eng2 report-finally (1)

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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL & BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

ENGLISH II (ELG 30605)

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO BUSINESSES OF SIMILAR INDUSTRY IN DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS

“GOOD OLD TASTES”

LECTURER:

MR. GOPIGHANTAN MYLVAGANAM

TEAM MEMBERS:

NAMES PRESENTATION / RESEARCH REPORT ROLES

KYLA DIEGO Recommendation

MELARIE MANDY DONOUGH Comparative analysis

REBECCA MARIE TANDUBA Key summary and report-compilation

ROSABELLA ZUNTIVAI MOBIJOHN Description of history of trade

TAN KE WEH Video-editing and appendix

TENGKU SYAKIRA Comparative analysis

TUNG SIEW HUI Brief description of businesses

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

No. Title Page Number 1

Artistic Cover

1

2

Cover Page

2

3

Table of Contents

3

4

Key Summary

A. Location B. Team C. Assignment D. Research Questions E. Methodology

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Research Report:- A. Brief history the business type. B. Brief description of the businesses.:

(i) Chong Kok Kopitiam (ii) Coliseum Café and Grill Room

C. Comparative analysis: (i) Comparative analysis of the Two

Businesses’ Comparative Traits (ii) Summary Table of Similarities and

Differences between the Two Businesses

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6

Recommendations:

A. Chong Kok Kopitiam B. Coliseum Café and Grill Room

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7

Conclusion

23

8

Appendices

24

9

References

38

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KEY SUMMARY

The contemporary business world exhibits the demand for food to be ever-

growing resulting the market supply of the food-industry to correspond just as

so. With the growing demands of the variety of food that is produced for the

consumers, exists competition regardless of the types of food that is sold, be

it the same or different. Our group decided to choose the latter; a comparative

analysis of two different businesses in the same industry, which is the food

industry, in different geographical locations. Our main concept of research

would be ‘old-aged restaurants’ whereby our research is aimed towards the

old-school restaurants that have been around for over 50 years, even more so

since before Malaysia’s Independence Day.

We managed to locate two such restaurants; Chong Kok Kopitiam in Klang

and Coliseum Café and Grill Room in Kuala Lumpur. These shops are

different as they serve different cuisines and have different operation styles,

and yet they are similar as they both share the struggles of having kept open

for more than 50 years.

The following report further elaborates the comparison analysis between the

two businesses in their respective locations.

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A. Location The difference in locations of the two shops in addition to the difference in

products that each business provide, is to our advantage in creating many

points in comparison between the two.

The first business we visited was Chong Kok Kopitiam located in front of

Klang Train Station in the Klang district of Selangor. It is situated on Jalan

Stesen, one of the oldest and historical roads in Klang and locates a series of

old shops with interesting and unique design and structure. Chong Kok

Kopitiam is situated on the left of this one-way road, just after the Wisma

Tanjong building. Despite being slightly hidden and not eye-catching, the shop

is strategically placed as its surroundings are usually congested with residents

and office staffs from the office buildings along the same road.

Following that, the other business we visited was Coliseum Café & Grill Room

situated on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a major one-way road as well as a

traditional shopping district in Kuala Lumpur. Formerly known as Batu Road,

the road is named after the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong and is known to the

locals as Jalan TAR. The Coliseum Café and Grill Room is located on the left,

along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, just after Wisma Harwant and before

Pawagam Coliseum. The business is cleverly located in the same row as its

theatre branch so as to dominate the area with its name as well as eye-

catching with its interesting structure that compliments its name and theme of

being colonial.

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B. Team As a team of seven, we were able to put each individual member’s abilities to

full use. Rebecca, the editor in editing as well as to overlook the overall task

as well as divide tasks to each member of the team. David, the cameraman to

record as well as edit the interview videos whereas Kyla, Siewhui and Syakira

handled the overall research and presentation of information to be put in the

report and presentation slides. Melarie and Rosabella, the creative ones in the

group were in charge of designing the front cover as well as the layout for the

presentation slides. Despite everyone having their own capabilities in each

task, in the end, everyone collaborated ideas and co-operated in finalising the

report as well as give their own inputs in each stage of completing the

assignment.

