Formosa Chang

{{Infobox company

| name = Formosa Chang

| logo = Formosa Chang logo.png

| logo_size =

| logo_upright =

| logo_alt =

| logo_caption =

| image = Formosa Chang Taichung Chaofu Store 20180825.jpg

| image_size =

| image_upright =

| image_alt =

| image_caption = Formosa Chang branch on Taichung's Chaofu Road in 2018

| native_name = 鬍鬚張

| native_name_lang = zh

| type = Private

| industry = Food

| founded = 1960 in Taipei, Taiwan

| founder = Chang Yan-chuan

| hq_location_city = Taipei

| hq_location_country = Taiwan

| num_locations = 144

| num_locations_year = 2024

| area_served = Taiwan

| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Chang Yung-chang (chairman)}}

| products = Taiwanese cuisine

| brands = {{Hlist|Jing Jian Kang}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.fmsc.com.tw/en/index.php}}

| embed =

| module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes

|t=鬍鬚張

|s=胡须张

|j={{tone superscript|Wu4 Se1 Zoeng1}}

|p=Húxū Zhāng

|w=Hu Hsiu Chang

}}

Formosa Chang ({{zh|t=鬍鬚張|s=胡须张|first=t,s}}) is a Taiwanese fast casual restaurant chain. The restaurant's signature dish is minced pork rice. In 1960, Chang Yan-chuan ({{zh|t=張炎泉}}) started a street food stall selling traditional Taiwanese snacks at Shuanglian Market ({{zh|t=雙連市場}}) on Minsheng West Road in Taipei. The stall relocated in 1971 to Ningxia Road. At the urging of his eldest son, Chang Yung-chang ({{zh|t=張永昌}}), he moved the business into a storefront at Ningxia Night Market in 1979. Inspired by McDonald's, the younger Chang revamped the family business through implementing business management strategies. He focused on creating a consistent dining experience, emphasizing precise food preparation and fast service.

The younger Chang started the Formosa Chang brand in 1986, took over the business after his father's death in 1989, and introduced franchising in 1993. The company expanded rapidly in the mid-1990s, but this growth led to issues with quality control, particularly among franchisees. After the 1997 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, Formosa Chang shifted away from franchising and focused on directly operated stores to improve consistency and quality. The company later ventured internationally, opening branches in both Japan and mainland China in 2003. As its customer base had gotten older, Formosa Chang in 2008 targeted younger consumers through modernized branding and marketing. The company faced an avalanche of criticism from the media for raising prices in 2012, causing it to reverse the hikes. Formosa Chang in 2024 started a health-conscious brand, Jing Jian Kang ({{zh|t=京簡康}}). In 2024, Formosa Chang has 73 locations in Taiwan, 68 in China, and three in Japan.

The restaurant's customers largely are from the middle class. Formosa Chang started a partnership with China Airlines in 2010 to serve airline meals containing their minced pork rice. It partnered with the convenience store Hi-Life to sell baozi. The company's distinctive logo is in homage to its founder, who worked such long hours that he lacked the time to trim his beard. It features his smiling face, creased at the sides and with a thick beard. Formosa Chang partnered with the T-shirt design firm Pizza Cut Five in 2008 to sell T-shirts featuring the logo.

