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Taipei, Taiwan, March 8, 2010 - Here's a perfectly good reason to get up at 6:30 am on a Sunday — more than 40 choices of health-conscious, Taiwanese army dishes in an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, all for just NT100 (S$4.40) This unbelievable bargain is available to anyone, at the National Soldiers' Hotel at Taipei City, located next to the trendy district Ximending. On any weekend morning, expect to join the ranks of 550 customers waiting for one of the eatery's 240 seats. Although the price is thrifty, the food is definitely not. ”I keep coming back because the food always delivered,” said 46-year-old Liu Chung-tai, a veteran who attributes this breakfast for keeping him happy and healthy. The four-year-old eatery serves tasty, traditional Taiwanese army-styled food-low in oil and salt, but high in fiber and nutrition to see the recruits through strenuous trainings. Originally catering to former military personnel who yearn for army food (yes, this is true), the buffet has attracted the everyday citizenry of all age groups, turning army food into the latest breakfast trend. Most diners start with a cup (with unlimited refills) of house brewed coffee or the signature self-ground soy milk drink. ”Their soy milk is one of the best in the city. It is amazingly pure,” said 83-year old Huang Lan-ying, who rushed to the eatery from a two-hour high-speed rail ride from southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung City. The power-breakfast continues with a bowl of traditional Chinese yam or green bean porridge, meticulously cooked for five hours. For flavor, side dishes such as spicy radish, salted peanuts, pork flakes and preserved veggies are always available. Other hot dishes include spicy Ma-Po tofu (below), seasonal vegetables, an assortment of barbecued meats, steamed buns, and fried bean curds, just to name a few. Those who like it their way can have their eggs cooked in no less than 20 different styles on the spot. Sunny side up, scrambled, boiled, over easy, and over medium-easy. Local-style fried eggs with onions and fried eggs with radish — no problem. And eggs are popular, with as many as 1150 requests per morning. For dessert, this morning haute offers local favorites warm red bean soup and sweet white fungus soup, both known in the Chinese culture for their rejuvenating ingredients. Low on cost, high on value ”Low material costs from hard negotiation is the key,” said Huang Kuo-liang from the management team. To reduce cost, the kitchen staff buy direct from traditional markets, bypassing higher-priced supermarkets. To secure bulk pricing, Huang said they sign long-term contracts with food suppliers. To minimize staffing expenditures, everyone of the five-person management team help out the 16 eatery workers by serving food, washing dishes, and even dicing vegetables in the kitchen. The eatery was also able to reduce two full time equivalents by setting up a designated area for customers to return their used dishes. The real catch is the good publicity. As popular as it is, the breakfast buffet only brings in 10 percent of the eatery's total revenues. According to Chou Yen-chung from the management team, the morning shift's real purpose is to drive traffic to lunch and dinner hours. Lunch and dinner menus, for example, were placed on each table as a promotion, and Chou said that they have noticed a strong correlation between the number of breakfast diners and the revenues made from lunch and dinner. Although the management team does not disclose the total profits, they said the breakfast buffet itself went from running a NT$350,000 total loss in the first month to gaining NT$1 million in monthly revenue. Develop personal relationships with customers ”It only takes an eye contact between a customer and me to acknowledge our friendship,” said Huang. He has been eating at the breakfast buffet every morning for two years — not because of the free food for employees, but to interact with customers. Huang would walk around, introduce himself, and note every customer feedback, good or bad, significant or minor. The management team holds morning meetings every day and adjusts their offerings based on that feedback. The tables in the main lobby, for instance, were a direct result of customers' suggestion to shorten waiting times. The low price strategy serves as the main competitive advantage, but it is certainly not the only value proposition. ”Quality over profits is our motto,” said Manager Lai Ching-fu. He said that the eatery will never risk food quality to increase profits or margins. Despite the many customer suggestions to raise buffet price, Lai said the team will focus on marketing the business characteristics. “We are not at the top, but we're the only. We don't have the best food, but all customers say it tastes good. They come to the buffet because we are unique.” This military-style buffet is located at No.20, Sec.1, Changsha St., Taipei, and is open 365 mornings a year, from 6:30 am to 9:30 am (servings end at 9 am).