C. Assignment Compare-and-contrast researches were done and used as the core

methodology in studying and analysing two trades or businesses within the

same industry, one in and the other one to be outside the Klang Valley area.

As a focal point, we decided to go with the theme of basing our research on

‘old-aged restaurants’. Our research went through three stages; the primary

stage is done by visiting the sites, secondary stage is done via the interviews

and data collected from the questionnaires whereas the tertiary stage is by

obtaining information from printed sources and the internet.

D. Research Questions Derived from the appendix, the questions that were asked during the

interviews with the managers of the two businesses are summarised as such:

1. Name and background of the business.

2. Key founders of the business.

3. The motives of initiating the business.

4. Number and location of the business branches.

5. Number and brief identity of competitors.

6. Strategies and success rate in overcoming the competition

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E. Methodology We conducted interviews with the managers at both destinated locations by

first making an appointment with them so they would be able to make some

time in their busy schedules. We made physical visits to both shops on two

separate days for the respective interviews. Besides that, we were readily-

equipped with the necessities such as camera for video-recording purposes

and photo-taking as well as a mobile phone for audio-recording and stationery

to make notes with during the flow of the interview. Furthermore, we did not

face any language difficulties as our members are able to communicate

fluently in the Mandarin and Cantonese dialects of the Chinese language in

addition to the languages of English and Bahasa Melayu. Moreover, we made

additional researches via the internet as well as printed sources to further

enhance the information gathered from the interviews.

In presenting the date we have obtained, we were to write a report as well as

to prepare an oral presentation. We split up the sub-topics amongst ourselves

and delegated a task to each individual so as to lessen the burden on the

members all the while ensuring the quality of the work done. Ultimately, we

compiled and edited the report to ensure the right facts and format were

included before submission. Similarly, we made the presentation slides

complimenting the information that is withheld in the report and practiced the

presentation itself amongst ourselves to ensure our knowledge on our own

subtopics are accurate.

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RESEARCH REPORT

A. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS TYPE

Restaurants are an institution in nearly every country and every culture in the

world. The term restaurant derived from the French restorer which first

appeared in the 16th century, meaning “a food which restores” and referred

specifically to a type of restorative meat broth or bouillon created by steaming

various types of meat. Such a broth was offered to those who might be too

weak to eat a full meal. It was first applied to an eating establishment at

around year 1765 and founded by a Parisian soup-seller named Boulanger.

The institutions in which these “restaurants” were served, had costly and

luxurious interiors and appealed to a wealthy clientele. Concepts such as

seating patrons at their own tables, providing dining at unspecified hours, and

a menu from which diners could choose their own dishes came out of these

institutions and became an established part of the “restaurant” service.

However, the restaurant as we know it today, a place where people come to

eat and drink as well as socialise, is credited to the French Revolution. Since

the 20th Century, restaurants have undergone significant changes, in part to

technological advancements in food productions. Malaysia has declared its

independence since 1957 and yet, there exists restaurants even older than

that such as Coliseum Café and Chong Kok Kopitiam. These two restaurants

have been around since before the 1950s and known as one of Malaysia’s

first few restaurants to operate since before the 1950s.

The Coliseum Café started in 1921 before World War II and some nine

decades and generations later, still continues to operate in the same premises

at one of the Kuala Lumpur oldest street, Batu Road which originally is a path

leading to Batu village where mining activities took place and now known as

Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman named after Malaysia’s First King. In the early

days, the restaurant served the British who worked and lived in then, Malaya.

It was patronised by government officers, prime ministers, tin miners, writers,

planters, traders and military personnel together with their families who swung

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by for tea, cocktails and dinner. Over time, the Western Colonial cuisine

evolved into its own unique style as the Hainanese chefs, immigrants from

China, concocted their own interpretation of many a western dish.

