American diner chain Chili’s Grill & Bar has opened its first Vietnam store in Saigon, looking to tap the country’s growing middle-class market.
The restaurant, located in SV VivoCity mall in District 7, was launched in Vietnam as a part of the Golden Gate Restaurant Group, an operator of over 20 restaurant chains in the country.
David Weston, a representative of Chili’s, said that Vietnam was an important part of its business in Asia, where over 60 Chili’s outlets have been opened in eight countries.
Ha Thuc Tu, CEO of Golden Gate Red Hots, a unit of Golden Gate Restaurant Group, said that the chain targets middle-income customers, especially office workers and families.
These customers have high standard demands in food and entertainment and prefer a multi-functional location that suits the needs of all family members, he added.
Chili’s, operated by Texas-based hospitality company Brinker International, was founded in 1975, and specializes in Texas and Mexican food, with steaks, ribs and burgers among its signature dish.
It has over 1,670 restaurants and serves over one million customers a day in 29 countries and territories.
Market research firm Euromonitor said an increasing number of international chains are entering Vietnam, seeing it as a lucrative market.
Popular American brands such as McDonald’s, KFC and Starbucks have already established their presence in the country.
Vietnam had around 540,000 food and beverage businesses as of last year, 80 percent of the street vendors, according to Dcorp R- Keeper, a global company that provides technological solutions to food and beverage businesses.