Toronto-based Manchu Wok polishes marketing tactics for move into states

Nation's Restaurant News, Nov 18, 1991 by Peter O. Keegan

The company is also looking at non-traditional locations as a springboard for growth. Units are currently operating in a handful of universities and airports in Canada, and Manchu Wok is targeting that same market here in the United States. A new unit inside the Atlanta airport is scheduled to open in a few short months.

"Part of my objective is to build brand recognition, and I think going into malls, airports and universities will go a long way to build that," said Tobin, adding that next on the agenda might be a test of takeout and delivery.

The company also has four units open in the United Kingdom, including a new unit in a mall in Scotland, and it hopes to expand that market. Scott's recently bought a 50-percent stake in a mall developer in England and hopes to expand in tandem with that company.

"It makes a lot of sense to be in the food business in the U.K.," Tobin pointed out. "If we operate it correctly, we can transport the knowledge and technology and be a forerunner there."

Through acquisitions and new-store openings, the company anticipates that the bulk of its expansion will be in the United States, where it has 100 restaurants. The chain, which is breaking into Europe via the United Kingdom, has a long-range goal of expanding to 1,000 units by 1996.

"We want to focus our growth mainly on the East Coast and West Coast of the United States, mainly because that's where the strongest propensity for fast food is," Tobin explained. "Those are the main areas of population growth and higher disposable incomes."

The U.S. headquarters for Manchu Wok is in Deerfield Beach, Fla.