Furthermore, Chong Kok Kopitiam is located in front of the Klang KTM train

station. It has been operating since the year 1940 and has been recognised

for as long as 70 years. Chong Kok Kopitiam was found by 5 Hainanese men

from Hainan. However, Chong Kok Kopitiam is still operating in the selfsame

spot and has never been changed over the past 76 years to maintain its

autochthonous ambience. Until today, Chong Kok Kopitiam has been loyally

supported by the local community. Most of these customers have been

patronising this coffee shop ever since in their childhood and gradually have a

sense of belonging.

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B. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESSES

(i) Chong Kok Kopitiam Chong Kok Kopitiam is one of the famous spots for breakfast as they are well

known for their toast and coffee. It is located on Jalan Stesen in Klang,

Selangor. Since Chong Kok Kopitiam is located in the heart of Klang, it is

often congested with people. They receive approximately seventy customers

daily. Even when the shop is crowded with people, one would be able to see

the diversity in its customers as customers of the three main races, Chinese,

Malay and Indian sitting under one roof, which truly makes it a One-Malaysian

gathering place.

The coffee shop has been open since 1940 and the interior has not changed

since then; the interviewee’s great-grandfather founded the shop itself

together with a few of his friends. Originally, he and his friends opened a

business called Chong Kok Hotel to which the business then changed to

Chong Kok Kopitiam. In the 1970’s, the first floor of the coffee shop’s building

was used as a restaurant whereas the second floor used to be the hotel.

However, these two businesses ceased to continue but Chong Kok Kopitiam

continues to run in the ground floor of the building. The owners then changed

their concept to just maintaining the coffee shop.

Chong Kok Kopitiam does not have any branches because they (the current

owners) want to maintain the quality of their food. Despite not wanting to open

any branches, the coffee shop has extended its menu to include a variety of

Western and local mixes. These menus were hung on the walls, made

available for visiting customers to read.

The main products sold are toast and coffee. Toast, sliced bread that are

browned on both sides by exposure to radiant heat, with homemade kaya and

butter spread on either side of the toast, gives the combination a sweet and

salty flavour. On the other hand, the coffee is the original Hainan coffee and is

made using an old-style-brewing technique which enhances its aromatic and

strong flavour. A set of coffee and toast is often ordered by their customers

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because of the unique flavor that arises when combined together. What made

these special is also the maintenance of the traditional method in toasting

bread (which is toasting by charcoal) and in making and brewing the coffee.

Furthermore, Chong Kok Kopitiam is well-featured in on social media sites

such as blogs, articles, reviews and even on local television channels such as

8TV and NTV7 and has gained a lot of recognition since then. The

maintenance of the original building and its environment ensures the

continuity of the flow of customers they receive to be returning, loyal

customers as well as new ones.

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(ii) Coliseum Café and Grill Room Coliseum Café and Grill Room serves unique Western-Hainanese cuisine.

The Coliseum Cafe and Hotel started in 1921 before the Second World War.

After generation and generation, it still continues to operate in one of Kuala

Lumpur’s oldest streets, Batu Road, which is now known as Jalan Tuanku

Abdul Rahman. Coliseum Café and Grill Room have a total of four branches

including its main branch. They have branched out to popular tourists and

local spots starting with its first branch at Plaza 33, subsequently to Mid Valley

and Sunway Pyramid.

Coliseum was founded by a group of Hainanese businessmen who brought

their own style of cooking but localised it with Malay, Chinese and Indian

spices. The workers in its main branch consist of approximately twenty

people, both male and female. It was informed that the cafe was not open to

women back in those days of the Colonial Era. After a few decades, their

mindset changed and they soon allowed women to not only dine, but to work

in the café as well.

