“Kedai Kopi model”.
A big tenant rented/owned a big shop lot normally a corner
lot for a big sum of money. In 2018, normally depending on area and floor size
it could be anywhere between RM10,000 – RM50,000 per month in Klang Valley.
He then will sub-rent to each stall operator at RM30 - 50
per day cash term or RM1000/- per month depending on what kind of food is sold.
Noodle normally cheaper RM700-RM800, Rice normally more expensive RM1000, mix
rice RM1500 and also “Tai Chow” RM2000, cooking special dishes on order. It just an estimate, I don’t have the time to
do the exact business survey and sometimes they also won’t tell you the model.
Even if I can give you the exact figure, you will not be interested and figure
will change year by year. The coffee shop owner will run the beverage business
and the collected rented will cross-subside the rental for the whole shop.
Each stall hired their own staff. Depending on coffee shop
arrangement, sometimes the dish washing operating is centralized and outsourced
to coffee shop owner with a fee. Probably due to hygiene purpose and fulfilling
the municipal council requirement. In most cases, each stall washes their own
dishes.
It’s a symbiotic business relationship between stall
operator and coffee shop owner where boundary are more or less clearly defined.
Each helping each other indirectly. What I like about this operation are
Each stall operator can only sell specific food, WANTAN Mee
and curry mee. Only 2-3 different type of noodles. It’s a specialized stall,
the operator need to focus making a 2-3 type of nice food. If their food cannot
sell, they will be doomed. So their food must be nice enough to attract
customer. If they want to holiday it’s up to them, rental still goes on.
If you compare this to a MAMAK store, normally their operation
are centralized, one owner. 2-3 chef cook 100+ varies of food, no
specialization. Owner take all kind of deal. Workers remain poor forever, owner
drive big cars. Everything is owner operate by hiring staff to perform their
duties, 95% of the stall is not rented out. I have hardly seen any stall is
rented out in Malay and Indian owner restaurant. If you know any let me know so
I can make a case here.
Let me pose you a question,” Chef ABC only do WANTAN MEE for
years and every day. One Chef XYZ can cook up to 50 different dishes of MEE for
you. If you asked Chef ABC and XYZ to cook WANTAN MEE. Whose “WANTAN MEE” will
taste better?
Off course, is it Chef ABC because he can only sell WANTAN,
if his WANTAN Mee no good he is out of Business.
So from this argument, I will go to Coffee shop to eat my
noodle instead of going to one stop shop which 2-3 chef cook 100 different type
of dishes.
From this argument, if you compare WANTAN mee in a coffee
shop with a shop that only sell “WANTAN MEE”, which one is better.
Another example, if you compare Chicken Rice stall in a
coffee shop with a shop that only sell CHICKEN RICE, which one taste better.
The shop may have taken additional risk, effort and most importantly TASTE, if
their chicken rice cannot sell, the whole shop Rm10,000 monthly rental cannot
be possibly be paid correct. So I would go for specialized SHOP for specialized
FOOD, the price is more $expensive, but generally the taste should be better
than 90% of the coffee shop operated stall. However, there is a caveat, the
specialized shop must be owner operated/monitored. I have few complaints that
some specialized shop the taste no longer good because it was so popular that
is it franchised.
Another example will be specialized shop such as “BAK KUT
TEH” Chicken rice etc with decades of reputation and most importantly I must be
rest assured that the old chef or his disciple is still around and cooking the
food.
Then what about restaurant where you go for your annual
dinner? Well, that a different argument. The amount of ingredient use to
prepare for Chinese restaurant dinner varies a lot. Thus I think is it a
different argument.
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