Uncle Meow Rueancharung suggests a way out for restaurants to build an online presence.

Ruean Charung, a private-style Thai restaurant that requires a year's reservation before you can experience it. It's interesting to see how the management of a private-style restaurant has details that need to be done in a situation of COVID-19, when everything is experiencing ripples like this, when every restaurant has to open for take-out or delivery only. For Ruean Charung, all reservations must be postponed until everything returns to normal. But one thing the restaurant is still doing is Delivery orders are accepted only once a month. Via the page Ruean Charung Ayutthaya real chillin house Bringing a menu delivered from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya to serve in the heart of Bangkok, that's not all. We also invite people around us to join in creating special deliciousness. Uncle Meow-Charas 'Compression section' Be the driving force

Adapting to stores with reservations that span over a year “Now we are canceling the reservations that we have made. We use the method that those who made reservations for April and May can cancel first. If the situation does not improve, we will cancel June and continue to cancel. We will also use the method of transferring the April reservations to January of next year instead. We will give the right to those who made reservations on April 1st to choose which day to take.” “The model of Ruean Charung is not only for money or profit. Therefore, the cost is our own house. The employees are our family and relatives. The ingredients that have to be ordered in advance can be lighter faster because there is no need to pay rent, take care of employees, and there is no need to clear the ingredients that have been ordered. The pre-orders are made because if someone orders and wants to eat, we will make them. Therefore, we open for orders and deliver to Bangkok once a month.”

Adjust delivery methods once a month “It started with a guest who couldn’t go to the restaurant but wanted to eat Ruean Charung’s food. Actually, Ruean Charung doesn’t just sell food. We sell happiness at the dining table, large dishes eaten as a group, family, private experiences, and everything is at the restaurant. So we brought some menus that can be stored for a long time to order and take home. We will do it only once a month. We have been doing this since August 2018 until the situation where restaurants were ordered to close at 10pm. We posted on the page not to forget to stock up on braised pork. At that time, there were more orders than usual. Now, some followers of the page in the provinces are starting to want to eat some. We are thinking of doing delivery nationwide because Ruean Charung’s food can be frozen, so it can be sent in a cold storage room. Now, there are many delivery companies like this.”

Learn from first-hand experience Developing Vacuum packaging “At first, we were also trying to find a way to do it. For example, braised pork, boiled in the morning, scooped into a box, packed with Scotch tape, and delivered at noon. At first, it was okay because there weren’t many orders. We would put the food box in a larger box. When moving, the weak box started to twist, causing the lid of the food box to open and the braised pork sauce to spill out, which didn’t work for making a large quantity. Plus, the large box wouldn’t fit in a pickup truck.” “Later, we improved by buying a Vacuum machine and doing more research. But it turned out that there was another problem because we were using it to put hot food, and the bag was thick. And there were a lot of orders. When we put it in the refrigerator, the coldness wasn’t enough. When it arrived, the customer couldn’t eat it. It spoiled, so we had to pay the money back. We had to learn something new. Someone suggested that after putting it in a Vacuum bag, we should shock it with cold water. Once it started to cool down, we could put it in the refrigerator. This way, it was better. It’s easier to transport and takes up less space. And since it’s frozen, it can last longer.”

Special delivery team fights COVID-19 “In this situation, we feel that people around us and people we know are also having problems. I have a friend who works as a producer. He used to eat his mother’s Khao Tom Mat and found it delicious. So I told him to make it during his free time. I also told my subordinates at my old job to do something that suits Ruean Charung. He made iced tea, passion fruit, and iced tea, which are quite strong flavors. Also, Mui, who is a chef at the Marriott Hotel, just moved to Pattaya during the New Year and was affected. I invited him to join Ruean Charung for a long time. People have seen Mui on the Ruean Charung page quite a bit. He is a chef who used to win Iron Chef. Now that the situation has happened, he is free, so he made mixed meat, similar to pork crackling chili paste. There are more than 10 ingredients. We fry good, fragrant beef fat to get the fat. It has both a fragrant and spicy flavor. I also made pork for people who don’t eat beef. This is the first time I’ve tried the market, and people have responded well. All of the menus I’ve eaten and felt that I liked them and they were delicious because Ruean Charung will be the one presenting everything. I have to try it first.”

In Uncle Meow's view, is it good for restaurants to boost sales with delivery? “Each shop may not be the same. Shops that encounter this situation think of doing delivery. Now everyone has jumped into the same platform, into delivery. Everyone is equal, whether it’s a Michelin-starred shop or a roadside shop. Everyone is on their mobile phone. That means everyone is in the same storefront. Everyone can see it. Now, what will they choose from you? That’s the problem. If you can make them see it by advertising, that’s good. But how is your som tam, your jaew hon, your pad kra pao different from others? If they’re not different, people will choose based on the image and price. In the future, people will choose based on the price. So you don’t have an identity in this channel.” “Like me, I really sell to my fan page. If you tell me to do the same as Ruean Charung, you have to create an identity. What is your pad kra pao identity? Why do they have to come and eat with you? This is difficult. Today, I might not be able to do it because I need money right now. I’ve been doing this for 3-4 years. People know Ruean Charung, they are confident and believe in it. So no matter what I make, they buy it. But they don’t buy it because of the food. They buy it because of Ruean Charung, because of Uncle Meow. So we only sell to people who know Ruean Charung. Because if people don’t know us, There will be a question as to why you have to eat 450 baht of braised pork. If you want to do it, you have to start learning how to build your identity today.”

Identity is important . “After this, it is said that people will order food through applications. However, I think that there will still be people who go to eat at the restaurant, but it has to be a restaurant that they have to go to because Thai people still want to gather and party together. In the future, if you want to open a restaurant, you should create an identity that people will remember. For me, it is a private table, guaranteed good, with a view of the rice fields, food made by my mother, which is a highlight. Then what will you be? A shabu food truck that delivers food to your house. It might be harder to sell in a general store because everyone is on the same platform. If your product is not outstanding, they might stop ordering from you. Why choose to eat at your restaurant? You have to think about that.”

How restaurants must survive “It depends on what you survive. Survive without bleeding or survive to continue living. Let’s say you have 200,000 baht left and you plan to pay your employees and continue doing delivery. You need to know how much income you have received after doing delivery for a month. Is the growth good? If it’s not good, you need to decide to quit the shop and continue living. But if it’s 200,000 baht that is gone and your family has nothing to eat, I don’t recommend you to do it because I personally think this situation will last long. You need to be the lightest. You need to survive by yourself. If you can’t survive yourself, you can’t help anyone. They even ask you to fasten your seatbelt before you fasten your child’s seatbelt. This is universal.” “I believe that I’m not smarter than them. I’m not in the same situation. Everyone has already thought about it. Whether it’s the next tap or the last tap, those who are fighting should know how much they can get. They might moan, complain, or want someone to help them. But in reality, you need to know that humans definitely won’t let themselves starve. They have their own way. It just depends on when.”

How are you preparing for the first day when Ruen Charung reopens? “I believe that there will be a good signal about 1-2 weeks in advance. In the meantime, we have to prepare Ruen Charung to be ready at all times. This means that we have to decorate it better, the plants will grow bigger, it will be cleaner. When customers come back, they will see a better atmosphere. We have to contact all our old guests who are about to be in line to ask if they are ready.”