The main product of the café is its Western-Hainanese cuisine. Coliseum

Café and Grill Room’s dish, the Hainanese spaghetti was awarded as the

finalist for Kuala Lumpur signature dish last year in a competition organised

by the KL BIG KITCHEN Festival by Tourism Malaysia & City Hall-DBKL. The

competition was held in search for a significant and branded dish created for

the gastronomic city of Kuala Lumpur to which Coliseum was chosen out of

100s entries. Besides that, Coliseum secured a place in the Malaysia Book of

Records award for the ‘Longest Operating Western Colonial-Themed

Restaurant’, having been in business since 1921.

The café used to be a favourite hangout for British Colonials who wanted to

get authentic Western food but today, it has become a number one place for

locals to come and get enormous servings of sizzling steaks. The customers

they receive are usually tourists, office staff and locals ranging from middle-

aged to senior citizen. As per our visit, there were approximately nine

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customers when we first arrived. However, during lunch hour, the cafe started

getting filled to about thirty customers.

Coliseum Café and Grill Room have a vast development over the past few

years, obtaining many awards such as The BrandLaureate SMEs Best Brands

Awards for Best Brands in Food & Beverage - Western Cuisine. Besides that,

they have been interviewed by many columnists from The Star, Malay Mail,

Time Out and other named newspapers and magazines. This place continues

to exist and is gaining popularity even more so because of its nostalgic

environment and it’s great old taste in their food.

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

(i) Comparative Analysis of the Two Businesses’ Competitive Traits

Item Chong Kok Kopitiam Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room

i. Competitors There are no possible competitors with similar menu to offer in the surrounding area. However nearby mamak restaurants has the potential of pulling the crowd away.

Competitors would mainly be other steakhouses such as Jake’s Steakhouse.

ii. Brief description of competitors

’Mamak' restaurants offers prices similar to those at Chong Kok Kopitiam. Although they are not as famous their menu offers a different variety.

Jake’s Steakhouse is reputable for their great steaks although it is a bit on the expensive side.

iii. Competition Strategies

a) Price and value

Chong Kok Kopitiam offers a lower price range as compared to restaurants nearby that might be possible competition.

Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room sets their prices with respect to value.

b) History

Has been operating since 1940. Currently, 76 years in operation.

Has been operating since 1921. Currently, 95 years in operation.

Both holds pride in their long years of operation and their reputable name among customers and foodies.

c) Menu

Both restaurants had the same menu since the beginning of their business which was only changed later on to accommodate the Muslim community.

Main products would be their array of toast and coffee.

Known for their fusion of Hainanese and Western dishes.

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d) Ambience

Old kopitiam decor and interior gives off the old age vibe.

Unchanged interior brings nostalgia to customers. As if they were taken back to the colonial days.

e) Service

Fast service for customers with a simple ordering system.

The waiters are trained and most are able to speak multiple languages to accommodate to the diverse crowd that visits the restaurant.

iiii. Franchise Chong Kok Kopitiam operates only one outlet located in Klang.

Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room has four franchises:

- Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman

• Mid Valley • Plaza 33 • Sunday Pyramid

v. Customer Demography

The old kopitiam serves a wide range of customers due to the diverse community at their location.

The outlet in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman mainly serves customers that consists of senior citizens, the working class and tourists looking for a restaurant with a story.

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(ii) Summary Table of Similarities and Differences between the Two Businesses:

Chong Kok Kopitiam

SIMILARITIES

Coliseum Café and Grill Room

76 years

Open for more than 50 years

95 years

Started with a group of friends from Hainan.

Business operation

The cafe was opened by a group of Hainan business

people.

Around 100 – 150 customers daily.

Number of customers

Around 100 – 150 customers daily.

Featured in local newspapers, internet blogs.

Media coverage

Featured in local newspapers, internet blogs.

Chong Kok Kopitiam has stuck with the same product throughout the years of

operating their business, but they added more items into their menu to attract more

customers.

Combating competitors

Coliseum cafe has tastefully present their Hainanese Western cuisine over the years. Through the recent

years they have added a few new items into the menu such

as burgers was gaining popularity among the

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customers to keep up with the trend.