History

=Street food stall=

Formosa Chang's founder, Chang Yan-chuan ({{zh|t=張炎泉}}), was a carpenter from Yunlin County. After moving to Taipei in search of work, he switched to the food industry upon being confronted with the effects of industrial automation, which had reduced his income.{{cite news |date=2024-06-25 |title=「鬍鬚張」超過一甲子老味道從路邊攤起家成為連鎖企業 |trans-title=「Formosa Chang」 Over 60 Years of Tradition: From a Roadside Stall to a Chain Business |language=zh |url=https://time.udn.com/udntime/story/122390/8050763 |newspaper=United Daily News |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421214805/https://time.udn.com/udntime/story/122390/8050763 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}{{cite magazine |last=Chao |first=Chiu-ying 卓秋英 |date=2008-06-05 |title=董事長的「貴人」和「好窄」 |trans-title=The Chairman's "Benefactor" and "Good Home" |language=zh |url=https://www.watchinese.com/article/2008/452 |magazine={{ill|Watchinese|zh|看 (雜誌)}} |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421214853/https://www.watchinese.com/article/2008/452 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} In 1960, Chang began operating a street food stall called Shuanglian Minced Pork Rice ({{zh|t=雙連魯肉飯}}) in Shuanglian Market ({{zh|t=雙連市場}}) on Minsheng West Road.{{cite news |last=Chiu |first=Tung-hao 邱琮皓 |date=2021-07-23 |title=斥資15億元桂冠在屏科興建智慧化廠房 |trans-title=Investing NT$1.5 Billion, Laurel Builds Smart Factory at Pingtung Science Park |language=zh |url=https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20210723700898-439803 |newspaper=Commercial Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421214848/https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20210723700898-439803 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}{{cite news |last=Lin |first=Wen-hsin 林文馨 |date=2024-10-30 |title=晶彩大人物／「鬍鬚張」被總舖師罵出來的台灣經典曝：百年企業的條件 |trans-title=Shining Figures / 「Formosa Chang」 – The Taiwanese Classic Born from Criticism by a Master Chef: Revealing the Qualities of a Century-Old Business |language=zh |url=https://inews.setn.com/news/1555857 |publisher=SET News |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421214900/https://inews.setn.com/news/1555857 |archivedate=2025-04-21 |url-status=live}} Offering traditional Taiwanese snacks such as minced pork rice and braised pig's trotters, it was located across from the {{ill|Shuanglian (Taiwan)|lt=Shuanglian|zh|雙連}} {{ill|police substation (Taiwan)|lt=police substation|zh|派出所}} for around a decade.{{cite news |last=Yang |first=Ya-min 楊雅民 |date=2009-11-03 |title=攤販轉型開店命運大不同 |trans-title=Street Vendor Turned Shop Owner — A Life Transformed |language=zh |url=https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/347883 |newspaper=Liberty Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421214908/https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/347883 |archivedate=2025-04-21 |url-status=live }} Owing to a road widening, Chang relocated his stall in 1971 to Ningxia Road near the Chien-Cheng Circle. At that location, business steadily grew, allowing Chang to raise five children.{{cite news |last=Wang |first=Chia-lin 王嘉琳 |date=2023-11-24 |title=決策者／台灣滷肉飯賣到全世界路邊小吃變成連鎖餐飲王國！ |trans-title=Decision Makers / Taiwanese Minced Pork Rice Sold Worldwide: From Street Food to Chain Restaurant Empire! |language=zh |url=https://www.ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2023B24W0150 |publisher=FTV News |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421215432/https://www.ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2023B24W0150 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} Chang's stall initially also served salty porridge and tube rice pudding. After observing that glutinous rice is hard for people's digestive systems, he chose to offer only minced pork rice to customers. In 1975, Chang's home was razed by a fire of unknown origin, destroying all of Chang's family's possessions except for the clothes they wore, some tableware, and the cart they used for their street stall.{{cite magazine |last=Chang |first=Yu 張淯 |date=2012-07-09 |title=張永昌轉念，成為命運的主導者 |trans-title=Chang Yung-chang: A Change in Mindset Made Him the Master of His Destiny |language=zh |url=https://www.scooptw.com/popular/cover/14489/張永昌轉念成為命運的主導者/ |magazine={{ill|Scoop Weekly Taiwan|zh|獨家報導周刊}} |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421214929/https://www.scooptw.com/popular/cover/14489/張永昌轉念成為命運的主導者/ |archivedate=2025-04-21 |url-status=live}}

