand, and 150 in Indonesia. Vietnam is the first Southeast Asian market since the company opened its restaurant in Brunei in 1992.
On average, per meal at McDonald’s Vietnam costs about 65,000 dong ($3), almost twice the price of a normal bowl of pho, the noodle which Vietnam is popular with. While McDonald’s may be tasty, would the price be too expensive for normal Vietnamese?
You know what would be interesting too? We’d love to see what local menu customizations McDonald’s Vietnam come up with. McPho?
Also read: McDonald’s advises staff not to eat fast food; hypocrite much?