The Food and Beverage sector is extremely vibrant in Malaysia which is, after all, known as a food haven. With a mixture of many types of cuisine like Malay, Chinese, Indian, Western and others, some names draw more crowds than others while some have their own set of loyal following.
Advertising potential in restaurants
There are restaurant chains, stand-alone brands, conceptual and many other forms of restaurants operating in cities and towns. It depends largely on your target segment and this will spur the potential of your ads reaching them.
Click here to know more about earning advertising revenue from your own Cloud Restaurant POS ordering system
Best places to advertise
What you want to get out of advertising at restaurants is to reach the right group of people. If you are considering this option, below are some names you might like.
Restaurants cum pubs
- Brewhouse – One of the fastest chain of non-Halal restaurants which has been growing and drawing crowds wherever they open. They are always packed during lunch, dinner and weekends. The night crowds come for the beer and drinks.
- Uncle Don’s – Seen as a competitor to Brewhouse, this is also another established name in the F&B industry serving similar food items and drinks. Their lunch set draws in the customers in the afternoons while the drinkers like Uncle Don’s affordable drink options.
- Movida Kitchen and Terrace – Another popular after-work place for working adults to unwind, it serves great food on its menu that draws in the dinner crowds as well as weekenders. Drinks are competitively priced and other items on the menu are affordable too.
Indian Food Restaurants
This refers to Mamak stalls and Indian cuisine outlets.
- Murni @ SS2 – Known to be one of the best Mamak stalls in the country, it is always crowded and packed with people especially at night.
- Devi’s Corner in Bangsar – Known for its Banana Leaf rice and Teh Tarik, the crowd is big and queues always long. It is a great place for ad-views because of its location. The people who come here are those around Bangsar as well as from other parts of the city.
- Nasi Kandar Pelita – This is a brand throughout the country. Their Nasi Kandar is just delicious and consistently cooked as they taste similar across all its branches.
Food Courts and Seafood
- Fatty Crab Restaurant – This place has some of the highest traffic because of its infamous fresh seafood dishes. There have been others who have rode-along to this name like Fei Fei Crab.
- Jalan Alor – This was the ‘to-go’ place in the 90s but it is still drawing a lot of tourists and locals alike mostly because of its variety. The Wong Ah Wah Restaurant cooks some of the best and unforgettable seafood dishes here.
- Lot 10 Hutong – When you have the best hawker names all under one roof and in an air-conditioned setting, you have a whole new set of the target audience.
- SS2 Foodcourt – This place comes alive in the evenings when throngs of food lovers come and enjoy the variety of food options including Satay, seafood, chicken rice, Wantan mee, etc.
Insights in Indian Restaurants
Indian cuisine is one of the most popular food loved by Malaysians not only from the Indian community but by everyone else. The Chinese and Malay people love their tandoori chicken, Naan and banana leaf rice and this is one that can be seen all around the country. Besides that, one can classify mamak (Indian Muslim) shops under the Indian food category as well.
Spices and Aromatic
Indian food is often associated with spiciness. The curry is perhaps one of the most recognized dishes in Indian restaurants and the sights and taste of Tumeric and chilies are popular too. Among the types of Indian restaurants include:
- Banana Leaf Rice – There are several popular ones like Pandi, Achah Curry House with an average time of 45 minutes spent on every meal. A very popular place for food among young adults and millennials.
- Generic Indian Restaurants – Families would order dishes and enjoy the Indian rice at these outlets. Lotus is one of the big names in this segment. It is a common choice among Indian families which transcends to other communities as well.
- Mamak shops – An iconic F&B place for just about any Malaysian. It is hugely popular with the younger crowd who uses Mamak shops to hangout. The average time per table spent at these outlets is 1 hour and above.
Opportunities for brand owners
One of the most popular media for advertising at Indian restaurants would be in the OOH (out of home) media.
Tabletop ads are one of the most popular ones. This comes with a very long attention span which makes it perfect for information and details.
Meanwhile, Indian restaurants are commonly installed with television sets that show live soccer matches.
TV frame ads would be ideal as viewers will be watching the TV for a long duration, especially during a football game (2 hours on average).
A lot of mamak shops today use Order Cards which is placed on the table after orders are made. Customers will use the card for payment later. These cards can be used as an advertising media as they stay on the table for the entire duration of the customer’s visit.
Insights in Chinese Restaurants
Malaysians love their food and that is where they will spend time and money in. Chinese restaurants have among the highest billings when it comes to the food and beverage industry. From snacks to drinks, delicacies to seafood restaurants, long queues are often seen at popular outlets such as the Oriental chain of restaurants, Kim Gary and local seafood restaurants, to name a few.
Demographics of viewers
Depending on the type of Chinese restaurant, the food will appeal to a different set of consumers. This will directly impact the type of spending power of the customers at these restaurants. As such, advertisers will need to select the suitable media in order to connect with their respective target audience. Generally, the audience includes:
- Families – Mostly at seafood restaurants that operate at shopping malls. This includes restaurants from The Oriental Group like Oriental Pavilion, Noble House, The Han Room, Oriental Star and others. The average time spent in these places usually is more than an hour.
- Young adults – These are mostly working adults who are looking for a chic place to enjoy food without paying a premium price. Kim Gary and Wong Kok Char Chan Teng are among the common favorites.
- General population – The common Chinese coffee shops are popular places to go as they usually have many stalls selling all types of foods. Customers usually spend about 30 minutes at these places.
Media insights at Chinese Restaurants
There is a current trend in LCD screens at many Chinese restaurants. They are commonly used as backdrops and for Karaoke. Meanwhile, these outlets also have television screens installed on various corners. These are good spaces for ads.
Meanwhile, the advertiser can consider advertising on tabletops or mini-standy which can be collaborated with the restaurant owner. This is most suitable for chic restaurants and the Chinese kopitiams.
