Red Lobster chooses Greater KL to open first SEA outlet
Red Lobster, the world’s largest seafood restaurant company, has chosen Greater Kuala Lumpur to open its doors on Oct 1, 2014 at The Intermark.
This marks the first Red Lobster restaurant to open in South-East Asia. Teaming up with Malaysian-owned Secret Recipe F & B Group, Red Lobster will grow its range of restaurants in this country.
Secret Recipe has agreed with US company, Darden Restaurants Inc, to develop three brands - Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse restaurants in Malaysia and also has rights to develop these brands in neighboring countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. Darden Restaurants Inc, the multinational, has located its Asian region headquarters in Greater Kuala Lumpur.
Together, Darden and Secret Recipe aim to develop those restaurants in Malaysia, and the opening of those chains will lead to the creation of 30 managerial positions and over 400 restaurant staff positions within the next 8 to 10 months. Along with the expansion plans this will move Malaysia closer to its goal of becoming a high-income nation through the creation of high-value regional job.
“If we achieve our expected results we would expect this same level of job growth for the following year,” said Ray Bauer, Darden managing director for franchise operations in Asia.
Datuk Steven Sim, CEO of Secret Recipe F & B Group, said he was confident that Malaysians would be receptive to the new dining concepts and experience of these new restaurants.
Despite the recent developments of Red Lobster in the United States, being formed as an independent company under Golden Gate Capital, Darden is currently managing Red Lobster’s international business and growth.
Locating Darden’s headquarters in Greater Kuala Lumpur was an important and easy decision. The US-based restaurant chain owner realised the importance of being successful in Malaysia given its diversity in the centre of rapidly growing South-East Asia. With Greater Kuala Lumpur being strategically located at the heart of high growth Asian markets with robust trade and domestic demand this will give Darden an easy access to a huge market potential of 4.6 billion people.
“We are all very excited in bringing in the Red Lobster experience to this part of Asia.
“Especially for debuting in Malaysia, we feel close affinity as, Darden has also invested into partnerships in cultivation of lobsters and aqua farm facilities for sustainable supplies in the country”, Bauer said during the opening. Bauer expressed that the success of Red Lobsters here along with its other brands will give it the learnings to be successful in other Asian countries.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, Asia Rising, Wholesale and Retail, Industrial Dynamism Barometer, 2014, by 2040, Asia will add another 800 million consumers, all of whom rapidly getting richer.
Consumer spending is rising at impressive rates, presenting big opportunities for food retail companies.
“With Malaysia’s cultural and language diversity we believe that Greater Kuala Lumpur will become the centre for all of our Asian operations.”
“In the future we will be able to support future franchise partners from Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia the same way we do now from the United States,” he said.
Bauer noted that Darden’s restaurant brands are gaining grounds successfully internationally and are looking forward to growing the brand’s presence in Greater Kuala Lumpur in partnership with Secret Recipe.
“As new business opportunities arise in Asia we will leverage our regional headquarters in Greater Kuala Lumpur and grow as future business needs require,” he said.
Darden is committed to growing the business in Malaysia with its Aquaculture park business, and continued growth of its restaurant franchise business in Asia from its head- quarters in Greater Kuala Lumpur.
“Malaysia has a great deal to offer. It has a diverse culture and a growing market demand for goods and services,” Bauer said.
Bauer added that InvestKL educated the company on the advantages of coming to Greater Kuala Lumpur. “They are also instrumental in guiding our team through negotiations and helping to remove obstacles and road blocks,” he said. “InvestKL provides a goto person, a single contact that you can use to assist with anything.”
InvestKL continues with a high level of support. Through conference calls and meetings they seek to understand, gain new information and updates on the MNC’s progress. In addition they work with MNC’s to strengthen their relationship with each other to foster information sharing,” Bauer said.
InvestKL has helped both Darden and Secret Recipe with supply chain, human resource, immigration, and regulatory challenges when opening the first Red Lobster outlet in Greater Kuala Lumpur.
InvestKL CEO Zainal Amanshah said “we will continue to forge successful relationships for MNCs and our local ecosystem in the form of business partnerships, usage of local ancillary services and creation of job opportunities for our local talent.”
Greater Kuala Lumpur, being the centre of business, innovation and talent in Asia is experiencing rapid economic growth and developments, making it the ideal platform for multinational companies like Darden Restaurants to launch their businesses in the region.
The popular seafood restaurant, inspired by the fishing village of US Maine’s Bar Harbor, is designed to give guests a refreshing seaside dining experience in an atmosphere that includes lighthouses, nautical furnishings and signal flags.
The new outlet at the Intermark, KL accommodates 200 seats for patrons to enjoy the best of its signature seafood dishes. Plans are in progress for more Red Lobster restaurants to open at upcoming malls including Quill City Mall, KL and Gamuda Walk Mall in Shah Alam.