A prototype store has been completed in one of the city's industrial estates to evaluate market reaction to the group's "return to basics" branding initiative. Tommy Li, creative director of Tommy Li Design Workshop, said the facelift incorporated wood and wallpaper as well as softer lighting in place of plastic furniture, tiles and bright lights.
Maxim's move to test the new outlet design follows store upgrades by other home-grown competitors, including Cafe de Coral, which also rolled out new menu options.
Li said the company wanted to position itself as a restaurant not simply a fast-food outlet. "Maxim's wants to strengthen its brand image as a restaurant and show that the only thing fast-food about it is its price." The chain wants to differentiate itself from its close rivals to capture customers who are looking for cheaper restaurant-style rather than fast-food alternatives. Li explained that the extensive use of wood marked a return to basics, invoking happier memories from the '70s when the city enjoyed a manufacturing boom.
"People are tired of the cyber cafe glass and metal style. They find it too cold. But they don't also want a classical style because they think it means the restaurant is expensive," Li said, adding that he was looking to strike a balance between the two.
Research conducted by the agency before it carried out the project found diners applauding no-frills stores such as Japan's Muji.