Roast duck restaurant eyes bigger global pie

Flagship Beijing roast duck restaurant Da Dong is expanding its overseas presence by teaming up with Dubai-based JA Resorts and Hotels, as the latter is eager to attract more Chinese tourists.

Peking roast duck is a signature dish in the culinary culture of China's capital, and established premium bistro Da Dong is among the best-loved restaurants specializing in the dish.

Award-winning chef Dong Zhenxiang is targeting customized menus at diners seeking a taste of Beijing while lounging beside a Maldivian beach at JA's Manafaru Island resort.

"One of the benefits from this cooperation is that we can raise our international reputation," Dong said.

"For the Chinese market, I think it's significant to have some key elements for them, and one is food," said Rob Cunningham, vice-president of food and beverage in JA Resorts and Hotels. "I have been living in China for eight years and I know the relationship between people and food is so fundamental."

He said he picked Da Dong to partner with the resort brand because Chinese consumers identify with, trust and understand the brand. Having the Da Dong menu in the restaurant is an important business strategy to attract Chinese visitors to JA resorts, and to encourage higher spending.

Anthony Ross, CEO of JA Resorts and Hotels, said the group's Manafaru resort hosted over 5,000 holiday goers from China in the past year, accounting for about 50 percent of total guests.

The collaboration with Da Dong showed the group's determination to raise its service to the next level, he added.

This is not the first time Da Dong has operated abroad. In 2017, the brand opened its first restaurant in New York. The Da Dong menu can also be found on cruises in destinations including the Caribbean and Japan.

Dong admitted it can be hard for Chinese restaurants to establish a presence abroad, due to "cultural differences". The influence of real Chinese food abroad is still relatively small, he noted.

After the restaurant opened in New York, home to some of the world's most discerning and hard-to-please taste buds, Da Dong has had a tough time impressing the local critics.

"After the New York restaurant, we have been thinking why we did it? Because we wanted to expand in the overseas market－but how?" said Dong. "The one in New York is more of an artisan bistro, a new concept, but it is hardly making any profit."

He said improving local management and finding suitable local ingredients have posed great challenges.

Despite Da Dong's global ambitions, 2018 was a tough year for its culinary business domestically.

Dong said, "It was a cruel year and the situation is severe."

According to a report by culinary consultancy Chonghowe Creativity Co Ltd, 10 percent of restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in Guangdong province, closed their doors every month in the past year. Nationwide, only 20 percent of restaurants have proved profitable, it found.

"There is no efficient solution to that," Dong said. "You can't stop the trend, but whether it's a heated market or a slow one, for a restaurant you should always focus on the price-performance ratio."

While proud of the brand's traditional heritage, Dong said he has not ruled out the possibility of introducing cutting-edge technologies and modern management models to the company's sub-brands to make it more efficient and budget-friendly for younger consumers.

Meanwhile, the core values of its high-end bistro will always remain its service and craftsmanship, Dong said.