Myanmar’s largest restaurant chain, Feel International Group expanded first Myanmar cuisine restaurant in Bangkok to penetrate the international markets

Feel International Group, Myanmar’s largest restaurant chain, has plans to expand and introduce Myanmar cuisine to Thai consumers  with the opening of a restaurant in Bangkok.

“At present many restaurants are attempting to cater to the needs of tourists from China, however there are eight flights to Bangkok from Yangon every day, and there are tens of thousands of Myanmar citizens working and studying there, so there is a potential market for Myanmar cuisine,” said Feel International operations director Ko Johnny.

“This is the very first Myanmar restaurant opened in a foreign capital city. Bangkok is one of the biggest restaurant markets in the world. It offers a wide variety of cuisine, even something as exotic in Asia as Ethiopian. Bangkok is the first step for Myanmar traditional food to penetrate the international marktets,” he said.

“Feel International Group’s central kitchen also provides training to entrepreneurs who wish to open restaurants in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia and it supplies the necessary foodstuffs to maintain overall quality for Feel Restaurants in other countries,” said U Soe Nyi Nyi, CEO of the Feel Restaurant in Bangkok.

Feel International Group was formed by the entrepreneurs from Thailand and Myanmar, and U Soe Nyi Nyi serves as CEO. 

“I want to pave the way for Myanmar foodstuffs to be accepted globally. Then, other food business people will follow us and Myanmar foodstuffs shops will appear. I hope to make Myanmar cuisine as popular as Thai and Japanese food,” he said. 

“We want to enter the Thai market with large prawns as Thai diners like Myanmar prawns. So, we intend to offer around 10 Myanmar-style prawn dishes and offer prawn main dishes,” said U Soe Nyi Nyi.

The restaurant will open in the popular tourist area of Pratunam in Bangkok, on January 24. The company said it intends to serve lunch boxes with Myanmar favourites such as Mont Hin Gar and Nan Gyi Thote, as well a variety of Thai dishes, for Myanmar people working in companies and offices around the area

“Myanmar students in Bangkok have already started making enquiries to us via Facebook. The main challenge in entering foreign restaurant sector is how much market share we can gain among thousands of restaurants as there are many choices in Thailand. To make people choose Feel among them is a real challenge,” said Ko Johnny. 

“Currently, discussions are being held to open restaurants in Chiang Mai and Mesauk. There are even enquires from as far away as Australia and America, but we will maintain our focus on nearby countries first. We will start with Bangkok and add Singapore later,” said U Soe Nyi Nyi.

(The Myanmar Times: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/restaurant-company-expands-thailand-local-cuisine.html  )

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