english report.docx

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGNResearch Unit for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia

Foundation of Natural Build Environments (FNBE)

ASSIGNMENT:Comparative Analysis of 2 Businesses of Similar Industry in Different

Geographical Locations

REPORT TITLE:Buffet Steamboat Restaurants

GROUP MEMBERS:NAMES ROLES

AHMED ALI KARAMA SENAN0320478

- Appendices- Reference & Bibliography

ALIA NISA RAFLLY0320774

- Key Summary- Description of Business- Report Compilation

DEENIE H’YATT JUMAT0319719

- Interview Questionnaire - Comparative Analysis- Artistic Cover

LIM WEI HENG0320148

- Interview Questionnaire- Comparative Analysis

MOHAMAD ADIB ISMAIL0321532

- Description of Business

MOHAMMAD DANIEL MAZLAN0321409

- Comparative Analysis

MUHAMAD ANWAR FAUZI0320213

- Recommendation

SITI NUR FATAHIAH 0320595

- Team Coordinator- Presentation slide- Description of History of the

Trade- Recommendation

ENGLISH II [ELG30605]

LECTURER:MS CASSANDRA WIJESURIA

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SUBMISSION & RESENTATION DATE:5TH JUNE 2015

TABLE OF CONTENT

NO.

TITTLE PAGE NO.

1 KEY SUMMARY 3

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS 4

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS 5-9

4 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COMPETITIVE TRAITS 10-17

5 OBSTACLES FACED BY NEW BUSINESS 18

6 RECOMMENDATION 19

7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 20

8 REFERENCES 21

9 APPENDICES 22-24

ENGLISH II [ELG30605] | BUFFET STEAMBOAT RESTAURANT

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KEY SUMMARY

Through our research, buffet steamboat restaurants are very famous. We have chosen Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant in Kelana Jaya and

Restaurant Nelayan in Gombak. These two restaurants shares similar characteristics of ownership, owning excellent reviews and having loyal

customers. Both of these restaurants have a wide selection of fresh seafood and other local cuisine that will satisfy their customers craving. Despite

having heavy competition surrounding them, they manage to maintain their business is because of their loyal customers.


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DESCRIPTION OF HISTORY OF TRADE

Originally referred as ‘hot pot’ in Southeast Asia, steamboat is commonly known as a fondue dish that consists of a simmering stock pot placed at the center of the dining table, alongside a variety of stew and other ingredients.

With a history of more than a thousand years, the steamboat is said to be originated from the Mongolians and first appeared in China in the early

Qing Dynasty. It has then spread to the southern part of China during the Tang Dynasty, and from then on to the rest of the Asian regions. The

ingredients are placed into the pot while it is simmering to be cooked. The cooked food is usually served with many different kinds of dipping sauce,

for extra flavor. The main ingredient of steamboat is meat, though over time seafood has made its way to be a popular ingredient as regional variations

develop. Nowadays, the traditional coal-heated steamboats have been replaced by electric or induction cooker versions. Because of different styles

from region to region, there are now also many variations of steamboats, and each steamboat has a distinguished and unique flavor and style.


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DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

This research is based on the analysis of two steamboat restaurants that is Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant in Kelana Jaya and Restaurant Nelayan

in Gombak.

Location of Business 1, Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant

Location of Business 2, Restaurant Nelayan


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Business 1;YUEN BUFFET STEAMBOAT RESTAURANT

Name:Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant


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Current location:8G, Block A, Zenith Corporate Park,

Jalan SS7/26 Kelana Jaya,47301, Petaling Jaya,Selangor, Malaysia

Number of branches:1

Number of employees:12 (mostly are immigrant)

Main product:Buffet Steamboat

(Seafood, chicken wing)

Operating Hour:Dinner: 5.00pm – 12.00am (Last entry: 10.30pm)

Off Days: 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Pricing:Adult/Children above 150cm – RM34.00

Children (below 13) between 131cm to 150cm – RM17.00Children (below 13) between 100cm to 130cm – RM10.00

Estimated current number of customers:Not specific, numbers of customers depends on the season.

Number of customers during the weekends is larger than on weekdays.

Opening date:2005, in their previous location in Sunway Mentari

2014, in Kelana Jaya

Founder:Madam Susie Teh

Motive of starting this business:Yuen Buffet Restaurant was operated under supervision of Madam Susie

Teh. She started this business together with her husband and it became her passion until her passing in 2010. The business remains as a family-

operated enterprise and was continued by her oldest daughter and son.


