SOME brands are rooted in nostalgia by virtue of their long standing in the local market.
A good example would be A&W which was the first fast food chain in the country when it opened an outlet on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur in 1963.
This was swiftly followed two years later with the country’s first drive-in diner in Lorong Sultan, Petaling Jaya which is still in operation today.
In fact, whenever news of its impending closure filters out, it is met with sudden surge in crowds looking to re-live childhood memories.
Alas, there was no surge in business for the A&W outlet in Taipan, Subang Jaya which recently posted a notice of its permanent closure.
Shared by user Johnathan Tan on the Subang Jaya and USJ Food Discovery Facebook site, the “A&W Taipan gg” news surprisingly generated a very lively debate in the comments section.
Firstly, there were those who expressed sadness that an obviously favourite food destination for residents in the area had called it a day. One recalled it being jam packed with customers in days gone by.
A few commenters also pointed to other A&W outlets in the vicinity that had also closed down.
A number of reasons were proffered as to why this outlet closed. One netizen suggested that it was the logical decision as there were too many A&W outlets in close proximity.
Another commented that A&W wasn’t keeping with the times.
Poor delivery times from this outlet was a sticking point for one disgruntled diner who placed an order during non-peak hours but the food was delivered almost an hour later.
She claimed to have given the outlet a second chance but the food again arrived late. Given she was in USJ9 which isn’t very far away, the delay was unacceptable. “Fast food becomes super slow food” was the verdict.
The high rental rate in the Taipan area was also blamed for the closure. Few commenters reckoned that this was affecting many eateries, not just A&W.
Food quality, though not referring specifically to this outlet, was said to be poor value. The portion size was too small to justify a RM20 outlay, claimed few obviously unimpressed customers.
Also referring to A&W in general rather than this specific outlet, service quality was also highlighted as a possible reason for the brand having to shut down outlets.
Interestingly, boycotts related to the Israel-Hamas conflict were also blamed for the chain suffering losses.
However, this was rebuffed by another commenter who believed that it was just down to a combination of poor service, inferior food quality, overpricing and intense competition.
It would appear that regardless of how many fond memories one holds for a particular dining establishment, value-for-money and quality service is what makes a business thrive.
Add to that the arrival of a whole slew of new brands in the fast-food game, the competition becomes that much more intense.
Fond memories are a bonus. But nostalgia alone cannot save a business. – June 18, 2025
Main image credit: iProperty; Subang Jaya and USJ Food Discovery/Jonathan Tan
