Chinese hotpot giant Haidilao to open first store in Philippines

Chinese hotpot chain giant Hai Di Lao International Holdings Ltd. (Haidilao) will open its first outlet in the Philippines in June, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced.

In a statement, the DTI said the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Hong Kong (PTIC-HK) and the Board of Investments (BOI) conducted an online meeting with officials from Haidilao on April 20 to discuss the details of their operation in the country. 

According to the agency, the PTIC-HK assisted Haidilao in their plans to set up shop in the Philippines as early as the first half of 2020.

The DTI added that PTIC-HK and PTIC-Guangzhou assisted in the sending of the Haidilao team to open the first branch in the Philippines.

Haidilao is also expected to open new branches continuously this year, creating at least 400 new job opportunities.

“The intention of Haidilao is to present a superior dining experience and offer quality food for Filipinos at a reasonable price. In addition, Haidilao intends to fuse the Filipino taste into its menu and integrate Filipino core values in its service,” the department said.

Hai Di Lao was founded in China's Sichuan province in 1994 and has evolved into a world-renowned catering enterprise in the last 28 years. 

Currently, Haidilao owns over 1,000 restaurants globally in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan, among others. 

“The company not only provides food and beverage service, but also captivates customers with its exceptional services like complimentary manicure for waiting guests, noodle acrobat, and others,” the DTI said. —VBL, GMA News