HOMEGROWN food chain Harbour City Dimsum House Co. Inc. (HCDHCI) is eyeing to open at least three restaurants per year as it cements its stature in the local dining scene.
The group, which operates the brands Ding How Dimsum House, Ding Qua Qua Dimsum House, Harbour City Dimsum and Dimsum Break, currently has 35 stores in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Steven Kokseng, the group marketing manager, said they will embark on the expansion and renovation of branches this year to further grow the company’s business.
He has yet to identify which brand to expand as this would be dependent on location and market.
“That’s the beauty of having multiple brands. But we need to look at the place and identify the market for us to determine which appropriate brands to open in a particular area,” said Kokseng.
Of the 35 outlets, including company-owned and franchised, Dimsum Break has the most number of branches at 21, followed by Harbour City, which has 11 outlets. Ding Qua Qua has two branches and Ding How has one.
Outside Metro Cebu, the brands are present in the cities of Tagbilaran, Ormoc, Tacloban, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, General Santos and Davao.
Besides increasing its footprint, the group is also committed to renovating its branches to make them more appealing to the younger crowd and attractive to photo-savvy individuals.
Kokseng said they have already improved the ambiance of Dimsum Break in One Pavillion Mall in Banawa, Cebu City and they have also doubled its seating capacity to accommodate more guests.
“We will slowly be renovating our other branches,” he said.
The Cebu-based HCDHCI is celebrating its golden anniversary in food business this year.
It has been 50 years since the family, headed by Henry Uytengsu, pioneered and introduced dimsum in Cebu. The family business is now being run by the third generation.
“My father Henry loved Chinese food and he loved to share his passion with everyone else,” recalled Lorraine Uytengsu-Calisang, the group director.
“A single branch led to another, and then another, and now we have a whole stable of restaurant brands all serving traditional, authentic and time-honored family recipes.” she said.
Ding How was the first branch to open on Colon St., Cebu City in 1969, then came Ding Qua Qua in 1987, which later evolved to the Dimsum-all-you-can experience today.
In 1993, the group introduced its sister brand Harbour City that provided customers with the classic dimsum and tea house push cart experience. Soon after, in 1996, Dimsum Break opened to the public to serve the on-the-go customers.
As it celebrates its 50th year in the restaurant business, the group is holding a series of events to pay tribute to their heritage and to the Cebuanos who have stayed with them since they started.
It will mount interactive exhibit in major malls in Cebu City until August 2019. The display features large-sized models of its famous dishes and icons.
“Celebrating our 50th year is a milestone not many companies get to celebrate,” said Kokseng. “This celebration is the perfect opportunity to show our gratitude to everyone who has helped bring us to where we are now,” he added.
Besides the exhibit, the restaurants will also be treating customers with promotional offers. (KOC)