Learn from the owner of INDY hot pot noodle shop who failed 15 times until it became a 100 million franchise!

How many times have you failed in your business life? I'm sure that amidst the new wave of COVID-19, there must be a storm of crisis for restaurant entrepreneurs to overcome. Sadly, some entrepreneurs are unlucky and have to close down their businesses. And when that time comes, many people may lose their motivation to move forward. If that's true, we'd like you to read the story of a young entrepreneur who had failed 15 times before he bravely got back up and was able to successfully create a famous noodle franchise brand called 'INDY Hot Pot Noodles', which currently has more than 400 branches nationwide. I'm sure that the story of 'Khun Toey-Kesamphong Huang Jing' will definitely inspire many people to get up and fight on!!

Failed 15 times...but never thought of giving up. Finally got to taste success.

'Khun Toey-Kesamphong is really worried.'

Pioneer of INDY hot pot noodle brand

The INDY hot pot noodle brand started 5 years ago. Before that, this young man had tried and failed and invested in many things, such as an Isaan restaurant, a fried meatball shop, fried honey bananas, selling fruit, fried egg rice, grilled pork, sandwiches, a computer equipment shop, soy milk, traditional coffee, grilled squid, popcorn, etc. But every time, nothing came close to success. Of course, when he experienced repeated failures, what he could not help but feel was hopelessness. “In a way, I was very discouraged. I felt quite depressed. At that time, I felt very bad. I did not even have enough money to save up to buy milk for my child. Even selling the products, both capital and profit combined, only made 800 baht. That day was the day I felt the most sorry. What should I do to make my child and family more comfortable? But at that time, there were no other options. There was only one way, which was to fight. I had to fight and never stop.” “I am lucky to have a wife who believes in me, is my friend, and has always encouraged me. My girlfriend used to be a junior executive of a large company. Because she believed in me and wanted to make my business very successful, she took a risk and resigned from the company. She chose to take a chance on this investment and create the INDY hot pot noodle brand with only 3,000 baht in capital. At that time, I could not see the future of how this money and this noodle shop would be successful. But she chose to believe in me.” After overcoming many obstacles and failures, with a fighting spirit and never giving up, the wounds she received along the way became lessons that made Khun Toey run her business wisely. Today, 'INDY hot pot noodle' has grown into a franchise noodle brand with 440 branches all over Thailand. It has also expanded to other countries, earning over 100 million baht. All of this took only a few years. “Of the 440 branches, we manage 2 ourselves, while the rest are franchises. We also have branches in Cambodia and Laos, which have just opened. We intend to have a master branch in each country that will be expanded in the future. But right now, we are still in the market testing phase there and making the system more rigorous first.”

Because I have failed in the past...I have learned a lesson and used it to create a different and creative business.

The highlight and selling point is the hot pot.

And there are many delicious dipping sauces to choose from.

“After I failed in business many times, I saw where I went wrong. At that time, I thought that food was a business that people would eat anyway. So I tried selling my grandparents’ Ratchaburi noodle recipe. But among the many noodle shops, I wanted to make it different from others. So I came up with the idea that we should try making hot pot noodles for people to eat while it was hot. There were 3 types of dipping sauces for people to choose from. The containers used at that time were cups and bowls from home. Each bowl of noodles was different. So I named it ‘INDY Hot Pot Noodles’. Because of its good location and novelty, there were a lot of customers who came to eat and took pictures to share on social media. When it sold very well, many people contacted me to buy a franchise.”

It wasn't in a hurry to sell the franchise that led to its success.

