KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia has launched Santan restaurant and T&CO cafe, its first Asean fast food restaurant which offers popular dishes from its in-flight menu.
Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the opening of Santan restaurant and T&CO Cafe here on Dec 2 is due to high demand for the food in its in-flight menu, as well as the potential for the business to grow.
“We found the airline food at AirAsia to be a popular attraction, so this restaurant is a chance for everyone to try the food as there has never been a fast food restaurant focused on the menu from Asean countries.
“I believe this uniqueness can draw people from all over the world to come,” he told the media after jointly launching the restaurant at Mid Valley Megamall here with Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The restaurant offers popular dishes such as Nasi Lemak Pak Nasser and Uncle Chin Chicken Rice as well as Cambodian fish noodles with pineapple and Inasal chicken and Onions Rice from the Philippines.
The restaurant is also equipped with smart menus that include artificial intelligence and machine learning to propose popular dishes based on time, past order patterns and demographics.
Fernandes said it might create its own application for customers to order foods, but is open to collaborating with those offering such services.
Santan restaurant and T&CO Cafe general manager Catherine Goh said it plans to open five more restaurants by the end of next year.
She said 100 franchise-operated restaurants and cafes are also expected to open in the next three to five years. – Bernama