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Recent development and changes:- 15 January 2014, They have relocated to Kelana Jaya from its previous

location in Sunway Mentari - More variety of food and delicacy

- New surrounding and comfortable setting

Brief History:Yuen was first operated in 2005 as a family business under the matronage

of Madam Susie Teh. In its previous location in Sunway Mentari, the business has become popular due to its wide array of steamboat selection

and Madam Susie Teh’s famous ‘Honey’ chicken wings. Yuen Steamboat has captured the hearts of many customers, as majority of them kept coming

back for more. However, her eldest daughter and son have taken over managing the business, after Madam Susie Teh passed in 2010. The

business is now moved to Kelana Jaya to start, in hopes to capture the hearts of new customers.

Business 2;RESTAURANT NELAYAN


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Name:Restoran Nelayan Titiwangsa

Current location:Lot 1183, Batu8 3/4 Jalan Gombak,

53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Number of branches:1

Number of employees:Around 15~20

Main product:Buffet steamboat (seafood) Kelantan Cuisine

Operating Hour:Weekdays and weekends: 6.30am – 10.30pm

Pricing:Set A > 4 dishes + white rice + Chinese tea + mix fruits = RM 55.00 (2

pax)Set B > 5 dishes + white rice + Chinese tea + mix fruits = RM 98.00 (4

pax)Set C > 6 dishes + white rice + Chinese tea + mix fruits = RM 144.00 (7

pax)


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Set D > 7 dishes + white rice + Chinese tea + mix fruits = RM 190.00 (10 pax)

Estimated current number of customers:Not specific, numbers of customers depends on the season.

Number of customers during the weekends is larger than on weekdays.

Opening date:Year 1985

Founder:Nik Abdullah

Marketing manager:Hj. Zainal

Senior manager:Joseph Tan

Motivation to continue this business:Motivated by numbers of loyal customers that loves their food and had

frequently come ever since it open.

Recent development and changes:Spent about 2 million to upgrade their restaurant. They had made some

landscaping, changing the carpets and upgrading their carpark area.

Brief history:Restaurant Nelayan was establish in year 1985 and it has attract many

people around Malaysia with their interesting concept which is buffet and steamboat. In 1985 they were only few restaurant is doing steamboat (countable). The owner of this successful business is Nik Abdullah. He

started the business in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur. They have been few competition with the other restaurant, but restaurant customers

will never decrease because of their concept which is “going forward”. They kept on changing the restaurant surrounding by adding something new, when their customers come for lunch or dinner they won’t get bored by

their décor, every year they will renovate the empty space and improvise the old spaces in the restaurant.


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COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS of the BUSINESS’s COMPETITIVE TRAITS

Business 1: Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant

Yuen Steamboat Restaurant was one of the first steamboat restaurant to open in Sunway Mentari. After a few years of operating, a new shop lot was opened in that area and 13 other buffet steamboat restaurant was later opened. Yuen Steamboat’s competition keep on increasing from time to time. Yuen Steamboat had to relocate because of the building they are using is getting old and was going to be demolish. They had relocated to Kelana Jaya, where there is not much of competition there but they had to face with new obstacles because their new location in Zenith Corporate Park is quit deserted and most shops there are used as storage.

The top 3 competitors of Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant are KL Steamboat Station, Thong’s Recipe and Teaffani Catering. They are located within walking distance in the Zenith Corporate Park.


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Competitor 1: KL Steamboat Station

This restaurant is located at block D in the Zenith Corporate Park while Yuen is located at block A. As their grill selection and steamboat were quite limited and to compare to the other steamboat restaurant, there wasn’t much selections to choose from compare to the Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant. As there are still only two steamboat restaurant located in Zenith Corporate Park.

Competitor 2: Thong Recipe


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This restaurant started in April 2011 and is located at block B in the Zenith Corporate Park. This restaurant provide catering upon arrangement, breakfast and lunch set catering to attract more customer with a reasonable price. Although the business there is quite slow due to most of the shop nearby there are still vacant and under construction.

Competitor 3: Teaffani Catering

This restaurant was founded in 2011. It is only a few meters away from Yuen Buffet Restaurant. This restaurant is known for its delicious and beautiful catering service which is usually for event like wedding, birthday and private catering in that area as they also provide buffet service, drop off service or any kind of event the customer want it to be. Customer could customized their own event as how they want it to be.

Nature of their market.

The nature of their market is perfectly competitive since most of the steamboat restaurants in Sunway depends and follows the country economy. The price of the raw sources is sometimes high and sometimes low. Being in this kind of situation is like depending on luck and later on having to come up with a price that can satisfy the customer.


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Strategies Employed by Yuen Buffet Steamboat Restaurant with competitions.

A few strategies were employed by The Yuen to attract more customers

- They had already set a strong foundation at Sunway Mentari as one of the best steamboat restaurant at their previous location. So even though they move to this new area, they will also have their own regular customers coming back and also could attract other new customers in that specific area.