The coffee shop has a very comfortable, antique ambiance which the customers really enjoyed as most of their regular , loyal, returning customers are elderly's who have been visiting since young.

Restaurant layout and atmosphere

Coliseum cafe gave off a friendly, unpretentious, and charming atmosphere. The cafe maintained their 1920's style with it's wooden structures.

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Chong Kok Kopitiam

DIFFERENCES

Coliseum Café and Grill Room

Toast and coffee are mainly ordered by the customers. But,

other local menu as also served by the coffee shop.

Main products sold

Their sizzling steak is one of their specialty along with their

Hainanese food.

Mainly foreigner workers are hired in the coffee shop.

Workers

Most of the long term workers hired in the cafe are locals, and the short term workers

are foreigners.

Currently there are no branches open.

Current branches

4 branches within Selangor. The main branch would be in Kuala Lumour, and the sub-

branches in Sunway pyramid, The Gardens in Midvalley

Mall, and Plaza 33.

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Chong Kok kopitiam is located in Klang. It has an antique

interior with rustic features as it has not been renovated since

it was built.

Address:

5, Jalan Stesen, Kawasan 1, 41000 Klang, Selangor,

Malaysia.

Location

Coliseum's main branch is located in Jalan Tuanku

Abdul Rahman. It has an old warm charm ambiance with it's stylish classic 20's style.

Address:

98, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100 Kuala

Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

Chong Kok Kopitiam as first started in 1940 during World

War 2. It is originated from five Hainanese people from Hainan

at that time. Chong Kok Kopitiam was initially also a hotel, restaurant, and coffee

shop. The 'Kopitiam' has been running by four generations. The family has yet to change the traditional menu that has

been sold since the early days. The reason why is because

they opt to maintain the original quality of the products.

During the past 76 years no hing much has changed,

environment wise, and also customers.

Founder And History

The Coliseum Cafe started in 1921 before World War 2.

Coliseum Cafe has successfully blossom through

time fromwhen it was founded by a group of

Hainanese business men. And over time, as the cafe started gaining popularity

among customers, they were inspired to set up branches in

different parts of Selangor such as Sunway Pyramid,

The Gardens Midvalley Mall, Plaza 33. During the early

days, the cafe mostly served the British who were residing

in Malaya with Western Colonial cuisine. Eventually,

the menu was influenced with

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the local Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine in certain

dishes as well as the addition of some of the local's

favourite dishes into its menu. With time, Coliseum Cafe is famously known for serving Western Hainanese Cuisine.

The cafe opens from 6.30 in the morning till 6 in the evening every Monday till Saturday. On

Sundays the coffee shop is open from 6.30 in the morning

till 2 in the afternoon.

Business Hour

Coliseum from 10 in the morning till 10 at night every

day.

RM 50,000

Annual Revenue

It is a disclose information.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on our analysis and observations of these two businesses, Chong Kok

Kopitiam in Klang and Coliseum Cafe in Kuala Lumpur, we have proposed a

few recommendations to further improve their competitiveness in the future.

A. CHONG KOK KOPITIAM, KLANG

Current Area of Improvement

Recommendation

Restaurant Hygiene There are many insects in the restaurant such as flies, ants and etc. Since the restaurant is exposed to open air, it would be difficult to get rid of the fleas. However, areas around kitchen and dining area must be clean and away from food debris and the bin. Thus, all ingredients that was left on the table must be covered with a mesh umbrella food cover and it is recommended that workers must wear a pair of clean plastic gloves while preparing the meals.

Food Dishes Regularity The chefs could start by introducing new and fresh recipes the still enclose the long suit of the restaurant, besides remaining the original. This act, could possibly introduce new customers and increase the popularity of the restaurant.

New Coat Paint is Needed Most walls in the restaurant is damaged and soiled. Hence, we recommend that the owner of the restaurant should begin renovating the place with a cleaner environment and be coated with fresh colors.

