Plant-based fast food chain
VeganBurg has been the first of its kind in Singapore and the region when it launched eight years ago. Coincidently, I first moved to Asia only days after they opened their original outlet - and lived a mere 3 minutes walk from it.
With company-owned restaurants in Singapore and San Francisco, VeganBurg is now
looking to expand in South East Asia via franchise model - with the initial focus on Indonesia.
Indonesia’s market for plant-based dining is still relatively small, considering huge urban population. Jakarta’s plant-based fast casual chain,
Burgreens currently operates 5 outlets with 2 more opening over next few months. Bali has a robust plant-based dining scene, but catering almost exclusively to tourists.
I talked to the founder and CEO of VeganBurg,
Alex Tan to learn more about their plans.
Michal Klar (MK): Welcome to FFN, Alex. Why did you choose Indonesia as your next market?
Alex Tan (AT): Indonesia is an exciting new market for us because half of its population is aged between 18-34, it has a flourishing middle class and a bolstering economy. Indonesian millennials are why there is a thriving vegan and eco-friendly scene in Bali and across Indonesia. Jakarta and Bali are definitely on top of our list.
MK: You took part in a recent
Franchise and Licence Expo in Jakarta. How was the response? Have you already found partners or potential franchisees?
AT: The feedback that we received from FLEI was better than we expected. We’ve had lots of people come up to us and tell us how they see the rise of plant-based options in South East Asia - there’s definitely a huge spike in interest for franchising. We’re hoping to find the right partner/master franchisee in Indonesia by the end of 2019. We are also looking into Malaysia and the Philippines.
MK: Are you considering offering branded third-party products, like Beyond Burger at VeganBurg?
AT: We want to stay focused on making the best stores and the best burgers. As for partnering with third-party plant-based meat and food technology brands, this is something that we’re keen to explore.
MK: Thanks for the interview, Alex.