- They already did a good improvement on their business by moving to a much safer and comfortable setting which also had plenty of parking spaces for you to park just need to pay 2 ringgit to enter the parking space and security and you could come and enjoy your dinner safe and sound in the Yuen Steamboat Buffet Restaurant.

- They had a wide variety of fresh seafood ingredients and other more choices of ingredient of sources, vegetable, delicacy and many more food of choices to satisfied different customer form all ages. And they are also famous for their Honey Chicken Wings which is also known as their signature dish and for the delicacy they had 4 variety of ice cream, longan soya pudding, fruits and many more other food that you could enjoy after you had ur steamboat

- For the pricing, they are affordable and relevant as for adults or children above 150 cm will be 34 ringgit, for children between 131 cm and 150 cm will be 17 ringgit and for children between 100 cm and 130 cm will be 10 ringgit will be 10 ringgit. As you can see, it is definitely affordable and relevant charge as they also include Chinese tea and water, including 6 % GST and no additional service charge. This will absolutely attract more


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customer as the pricing are just nice to all the customer of all ages especially students for all of this variety of foods.

- They also advertise their business through social media such as Facebook, website and many more which is a great strategy to improve their business as nowadays social media had play a very important role as most of the people are able to access to it.

- Important thing about their success is their hardworking and trust-worthy employee as most are the employee are immigrant. According to the owner, she said that immigrant worker are even more willing to work and they were also here under contract which last about like 10 years or more. As most of them came here motive is to make a profit to bring back to their country compare to the local worker as they were quite lazy and didn’t take thing seriously for most of the time because they are local and couldn’t change their working place if they feel like want to change.

Business 2: Restaurant Nelayan


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In Titiwangsa, restaurant Nelayan competitor, Titiwangsa Seafood Village is located nearby the area and they even served seafood too. Unfortunately, due to slightly poor service and unorganized surrounding, restaurant Nelayan gained more attraction which make them successful.

Main competitor: Titiwangsa Seafood Village


From what we have inspect, the restaurant is located in a rural area which at Gombak. We have been told by the manager that, their business are currently running slow compared than before when they opened at Titiwangsa area which it was a strategic place on the market segment. Gombak is an area where it is far from town and low population. In other case, the restaurant didn’t open any franchise in other place and this will make the restaurant are hardly recognized by the citizen. The area located are dull environment and village type but they do get customer due to the area is located around residential area.

During in Titiwangsa, restaurant Nelayan are one of the well-

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This restaurant located at No. 1, Jalan Temerluh, Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Wilayah Persekutuan Titiwangsa. It is only a few meters away from restaurant Nelayan. This restaurant served steamboat and buffet.

Strategies employed by restaurant Nelayan with competition.

A few strategies were employed by restaurant Nelayan to attract more customers.

- They kept on changing the restaurant by adding something new such as, upgrading the landscaper, enlarge the parking space, adding furniture’s and more.

- Every year, they will renovate the empty space and improvise the old spaces in the restaurant.

- This is to satisfy their customer so that they won’t get bored by their décor.


Main Competitor, Titiwangsa Seafood Village.

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Comparison between Yuen Steamboat Restaurant and Restaurant Nelayan:

Similarities

Main product Buffet SteamboatBusiness type Family business/Family-operatedNumber of branches 1Motives Continuing family businessNature of market Perfectly competitiveCleanliness GoodFood Quality ExcellentEnvironment Welcoming and comfortableDecoration Changing according to trend and

season Variety of food Changing according to seasonSurrounding Residential

Contrast

Yuen Steamboat Restaurant NelayanOperating Hour 5pm – 12am 6.30pm – 10.30pmPricing RM10 – RM34

Per headRM55 – RM190

Per paxNumber of employees

12 20

Location Less noticeable Clearly seen Famous dishes Honey Chicken Wings Kelantan CuisineNumber of competitor

3 1

Social site Facebook, Blog None/Old and not updated


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CONCLUSION OF ANALYSIS.

Yuen Steamboat restaurant is more commercially successful since they already had a strong foundation back in Sunway Mentari as the best steamboat restaurant, they also had a large amount of loyal customers that would still come to their restaurant after they had relocated to Kelana Jaya and their restaurant itself can be easily find compared to the Nelayan Restaurant where their new relocated location is hard to find since it is in the urban area but with a nice ambience. Both of these restaurant have their own special unique way of serving and operating. By comparing price, Yuen Restaurant is cheaper than Restaurant Nelayan and since the Yuen Steamboat Restaurant focusing more on serving food to the customer instead of having any ceremonial event or large amount of order which can take a lot of time in preparing it compared to serving food to customers which can make profits every time the restaurant is operating. Yuen Restaurant promote their restaurant very well by advertising it online and creating social site such as Facebook and a Blog which makes it easier for people to search for their restaurant wilts Restaurant Nelayan did not take the initiative to promote their restaurant through social media which is a disadvantage for them as people won’t be able to search for them on the internet and not know where their new location is.


