Zen Corp and CPF launch ready-to-eat Tummour meal at 7-Eleven stores

If you visit 7-eleven a lot in Thailand, there’s good news for you. Zen Corporation Plc, known for operating restaurant chains such as Zen, AKA, and Tummour, has announced its expansion into the ready-to-eat meal market in a bid to strengthen its long-term business prospects.

The company’s chief commercial officer for Thai brands, Siruwat Chatchawan, disclosed that Zen Corporation has partnered with Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), a subsidiary of food and agribusiness conglomerate CP Group. Together, they have developed a new ready-to-eat meal called “CP-Tummour Mae Noi Traditional Chicken Rib.” Launched last month, the product is now available in over 13,000 7-Eleven convenience stores, Bangkok Post reported.

The CP-Tummour Mae Noi Traditional Chicken Rib meal is a ready-to-eat adaptation of one of Tummour’s top 10 most popular dishes. CPF handles the production, while Tummour is in charge of marketing and communication, and 7-Eleven manages the distribution.

“This new ready-to-eat meal has received positive feedback from customers and we hope that this collaboration will allow Tummour’s customers to enjoy their meals at any time of the day and attract a broader customer base,” said Siruwat.

Currently, Tummour operates 101 restaurants across 50 provinces and in four countries: Malaysia; Myanmar; Laos; and Cambodia.

Vasna Sanguansat, an advisor to the executive officer of CP All Plc, revealed that the CP-Tummour Mae Noi Traditional Chicken Rib meal is priced at 39 baht.

Zen and CPF are planning to develop two to three other highlighted menu items from Tummour restaurants as ready-to-eat meals to be sold in 7-Eleven stores later this year.

Siruwat emphasised that the ready-to-eat food category offers a significant growth opportunity, catering to the needs of busy consumers seeking convenience in their daily lives.

“Our restaurants were temporarily closed during the pandemic, leading us to learn that our food business could be more sustainable if we were able to provide food around-the-clock and make the products more accessible to households,” said Siruwat.

Krungsri Research estimates that the ready-to-eat meal market in Thailand is worth 44 billion baht. Of this total, 26 billion baht belongs to dried and shelf-stable ready-to-eat meals, while 18 billion baht is for chilled ready-to-eat meals.

This year, Zen plans to open a total of 50 restaurants across all its food brands. Around 90% of these new branches will be opened through franchise partnerships, while the remainder would be owned and operated by the firm. In the first five months of this year, the firm has already opened four to five new restaurants.

“Our restaurant business abroad has experienced a rebound of 70-80% in the first five months of this year. However, the situation in Thailand is yet to rebound much due to economic challenges and increased food production costs. Consequently, we and our franchisees have right now decided to hold off on our investments, taking into account the uncertain political situation, and agreed to resume expansion in the second half,” said Siruwat.