Even though there were many people interested in buying the franchise at that time, Khun Toey was not in a hurry to sell. What he did was to ask for more time to study first. “ Because I myself have failed in many things, and I think that doing a franchise means we have to lead those who trust us to do business with us to be successful together. So if I myself do not understand it well enough, and we lead them and fail, and if that capital is the last of their lives, I will feel very bad. Because one mistake I have always made in my previous business is that I do things based only on my fighting spirit, but I did not study and find knowledge about the business that would make it worthwhile. So this time, if we have to do a franchise, I have to study and find knowledge about it thoroughly first. ” Khun Toey spent 8 months training in a course from the Department of Business Development. He learned about the principles of doing a restaurant franchise business and used it to create a system for the INDY stewed hot pot noodle brand. “If you want to give advice to a shop that is currently selling very well and has people asking to buy a franchise, I would like you to ask yourself first, how well do you understand what selling a franchise is, what you will sell to the buyers, what you will take care of them afterwards, and the questions they will have to give you, there will be many questions, such as why after buying it, the sales are not as good and successful as the franchise owner himself, why he did not make a profit, because when the franchisee (franchisor) agrees to pay the franchisor (franchisor seller), that is what they expect. How to manage to make a profit is something that you need to know completely and in detail. Otherwise, you should prepare yourself. At most, you will only be able to sell the franchise, and after that, prepare to receive criticism from the franchise buyers, which in the long run will not allow us to achieve sustainable success.”

Advice for those who want to invest in choosing a franchise

“On the other hand, those who are thinking of buying a franchise must first look at their real needs, such as what kind of business do you want? Buy and sell, wholesale or retail? A franchise business is a business that sells systems, management, image, and customer care. Therefore, before investing a lump sum of money in a business, investors should study the information clearly first to see if the company or franchise you want to invest in has answered all your questions, such as what their system is like, how they have a system to take care of franchisee members to be successful together, etc. ” “If they still can’t answer, I think you should think carefully first. Because holding onto money during the transition period when we are about to pass the COVID crisis like now may be the only opportunity you have left. Therefore, I would like you to be careful. Fortunately, today’s world has easy communication, fast access, and you can search the internet. Look at the information to see how stable and reliable the franchise brand you are interested in is, whether there are any institutions that guarantee it, and what the attitudes and mindsets of the franchise brand’s executives are. It’s not like you invest today, and in 3 months, they stop and abandon you. What will you do?”

Highlights of the INDY hot pot noodle brand

When asked about the strengths of the INDY hot pot noodle brand as a franchise brand, we can summarize the important details as follows: 1. It is a brand that is in the middle between 'Product Franchise' and 'System Franchise', which means it sells both products and systems , i.e. there are products that are locked products that need to be purchased directly from the brand, such as concentrated seasonings and spices. As for other ingredients, INDY hot pot noodle uses a system of contacts with reliable suppliers to make it convenient for customers. The brand also prepares a customer care system in various necessary aspects, such as planning the business in advance every 3 months, creating new menus to strengthen the team, and doing marketing and helping the branches with public relations all the time. 2. The initial investment starts from 19,900 - 159,900 baht , divided into 3 main packages: The starting package of 19,900 baht is suitable for customers who already have some equipment and have an idea that wants independence, such as wanting to buy more to sell in their own made-to-order restaurants, such as in food courts in shopping malls or gas stations. The second package costs 39,900 baht, which is suitable for carts or noodle counters, which have almost all the equipment prepared. Except for gas and tables and chairs, package 3, which is the main package priced at 159,900 baht, is suitable for investors who do not have much time and want the company to handle everything for them. Franchise buyers only need to provide a location. The brand will send a team to analyze it. If it passes the set criteria (analyzed from population density and the number of competitors in the vicinity), then the store can be opened. But if it is not suitable, the brand will find a suitable area to present to customers.

Rough draft of the package, full-scale store, to actual branches

Overcoming the COVID-19 storm

Since the difficult period of COVID-19 for more than 1 year, the INDY hot pot noodle brand has helped take care of and support franchisee members to get through the COVID storm together. “Of course, the problem caused by COVID is that customers are using the service at the shop less. But the company has already predicted that this situation will definitely happen. Since the news in Wuhan in the beginning, we thought it would end within 5-6 months. We didn’t think it would drag on for a year like this. As I said, we have to answer the questions from franchisee members about why they pay the company. Therefore, in this situation, we have to play a role in taking care of and supporting every branch to get through this crisis together. What we predict is that delivery will play an important role in helping the business survive. So we invested in hiring professional photographers to take beautiful pictures of each menu and send them to each branch to adjust and use on the food ordering platform and social media of each branch to attract customers and increase sales. We also focus on packaging to make customers remember our brand by putting the INDY hot pot noodle logo, including contact channels such as phone numbers or the shop’s page, which helps to create repeat purchases.”

