A PRIME SPOT FOR O’BRIENS FIRST OUTLET IN INDONESIA: Sandwich bar Franchise expanding its Pan-Asian reach, with Jakarta Opening O’Briens Irish Sandwich Bars launches its 1st store in Indonesia this week as the formidable trio of housewives (Lim Phing, Nini Faridz and Gita Pratama), directors of PT Lingkar Natura Inti, continue their remarkable entrepreneurial success in the country’s capital.

With a gleaming new store about to open on the 2nd floor of the “Entertainment Centre”, the new wing of Plaza Indonesia, there is every reason why the three business women are ecstatic about their latest business venture.

This brings the total number of O’Briens’ outlets over 250 worldwide, 13 in Asia and the first of several planned by this charismatic trio of entrepreneurs who share the global vision of offering healthy food in a contemporary Irish setting As O’Briens increasingly becomes a familiar and very welcome face across the region, with stores in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and New Delhi; customers in the vicinity of Plaza Indonesia will be given the chance to sample its fresh made to order sandwiches for just Rp12.000 each on the opening day. Special discount vouchers for many other food and drink offers will be distributed to residents, shoppers, businesses and visitors to the area throughout the opening weeks.

This is not their first venture into franchising and retailing. PT Lingkar Natura Inti was set up in 2000 and its core business is in food & beverage. The company already has the master franchise for a beverage product from Taiwan and a Japanese Yakitor; as well as an ice cream from USA. Since acquiring the franchise in May 2001, the company has opened 45 such drink outlets stretching from Jakarta to Bandung and Surabaya to Batam, They have opened 3 successful Yakitori’s in Jakarta in the past 9 months with another 2 soon to open.

Asked about the choice of O’Briens for their latest retail venture, Lim Phing commented: “This turns our dream of owning a popular international lifestyle cafe into a reality. With plenty of knowledge in management, people, a respect for well-established brands and a growing experience of retailing we are well suited to the world of franchising.

With O’Briens, we wanted the business template, training and hand-holding support offered by them, while retaining the freedom to develop the business using our local knowledge. Sandwiches and coffees will always be in demand and we have no doubt that Indonesians will love what O’Briens has to offer. One of the other directors of the company added, “we really wanted to come onboard with this quality-driven, dynamic and forward looking franchise. I liked the fact that O’Briens is a young, friendly company with a strong brand and genuine ambition.

It really cares about service, quality and innovation, which I first discovered when holidaying in London. I was so impressed with what I saw, I picked up the flyer on franchising opportunities and followed it up from there, eventually seeing identical stores in Singapore.” Although the three ladies will be fronting the new venture, highlighting their hands-on approach, they will be employing a further eight staff to make up their Plaza Indonesia team. Establishing the brand shouldn’t be difficult in Jakarta’s acclaimed shopping centre, famous for branded boutiques, restaurants, a bowling alley, fitness centre and a state-of-the-art multi-screen cinema.

The store will offer takeaway, office and outside catering services and seating for 30 people in a contemporary and stylish environment. The store is excellently placed besides the entrance to the cinema, with fantastic frontage at the newly erected wing of the mall. The second store will be opened in April, also in a new entertainment complex called “The Place” located on Jalan HR Rasuna Said, famous for its proximity to many of the foreign embassies and the hungry office community.

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