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A. COLISEUM CAFÉ AND GRILL ROOM, KUALA LUMPUR Current Area of Improvement

Recommendation

Indoor Smoke There are smoke indoors before serving a steak on the cast- iron skillet for the customers. These smokes and odors will cause eye irritation and bad odor to customer’s clothes. Thus, we recommend that the owner of this restaurant should apply smoke air cleaners in the restaurant to clean smoke and odors from the inside of the restaurant.

Over-priced The meals served in Coliseum is quite pricey and it is not friendly for the youth. Hence, we recommend the owner of this restaurant should provide more affordable and suitable meals for the youth so that more customers including the youth will come and dine in the restaurant.

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CONCLUSION

Through the previously mentioned analysis, we can conclude that both Chong

Kok Kopitiam and Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room are similar as they have both

been operating for more than 50 years. Throughout the years, a special bond

between the customers and the respective restaurants are created, thus, they

form a very reputable name among newspapers and online reviews. These

old age restaurants act as if they were time machines, from the moment you

step into the restaurant, nostalgia brought along by the restaurant gives off a

very special ambience that is impossible to be duplicated by newer upcoming

restaurants. Despite their historical timeline, these restaurants still have

individualistic differences that create each good old taste.

Located in Klang, Chong Kok Kopitiam receives more local customers while

Coliseum Restaurant generally serves more tourists. With their apparent

differences in location, these two restaurants have made their menu suit their

customer’s taste and the prices are also reasonable subject to the customer’s

demand and value given by the restaurant. Clearly, the most obvious

differences between the two would be their menu. Chong Kok Kopitiam offers

a simple menu with an array of bread choices that can be accompanied with

locals favourite drinks such as ‘teh c peng’ or ‘kopi o’. On the other hand,

Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room, serves more towards a fusion of Hainanese and

Western dishes with their signature dish ‘Hainanese sizzling steak’.

With competition being very low and almost unviable on Chong Kok Kopitiam,

they are able to keep their customers while putting in little effort with

competitive business. In contrast, Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room is faced with

multiple competitors such as the new steakhouses in the area. However, they

are able to compete well with their very unique menu, distinct ambience, and

a rich history with fame among colonials as well as multiple political figures

over the past 95 years.

Overall, these two restaurants have been around for quite some time and they

are not planning to budge out of the food industry anytime soon.

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APPENDICES

A. Chong Kok Kopitiam, Klang (i) Photo compilation.

Close-up shots of the front entrance of Chong Kok Kopitiam.

Photos taken of the coffee shop’s interior atmosphere

Customers are seen enjoying their food and having conversations with their companions.

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Chong Kok Kopitiam’s staff diligently at work.

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(ii) Transcript of the interview.

1) When was the business founded?

It started in the year 1940. We have just celebrated our 75th anniversary last year.

2) Who are the key founders?

I am the fourth generation. My great grandfather started this business with a few of his friends.

3) What prompted the founders to start this business?

Basically, my great grandfather and his friends were interested in opening a business together and so they did.

4) What are your main products?

Our main products are what is popular with our customers and they are steamed bread, toasted bread, half-boiled eggs and ‘nasi lemak’.

5) Who are your customers?

Our customers are mainly Chinese since this is a Chinese café. Malays would fall in second place, follow-up by the Indians.

6) If you don’t mind me asking, what is the business’ annual revenue figure?

Our annual revenue is RM 50, 000, inclusive of Government Service Tax (GST).

7) How many branch offices/stores do you have?

We have none. This shop is our one and only.

8) Can you provide us a brief history of your business and its most recent developments?

We started in 1940 and back then, this shop was not as popular as it is now. Throughout the years, we have gained quite an amount of recognition from the public.

9) Do you have many competitors? If so, who are they? Who are your top 3 competitors?

I would say there are no competitors in this area since all of us (the shop owners) are selling different types of food and cuisine.

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10) Is the business constantly facing strong competition from other competitors? What strategies have they used to compete with you?

