This is a blog for the purpose of UNITAR (RC) individual's assignment about franchising. This blog is based on study purpose. The research target is Sushi King which the outlet that I have chosen at Boulevard Shopping Mall, Kuching.

Sushi King @ Boulevard

"Smiling and Served Fresh"

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Nowadays, entrepreneurship is the journey of opportunity exploration and risk management to create value for profit and social good. Franchise is a system whereby independent entrepreneurs work together in a contractual network. Today, franchise systems not only have to differentiate themselves from their competitors, but they have to embrace flexibility in the manner in which they operate. This paper aim to research the background of franchise, history in Malaysia, franchiser management, franchise operations, franchise experience, customer survey at Sushi King Restaurant in Boulevard.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  The first branch of Sushi King in Kuching is opened on the 4th January 2008. It located at Boulevard Shopping Mall G-B-7B & G-B-8, Ground Floor, Jalan Datuk Tawi Sli, 83250 Kuching, Sarawak. This restaurant business hour is from 10:00 am until 10:00 pm and operation business every day.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  The franchisor for this restaurant business is owned by Texchem Group of Companies, a diversified Malaysian conglomerate under the leadership of Tan Sri Fumihiko Konishi and the franchisee is Datuk Haji Talib Zulpilip.

 (｡◕‿◕｡)ღ    Sushi King’s quality policy : to be the leading Sushi and Japanese Eatery in the region by continually serving safe, high quality and affordable Sushi and Japanese dishes.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ    Mission : we promise to make people smile by serving good quality, value for money healthy meals and excellent service for everyday.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ    Golden rule : "Treat others as you would want others to treat you".

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ    Core values : hospitality, integrity, respect and transparency.

   

                             

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ The price of sushi graduate for plates colors. These are the sushi price based on the color of the plates:

Blue - RM2
Beige - RM3

Pink - RM4

Red - RM5

Purple - RM6

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ Sushi King's menu includes Sashimi, salads, yakimonos, agemonos, noodles, donburis, owanmonos and kids’ meals.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ They also provides healthy menu items such as packaged meals, set meals, and bentos and breakfast menu which including kitsune sobas, tamagogayus, California rolls, salmon rolls, and drinks.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ   Mixed bento ~ I would love a heavy meal for dinner like this. It consisting of deep fried salmon, deep fried chicken, crabstick and deep fried fish cake served with premium soy sauce (Shoyu) plus sweet sauce (Nitsume). The mixed bento is a seasonal item, priced at RM16.90.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ   Menu includes beverages and desserts.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Their specially equipped sushi-making machines and conveyor system showcasing quality sushi in a hygienic environment, as they offer quick and fresh food to suit today’s fast pace of life.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Sushi King Restaurant's tagline is ''Smiling, Served Fresh''. They are brand new logo with the smiling fish and they mean what they say - Served Fresh. Sushi King Restaurants operates a chain of Japanese cuisine restaurants in Malaysia. Sushi King Restaurants first opened its door in 1995 in Kuala Lumpur and it is owned by Texchem Group of Companies. Sushi King Restaurants has now grown to encompass over 80 outlets nationwide and they will continue expanding in the future. Sushi King Restaurants distinguishing as the largest sushi chain restaurants which first introduced "Kaiten Belt Sushi" to Malaysia. The business of Sushi King is to introduce the unique revolving sushi quick service restaurant concept to Malaysians and create a new era of Japanese cuisine with the unique 'Kaiten Sushi' or 'Revolving Sushi' in Malaysia.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Sushi King ensures its brand alignment includes its brand identity, brand protection, brand positioning, brand image, brand promotion as well as brand distribution to generate higher brand awareness and brand recall. Besides that, Sushi King used communication strategy to ensures the target market which able to relate to the Sushi King brand better and distinguish it from other brands. The franchisor of this restaurant will provide meaningful support and guidance to his franchisee on a consistent basis. At the beginning, franchisor will help franchisee manage the restaurant through the franchise system which requires skilful technique and a great deal of carefully thought out planning. Franchisor provides most effective technology for run their business. For example, franchisor will provide the smart system which the machine using for discard the sushi plates automatically.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Franchisor grants a license to distribute goods or services by using their trademarks, trade names, trade styles and business systems to the franchisee to run their business. Franchisor will provide assistance with site selection, personnel training, business set-up, advertising, and product supply to the franchisee. For example, franchisor will do the research and provides some information of the product supply to franchisee can find the product supplier in the area which most nearly to the Sushi King Restaurant aim to reduce the carriage fees and other fees. Franchisor has to find his own general manager and hire and train his own staff to the franchisee before operating the business. As a conclusion, the franchisor and the great majority of the Franchisees do not view their responsibility and commitment as limited by their contract in the most successful franchise networks.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Franchisor provide more than one manual for a franchisee such as in term of separate manuals for training, cooking instructions, dress standards, cleaning requirements and other elements are often issued.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Franchisor has designation the specific need and requirements based on the franchise system such as regulating opening hours, product description, stock control stock ordering procedures, handling customer complaints, the payment of fees, and policies in regard to advertising, marketing and promotions. The franchisee has responsibility to keep their staff up-to-date with such changes and to make maximum use of that manual in his day-to-day operations.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Franchisor provide to the franchisee with the information, terms and conditions and work methods and practices which the franchisor was develop an effective and user-friendly. The franchise of Sushi King Restaurant used SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) which give to the franchisee a systematic outline of the expectations of the franchisor in terms of the specification to be delivered in terms of preparation, delivery and quality. In many instances the audience are the franchisee and the staff of Sushi King Restaurant who may have little business or management experience and they are require to have maximum support and guidance in a user-friendly framework and language.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Datuk Haji Talib Zulpilip who is the franchisee of Sushi King Restaurant at Boulevard in Kuching, Sarawak. He was an experienced manufacturing manager in the food industry prior to his career in consultancy.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  He has previously launched and ran a retail business and was on the hunt for another business adventure in 2005. However, this time around, with a recent divorce behind his and two children to take care of, he was searching for a safer business option and franchising seemed to be just the thing he was looking for. Thus, he choose the franchise Sushi King Restaurant as his business at Boulevard in Kuching, Sarawak.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  According to Datuk Haji Talib Zulpilip, he think that franchising can provide the desire to control his own destiny to build a business for himself and a legacy for his children, has always been a powerful motivator in business and in life. If that is not enough on its own, further motivation is provided by the never-ending cutbacks in corporate life, not only in job security and benefits, but in pensions and health insurance for retirees. Thus, he think that franchise ownership combines a sense of independence with a greater level of security. In his opinion, he think that the priorities and values change which is depending on one's station in life. Age, marital status, parenthood and more can point a person in a new direction. 

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  According to my research on customer survey in Sushi King Restaurant at Boulevard, I found that the majority customers of that restaurant are young generation and they dining with their family, couple and friends. There are more customers were consume in this restaurant at the weekends compare to the weekdays.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Based on my survey, the totally customers are satisfied with the food that served by this restaurant because of the food are fresh, tasty and flavourful, but the most important once is that menu pricing and its value which attract a lot of customers to consume in this restaurant. The customers also satisfied with the menu because it had an excellent selection of items and the quality of food was satisfied by the customers. Besides that, customers also satisfied with the time of waiting before they were seated and the server also serve their customers to take their order quickly. The server was friendly and patient when taking the customer's order and the server was able to answer all the customer's questions. As the customers walk out, the employees express their thanks in Japanese with a smile.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  Besides that, customers are satisfied with the cleanliness of this restaurant. Customers also satisfied with the temperature of food because this restaurant provided very quality food to their customers. The temperature can change the overall taste of food and satisfaction level of the diner. Thus, if wrong with the temperature of the food will decrease the quality of food which will affect the customer's satisfaction.

(｡◕‿◕｡)ღ  As a conclusion, customers were totally satisfied with this restaurant whether in term of their foods or services. Customer satisfaction survey plays an important role in the success of business especially for this businesses because it is directly dealing with customers. Thus, it is an effective tool to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this business to open more and more ways of improvement.

               As a conclusion, Sushi King's views the relationship between franchisor, franchisee and supplier to be of paramount importance to the success of the business. Thus, both of the franchisor and franchisee need to prepare themselves to be a smart business person by researching, planning and making sound decisions. The franchisee who buying the franchise of Sushi King Restaurant is a good way to setting up a business because he do not has to establish himself in the same as a sole trader might have to. At last, he has the support of a tried and tested business model, often with a national marketing campaign behind him.