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Obstacles that is faced by new business that wish to enter this market

Obstacles DetailsLack of capital to start business To start a restaurant in general

requires a huge sum of money and does not guarantee profit. Opening a steamboat business is not easy because they need to invest a large amount of capitals just to open it and that does not including the worker and the source of the food.

Competitors everywhere Any new business that wishing to enter their market will be facing a very hard obstacles such as the competitors from all around the place that they want to open. There are so many well recognized steamboat restaurants and trying to achieve higher than them is a very tough job

Employees Hiring the worker is the next problem because finding a good and discipline worker nowadays is quite hard.


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RECOMMENDATION

Business 1: Yuen Buffet Restaurant

CURRENT AREA OF IMPROVEMENT

RECOMMENDATION

Difficulty in finding the restaurant

Finding the restaurant have become an issue, as it is slightly hidden from the public. Yuen Steamboat should have clearer instructions on how to get to the restaurant.

Past customers don’t know where to find their newest location

News on moving have been informed on their website, but it would be better if they also place a signage at their old location and state where they have moved.

Buffet not being fully labeled Yuen Steamboat should label each and every food they are serving, so the customers would know what they serve; not knowing what is being served would make some customers afraid to try it.

Business 2: Restaurant Nelayan

Current area of improvement

Recommendation


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Hard to find the Restaurant After the restaurant moved from Titiwangsa to Gombak, it’s hard to find the restaurant because they did not do any update on their website. What they should do is update their website put the right address and put some pictures of the roads so that the customers would now if they are in the right direction.

Lack of Parking Spaces The restaurant can fit around 150 in a time, the restaurant is located beside a busy road and the parking space can only fit around 70 to 80 cars in a time. So, searching for a parking space is hard. What they should do is add more parking spaces for the customers.

Decrease of customers after moving

After they had moved to Gombak, a lot of loyal customers did not know about the news because the website did not been updated. What they should do is re-advertise their restaurant, in newspapers, do pamphlets , do a brand new website on the re-opening of the restaurant and etc.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. How to Write an A+ Research Paper, Retrieve from, http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html


http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html

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REFERENCES

1. Website of Yuen Buffet Steamboat: http://www.yuenbuffetsteamboat.com.my/

2. Blog post, http://my-niezzareena02.blogspot.com/2014/04/dinner-bersama-keluarga-restoran.html

3. Blog post, http://ivyteh.blogspot.com/2013/06/restaurant-nelayan-gombak.html

4. Interview video at Restaurant Nelayan (personal communication, May 2015)

5. Interview video at Yuen Buffet Restaurant (personal communication, May 2015)


http://ivyteh.blogspot.com/2013/06/restaurant-nelayan-gombak.html

http://ivyteh.blogspot.com/2013/06/restaurant-nelayan-gombak.html

http://my-niezzareena02.blogspot.com/2014/04/dinner-bersama-keluarga-restoran.html

http://my-niezzareena02.blogspot.com/2014/04/dinner-bersama-keluarga-restoran.html

http://www.yuenbuffetsteamboat.com.my/

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APPENDICES

Appendix 1. Survey Questionnaire

Group meetings were ranging from two hours to one hour and it all depends on the process of work progress. Group leader tried to divide tasks on members to facilitate the progress and completion of required tasks as soon as possible.

We met the director of the restaurant was a man of about sixty-year-old was very kind, despite his old age. We talk with director of the restaurant and we asking him approximately 15 questions was in duration interview 30


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minutes where we discussed his experiences, the difficulties he had face it and how he start the business.

1) When was the business founded?

2) Who are the key founders?

3) What prompted the founders to start this business?

4) What are your main products?

5) Who are your customers?

6) What is the business’ annual revenue figure?

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

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

9) Do you have many competitors? Who are they? Who are your top 3 competitors?

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

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

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

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

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

15) Are your pricing decisions strongly affected by your competitors?Appendix 2. Print Screens


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Website of Yuen Buffet Steamboat: http://www.yuenbuffetsteamboat.com.my/


http://www.yuenbuffetsteamboat.com.my/

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Appendix 3. Pictures


english report.docx

Documents

main ingredient of steamboat

key summary description

new business

trade recommendation

restaurant nelayan

elg30605 lecturer

loyal customers

different styles