BreadTalk: A Journey from a Bakery to a Behemoth
BreadTalk, the international boutique bakery chain from Singapore, is coming to India in 2018 by launching its first outlet at Select CityWalk in Saket, New Delhi. At this momentous occasion we think it is imperative to delve into the history and timeline of BreadTalk.
BreadTalk was founded in the year 2000, is one of the most successful culinary brands in the world. George Quek, the man who envisioned this enterprise, has developed it into a $670 million culinary empire with several award-winning brands in his portfolio.
The brand's signature Flosss bun was conceived in the inceptive year by Katherine Quek, BreadTalk's finance director, and was an instant success, with crowds thronging the Singaporean outlet.
Within one year of starting a single store in Singapore, BreadTalk had received more than a 1000 franchise enquiries from around the world. In the year 2002, BreadTalk received the award for the 'Most Promising Brand' from the Singapore Book Publishers Association, and voted by consumers to be the 'Most Popular Brand'. George Quek, the founder & CEO won the ASME & Rotary Club's 'Entrepreneur of The Year' award in the same year.
The year 2003 witnessed the listing of BreadTalk on SESDAQ, the Singaporean stock exchange. BreadTalk also managed to open its first outlet in Indonesia. The brand also expanded to the People's Republic of China, establishing its headquarters, and opening its first outlet in Shanghai.
In 2004, Din Tai Fung - ranked as one of the world's top restaurants by The New York Times, was brought to Singapore. It instantly popularized the Xiao Long Bao, with crowds waiting in two-hour queues to grab a bite. In the same year, Breadtalk also won the 'Design for Asia Award' from the Hong Kong Design Centre.
As 2005 rolled in, the massive growth of the brand gained steam, winning multiple awards such as the Citi Business Regional Award, the Gold Award, and the Singapore Prestigious Brand Award for its success abroad. In the same year, BreadTalk also launched the first Food Republic and first Toast Box in Singapore.
As another year passed and 2006 came by, the list of awards that the BreadTalk brand amassed kept growing, with George Quek receiving the 'Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year' award from The Business Times and Ernst & Young. BreadTalk also won the prestigious 'Five Star Diamond Brand Award' from the World Brand Laboratory, Shanghai, China.
By 2007, the BreadTalk brand had opened its 100th store and launched its Food Republic in Malaysia. The year 2008 also witnessed the success of the BreadTalk group. The Food Republic brand won the 'Singapore Prestigious Brand Award' in the category of 'Promising Brands'. The brand also launched 'The Icing Room' for young adults, and encouraged them to design their own cakes. BreadTalk had also expanded to the Middle East, by opening outlets in Oman.
The year 2009 was extremely lucrative for the BreadTalk brand. It signed a Master Franchise agreement covering 12 countries, with the Bahraini partner, Pan Arabian Gourmet. BreadTalk propelled the importance of Singapore in global retail, by emerging as a finalist in the World Retail Awards, Spain. The launch of 'Bread Society' also happened in the same year, which showcased various rustic and European recipes.
Time flew fast and led to the ten-year anniversary of the BreadTalk brand, engendering the celebration of 7 brands under its belt and 445 outlets across Asia and the Middle East.
Having set the precedent for what to expect of BreadTalk brand, it continued to exceed the expectations of investors and consumers alike. It went on to win several other internationally acclaimed accolades for various achievements and grew rapidly in the global market.
By 2014, the brand expanded its global footprint to 16 territories, operating more than 800 outlets across 8 brands. The brand also won the 'Growth Retailer of The Year' at the World Retail Awards 2014, Paris.
BreadTalk launched its new concept store in Singapore- commemorating 'natural goodness, baking artistry and digital engagement for consumers'. Brands under the BreadTalk portfolio consecutively topped the 'Influential Brands' survey, 2013 - 2015.
Read More: BreadTalk Bakery
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