Early in the stall's history, the head chef of the famous restaurant {{ill|Café Werthers|qid=Q113779719}} ate there and criticized the minced pork rice dish, saying, "What kind of minced pork rice is this? How dare you sell something like this?" Chang did not know the man's identity but asked him what minced pork rice would taste good. The chef gave Chang three tips, "The rice should be freshly harvested, the meat should be sliced, and the soy sauce should be pure brewed." For three years, the chef ate at Chang's stall and gave him tips about how to improve the dish. Chang did not learn the man's identity until numerous years later when he attended the man's wedding where his fellow guests included well-known restaurant chefs.{{cite magazine |last=Hung |first=Pao-shan 洪寶山 |date=2013-08-15 |title=鬍鬚張兄弟同心打造台灣魯肉飯王國 |trans-title=The Formosa Chang Brothers Unite to Build a Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice Empire |language=zh |url=https://www.moneyweekly.com.tw/Magazine/Info/理財周刊/21407 |script-magazine=zh:理財周刊 |trans-magazine=Moneyweekly |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215010/https://www.moneyweekly.com.tw/Magazine/Info/理財周刊/21407 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}

Each day, Chang and his wife woke up at 12:30{{nbsp}}pm to make the food. At 5{{nbsp}}pm, they got their stall ready and labored until 2{{nbsp}}am. After buying the next day's ingredients at 4:30{{nbsp}}am, they went to bed.{{Unbulleted list citebundle|{{cite magazine |last=Teng |first=Sue-feng 滕淑芬 |translator-last1=Williams |translator-first1=Scott |date=December 2010 |title=夜市經濟搖錢樹 |trans-title=The Night-Market Money Tree |language=zh |url=https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/zh/Articles/Details?Guid=3e79a43b-f9cb-4e69-a202-4746480ee1a1&langId=1&CatId=7&postname=夜市經濟搖錢樹 |magazine=Taiwan Panorama |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215018/https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/zh/Articles/Details?Guid=3e79a43b-f9cb-4e69-a202-4746480ee1a1&langId=1&CatId=7&postname=夜市經濟搖錢樹 |archivedate=2025-04-21 |url-status=live }}|{{cite magazine |last=Teng |first=Sue-feng 滕淑芬 |translator-last1=Williams |translator-first1=Scott |date=December 2010 |title=The Night-Market Money Tree |url=https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en/Articles/Details?Guid=43023072-5789-4795-888c-e8de22720626&langId=3&CatId=7&postname=The%20Night-Market%20Money%20Tree |magazine=Taiwan Panorama |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421214952/https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en/Articles/Details?Guid=43023072-5789-4795-888c-e8de22720626&langId=3&CatId=7&postname=The%20Night-Market%20Money%20Tree |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}}} Their son, Chang Yung-chang ({{zh|t=張永昌}}), observed that his parents were criticized for disturbing the neighbors' sleep when bringing their cart back at night. Starting when he was six years old, he had started working alongside his father at the stall. When he finished school for the day, he took dishes to diners and cleared off the tables. Up until he joined the military, Chang Yung-chang and his family spent 20-hour days at the stall.{{cite news |last=Li |first=Chih-ho 李至和 |date=2006-08-19 |title=由路邊攤到連鎖鬍鬚張跨越經營挑戰 |trans-title=From Street Stall to Chain Store: Formosa Chang Overcomes Business Challenges |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=C4 }} Upon finishing his service in the military, Chang Yung-chang advised his father that it was not the best use of time to do 12 hours of preparation every day to accomplish eight hours of serving customers. Pushing equipment weighing dozens of kilograms was physically exhausting. He told his father he planned to switch careers if his father did not relocate their shop to a legitimate store space. The father and son had a difference of opinion about this for two years as the father felt that a rent of {{NTD|80,000|linked=yes|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|80000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) was too risky. Although the older Chang called his son a "beggar with ambitions", he begrudgingly consented after the hardware store behind their stall shut down in 1979.