I would say there is not much competition since we have already established our reputation in the market. Furthermore, we have a lot of loyal, returning customers who would visit this shop frequently.

11) How much capital is required to start this business? What, if any, specialised field of knowledge do you need to run this business?

Basic knowledge of making the food is our signature.

12) Generally, do you feel it is easy or hard to enter this market? Why?

It will be hard for us to open a brand new café, but if we were to open branches for Chong Kok Kopitiam, I think it would be easier.

13) How often do you release a new product (this assumes the business sells differentiated products)?

We are and will always stick to our main products, that’s the whole main point of this business; a coffee shop. However, over time we included new items to the menu to appeal to a larger crowd.

14) Are your pricing decisions strongly affected by your competitors?

Our pricings are not affected and they will always remain as it is.

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B. Coliseum Café and Grill Room, Kuala Lumpur

(i) Photo compilation.

Frontal view of the Coliseum Café and Grill Room building.

Exteriors of Coliseum Café. There are murals of the Prime Ministers of Malaysia on the side wall of the Coliseum Café.

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The interiors and atmosphere of the café. No renovations were done since it opened, keeping its original state to maintain its uniqueness.

The walls of the café are decorated with articles and award certificates, praising Coliseum for its great quality.

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A group photo with the interviewee, Mr. Eddy, in the bar of the Coliseum Café and Grill Room.

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(ii) Transcript of the interview.

1) When was the business founded?

It started in 1921. This year (2016) marks our 95th year in operation. This road used to be called Batu Road and so when Malaya started, we were one of the first few restaurants that came about then. Back then, before Merdeka, we have served five prime ministers in which they themselves walk through these doors.

2) Who are the key founders?

Since 1921, we have five generations who have passed. Shareholders changed, new chefs came in to bring this restaurant further. The current shareholders are a mix of investors and people who are in the F&B (Food & Beverages) industry.

3) What prompted the founders to start this business?

They had passion to involve Western dishes into Malaysia.

4) What are your main products?

I would say it’s mainly the Western-Hainanese food we serve here. The Malaysian cuisine is as close as you can get for a Western-kind of restaurant. In those days, we were under the Colonial rule, the Hainanese cuisine is what our chefs prepared for the British masters. They were Hainanese chicken chop, steaks, what we call now ‘fusion food’.

5) Who are your customers?

I would say our customers are mostly office staff, tourists and locals ranging from middle-aged to senior citizens.

6) How many branch offices/stores do you have?

We have four branches, including our main branch here in Jalan TAR. We have one in PJ, one in Plaza33 and one in Sunway Pyramid. So we have a total of 4 restaurants.

7) Can you provide us a brief history of your business and its most recent developments?

This was Batu Road, leading to a mining town before. This road used to be the “Bukit Bintang” in the olden days. So any shops that open here would definitely mark up.

8) Do you have many competitors? If so, who are they? Who are your top 3 competitors?

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Our close competitors would be the steakhouses. Jake’s and Marini’s are some of them.

9) Generally, do you feel it is easy or hard to enter this market? Why?

It would be hard to enter as a beginners but the key is the experiences we have.

10) How do you compete with your competitors i.e. what strategies do you employ to divert customers away from your competitors?

We have been around for 95 years and we have been around that long for a reason. We go by our four key pillars which are taste, quality, value and trendiness. We hold on to these key pillars as we aim to be around for another century as in five more years, we would be celebrating our 100th year in operation.

11) How often do you release a new product (this assumes the business sells differentiated products)?

Our recent addition would be our burgers. Burgers are popular with the younger crowd as you can see in KGB, Burgatory, Burger Lab, Johnny Rockets, all those burger franchises. We brought in burgers, we brought in spaghetti. These are the recent additions we have to draw in the younger market.

12) Are your pricing decisions strongly affected by your competitors?

The pricing of our menu are competitively priced, so we usually give a packed meal. We ensure the value is prioritized as we make sure the plate is filled from one corner to the other.

