The Chicken Rice Shop targets Australia

Malaysia-based food franchise, The Chicken Rice Shop, plans to enter the Australian market as part of its international expansion strategy. For a start, it is specifically eyeing Melbourne as its first Australian city.

The Chicken Rice Shop has 60 company operated stores in Malaysia and 10 franchised stores in Singapore and the Philippines.

The franchise, which specialises in Hainanese-style chicken rice – a dish of steamed chicken served with rice – is seeking local partners to help it grow in Australia.

“We are looking for master franchises – people who can open between eight and 10 stores over a 10-year period,” said Richard Backstrom, the company’s head of international franchising.

According to Backstrom, the company is also targeting China, the Middle East, and Europe as future markets.

“We are looking at the Middle East right now – Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be our two target cities, and then we will also look at Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi, as well as Europe, because the Asian population is growing in all of these areas very substantially. And of course China,” he said.