the opening of the ninth restaurant of malan noodle (the first in beijing) on may 12, 1997 represented the start of its nationwide expansion to build the no 1 fast-food chain in the country.
after years of research, developments and experiments, malan noodle succeeded in conserving the traditional features of a centuries-old food to conform with the modern catering industry.
in the 15 years since, malan noodle has become a popular brand in beijing, and ranks third among all fast-food chains, following mcdonald’s and kfc. it has become a leader among all chinese fast-food restaurants and the only “famous trademark” in the domestic fast-food industry.
more consumers enjoy malan noodle. a dozen grannies in their 60s and 70s from the huayanbeili community would gather at the restaurant each weekend for a bowl of “delicious and inexpensive” noodles. a grandfather in his 90s would visit the restaurant two or three times a week. every time, he would not eat all the noodles but drink up the soup. he said the soup has the best part of the nutritious elements in it.
in late may this year, a man from xilinhot, inner mongolia visited malan noodle to apply for running a franchise chain. when he and his friends came to beijing, he said they would go to malan noodle. so he decided to open a franchise in his hometown. on july 21, the malan noodle restaurant in xilinhot opened, which turned out to be a favorite for local residents.
reputation and public praise are the most important. in the past 15 years, malan noodle has adhered to the concept — green and healthy - and its strategy has been successful.
i. defining the business model
when malan noodle fast food chain store co ltd was established in 1995, it set forth a business model to carry forward chinese traditional food culture, as they borrowed modern fast-food techniques by reforming the centuries-old eatery model and advocating an “open kitchen” concept where consumers could learn more about the menu. in terms of noodle ingredients, the company insisted on making products from places without pollution and set strict standards on its supply of materials and ingredients. the company advocates the business concept of “green and healthy”. the business model remains unchanged even when its management team has changed and new employees were hired. the company has built a brand known for its quality and is well received by consumers.
ii. strengthen purchases of materials
the company knows that malan noodle relies on the quality of its materials. in the past 15 years, purchasing agents would visit the gannan region of gansu province, aba prefecture in sichuan, yushu in qinghai and the xilinhot grassland to make on-spot inspections before buying yak meat from pollution-free plateau regions and beef from xilinhot. together with local partners and suppliers, they would ensure that only those disease-free cattle were chosen after careful examinations of the age of the cattle, health and quarantine inspections and observations. after chilling, cutting and packaging, the beef would get shipped to special storage facilities storage, where temperatures are closely monitored. the entire process of transportation has abided by similar standards.
iii. preparing and cooking elaborately
to provide tasty, safe and green malan noodles to all consumers, the company adopted strict operation procedures: the processing center (central kitchen), logistics and supplies, and preparations and cooking in the restaurant are well coordinated. materials from suppliers are carefully inspected, and any unqualified materials would be rejected. restaurants would place orders for materials according to demand to reduce inventory. cold dishes and semi-finished products would get well packaged and stored separately in refrigerators with temperatures kept between 0-4 ℃. semi-finished products would be used according to the time they were prepared, and inspections would be carried out weekly to ensure that no products beyond the quality expiry date were used. in preparation and cooking stages, the operation manual must be enforced. fresh vegetables should be used on the day they are purchased. during peak business hours, semi-finished products should be defrosted first and heated, and no second heating of semi-finished products is allowed to guarantee quality. during off-peak hours, semi-finished products must be covered with preservative films. when products are sold to consumers, product standards set by the company must be followed, and waiters would conduct the last round of inspection before serving dishes, and if they find any dish not made according to standards, it should be replaced immediately.
these practices for the past 15 years have proven that malan has every reason to be conferred with the honor of “famous trademark” in the chinese-style fast-food industry, and it is reasonable to believe the company will do even better in the future.