33

TEAM MEETING MINUTES MINUTES OF THE MEETING #1

DATE: 30th December 2015

TIME: 5.30 p.m.

VENUE: Class E3.12, Taylor’s University

Lakeside Campus

NAMES OF GROUP MEMBERS

TUTORIAL GROUP ROLE

Kyla Diego Wednesday, 6.30 p.m. Member

Melarie Donough Wednesday, 6.30 p.m. Member

Rebecca Marie Tanduba Wednesday, 6.30 p.m. Member

Rosabella Mobijohn Wednesday, 6.30 p.m. Member

David Tan (Tan Ke Weh) Wednesday, 6.30 p.m. Member

Tengku Syakira Wednesday, 6.30 p.m. Member

Tung Siew Hui Wednesday, 6.30 p.m. Member

NO. ACTIVITY ACTION TAKEN BY

1 Deciding on what type of business

to do research on and where

All members

2 Contacting and making

arrangements to meet with the

managers of two businesses

Chong Kok Kopitiam – David

Coliseum Café and Grill Room - Rebecca

3 Task delegations (Interview) At Chong Kok Interview – David

At Coliseum Café and Grill Room – Syakira

4 Task delegations (Data

presentation)

Key Summary – Rebecca

Brief History of Business Type – Rosabella

Brief Description of the Two Businesses –

Siew Hui

Comparative Analysis – Syakira and

Melarie

Recommendations – Kyla

Cameraman and Appendix – David

34

MINUTES OF THE MEETING #2

DATE: 9th January 2016

TIME: 1.30 p.m.

VENUE: Chong Kok Kopitiam, Jalan Stesen,

Klang


TUTORIAL GROUP ROLE





David Tan (Tan Ke Weh) Wednesday, 6.30 p.m. Leader




1 Interviewer David Tan

2 Camera-person/ Video recorder Kyla

3 Audio recorder Melarie

4 Note-taking Siew Hui

35



TIME: 4.00 p.m.


Lakeside Campus


TUTORIAL GROUP ROLE









1 Interview videos editing and

transcripting

David

2 Begin report All members

3 Presentation slides Rosabella

36



TIME: 12.00 p.m.

VENUE: Coliseum Café and Grill Room, Jalan

Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala

Lumpur


TUTORIAL GROUP ROLE









1 Interviewer Syakira

2 Camera-person/ Video recorder David

3 Audio recorder Rebecca

4 Note-taking Siew Hui

37



TIME: 6.00 p.m.


Lakeside Campus


TUTORIAL GROUP ROLE









1 Report compilation and final editing Rebecca

2 Presentation slides Rosabella

3 Conclusion Syakira

4 Artistic cover Kyla

5 Report-editing Melarie and Siew Hui

6 Finalising video and photo

compilation

David

38

REFERENCES

1. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14, 2016, from

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/citynews/greater-kl/article/coliseum-

waiter-glad-to-have-served-5-premiers/coliseum-waiter-glad-to-have-served-

5-premiers

2. Coliseum Cafe. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14, 2016, from

http://www.coliseum1921.com/

3. Coliseum Café in Kuala Lumpur - KL Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved January

14, 2016, from http://www.kuala-lumpur.ws/magazine/coliseum-cafe.htm

4. Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman -

HungryGoWhere Malaysia. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14, 2016, from

http://www.hungrygowhere.my/dining-guide/tried-and-tested/coliseum-cafe-

grill-room-on-jalan-tuanku-abdul-rahman-*aid-b5523101

5. Ee, J. (2014, April 2). Chong Kok Kopitiam Documentary March 2014.

(Video file). Retrieved January 14, 2016, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4OBdhYrrUI

6. Katz, S. (2003). Encyclopedia of food and culture. New York: Scribner.

7. Motormouth From Ipoh – Malaysian Food & Travel Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved

January 14, 2016, from http://www.j2kfm.com/chong-kok-kopitiam-klang/

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