Delivery is the way out

Additionally, there is a Drive Thru food delivery point where customers do not have to get out of their cars.

“In addition to providing technical support to investors and arming them for the competition, we have also set measures for each branch to follow in various cases, such as preparing protective equipment and maintaining cleanliness, and what to do if an infected person comes to use the service, such as closing the store and doing deep cleaning, organizing at-risk employees to get tested immediately, and informing customers via existing contact channels, etc., to build confidence in customers and allow the business to continue operating as quickly as possible. We have prepared both documents and video clips to communicate with members about these matters all the time. Most recently, we have added Drive Thru service so that customers do not have to get out of their cars. We are trying to set measures and find ways to deal with problems before they actually happen so that the branches know what to do to reassure customers and find other solutions. I think that keeping up with news and the importance of data is very important in our world today because it will allow us to plan to deal with situations and look for opportunities correctly.”

Turning crises into opportunities

Because he is always following the news, Khun Toey always tries to find a backup plan for doing business. Because he sees that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an impact on the restaurant business, he has thought of making instant noodle products under the brand 'Tun Siam (Tun Siam) by Indy Hot Pot Noodles ', which has 4 flavors in total and uses sterilization technology. Inside the bag, there are all the noodles, meat and soup. Just put it in the microwave or boil it and you can eat it immediately. It can also be stored for up to 2 years without refrigeration. At first, we thought we would sell domestically and in branches, but when we went to set up shop at a trade fair, we received overwhelming orders to sell overseas, mainly in Hong Kong. At present, our production capacity is still insufficient for domestic sales. This is a good example of looking for opportunities and adapting to the situation.

Turn crises into opportunities with instant noodle products.

'Tun Siam (Tun Siam) by INDY Hot Pot Noodles'

There are 4 flavors in total.

Send encouragement to fellow entrepreneurs

“I would like to say that when a global crisis like this happens, there will definitely be things that you will lose. It could be someone close to you who you love passing away, your business going bankrupt, but there will be things that you will still have. Don’t forget that. I would like everyone to look at what is left and develop what is left to make it progress, to the fullest. Don’t think about what has been lost because it cannot be brought back. Please focus on what you have left and find a way to find opportunities to grow from there. Opportunities are still all around us. Even in a crisis, there are still opportunities, if we just look for them. I also think that in the misfortune of a global crisis with so many losses like this, there is also the good fortune that we still have the opportunity to learn. If you are a businessman and today you can get your business through this, in the future other problems will be minor. I understand that everyone is having a hard time, but I would like to send encouragement to you to be patient. If we can get through this COVID-19 pandemic, later on, if we encounter problems such as falling sales, suppliers raising prices, etc., these things will become minor problems if you can get through this.”

TIPS for operating under the COVID situation

• Focus on Delivery through food photos and packaging that reflects the branding, which helps customers remember our shop.

• Focus on food quality to ensure long-term sustainability of your business. Reducing quality under these circumstances will disappoint customers and prevent them from making repeat purchases, and your business will not be sustainable.

• Communicate about the store's cleaning and safety measures through all channels, post photos and the store's cleaning schedule to build confidence among customers.

• If a case occurs, take action to close the store, clean and disinfect it urgently, arrange for employees who are at risk to get tested, monitor and quarantine themselves, and communicate with customers immediately.

• Look for new channels, opportunities and ways to increase sales, such as adding Drive Thru services and thinking of new products to help increase income.

• Data is important. Always keep up with the news and have a backup plan in advance.

For entrepreneurs interested in the INDY hot pot noodle franchise, you can view more information at Facebook: Indy Hot Pot Noodle Franchise or contact us at 064-150-7227,097-261- 4690 and Line.