New Gourmet Master CEO unveils plans

Taiwanese food chain operator Gourmet Master aims to transform its bakery and coffe chain 85° into a “world-class” brand.

The newly tapped CEO James Hsieh said the company will endeavor this year to make 85° chain the top Taiwanese food and beverage brand.

“The 85°C chain has a great opportunity to become a globally renowned brand because of its simple product line, which makes outlets more easy to replicate and operate in markets around the world,” he said.

85° has 737 outlets domestically and internationally including China, Hong Kong, Australia and the US.

The executive said it considers the US market, where it has three outlets, key to its future expansion. Gourmet Master plans to open up to five new outlets this year in the US.

“In the long run, I hope that the coffee and bakery chain will be seen in major shopping malls across the US, which I think is a perfect venue for the chain because its business model is conducive to the mall setting,” said Hsieh.

Locally, 85° will refurbish more of its existing outlets.

“We aim to refurbish the major 85°C outlets in Taiwan to make them second-generation outlets outfitted with new equipment, a revamped product mix and a new franchise system,” said the CEO.

Gourmet Master, which also operates bakery chain Better Simple and hot pot chain Top One Pot, plans to introduce more brands in the future, although it’s not a priority this year.

GB

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