=First branch and McDonald's influence=

File:Formosa Chang Gourmet Culture Hall 20200718.jpg in 2020]]

In 1979, the older Chang established the restaurant's first branch at the storefront at Ningxia Night Market, sharing the space with another stall. The Changs paid a monthly rent of {{NTD|40,000|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|40000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) for the space. This allowed them to begin serving lunch which attracted nearby residents and workers to patronize the business. When they had operated a stall, their daily revenue ranged from {{NTD|7,000|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} to {{NTD|8,000|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|7000|TWN|round=yes}}}} to US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|8000|TWN|round=yes}}}}). Daily revenue with the new storefront grew to {{NTD|12,000|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|12000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) in three months and surpassed {{NTD|25,000|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|25000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) in six months. After a year, Chang ended the partnership with the other stall, renting the entire venue. After the business improved, the restaurant began operating for the entire day. With the move to a storefront, they transitioned from preparing meals in a home kitchen to preparing them at a central production facility.{{cite news |last=Chien |first=Chia-chi 錢嘉琪 |date=1991-06-14 |title=《走過從前》大稻埕鬍鬚張魯肉飯嘗試企業化曾被笑:頭殼壞了 |trans-title=Looking Back: Dadaocheng's Formosa Chang Minced Pork Rice Tried to Go Corporate — Was Once Laughed At: "You've Lost Your Mind" |language=zh |newspaper=Min Sheng Bao |page=24 }}

As a guest at a wedding reception at the seafood restaurant {{ill|Hai Pa Wang|zh|海霸王}}, Chang Yung-chang found that it had air conditioning, which kept diners comfortable while eating. Inspired by this, he convinced his father to put in fans at Formosa Chang. In 1983, Chang spent several hundred thousand New Taiwanese dollars to install air conditioning and to receive ISO certification. Daily revenue increased to {{NTD|100,000|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|100000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) one year after the installation. McDonald's opened its first branch in Taiwan in 1984 and greatly influenced the local dining scene. The chairman of Hsin Tung Yang, a friend of Chang's father, frequently ate at the Changs' stall, and encouraged them to learn from McDonald's. Chang reviewed McDonald's operations and was fascinated by how McDonald's did not have a greasy atmosphere. He and his father traveled between 30 and 40 times to McDonald's to observe how the business operated. Galvanized by McDonald's corporate practices, he resolved to revamp the family business through implementing business management strategies. By 1986, the Ningxia Road restaurant had undergone a rebranding to be modeled like McDonald's but serve Taiwanese snacks. The restaurant emphasized good customer service, a roomy and well-lit layout, an illuminated menu, disposable utensils, and soup containers made from aluminum foil. The restaurant started a factory to produce snacks that were pre-cooked, allowing diners to save time by just having to reheat the snacks.

=Corporate branding, founder's death, and competition=

File:Formosa Chang packaged disposable chopstick 20200605.jpg chopsticks]]

Chang started the Formosa Chang brand in 1986 and registered the name with the Ministry of Economic Affairs. He put in place corporate branding including for the restaurant's receipts, chopsticks, napkins, and employee uniforms.{{cite news |last=Nieh |first=Hsien-chieh 聶憲傑 |date=1991-06-29 |title=傳統小吃亦可導入現代化企管鬍鬚張魯肉飯樹立典範 |trans-title=Traditional Street Food Can Also Embrace Modern Management — Formosa Chang Minced Pork Rice Sets a New Standard |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=8 }} Chang became the company's chairman in 1986 and that year the company introduced profit sharing for employees. He created operations manuals for each aspect of preparing food such as how much each minced pork rice bowl would weigh, how much time it would take to blanch vegetables, and the exact seasoning needed for dishes like bamboo shoots and braised pig's trotters. The aim was to enforce consistency in the quality and serving time. The company set a goal to serve each dish within 59 seconds of the customer's placing their order.{{cite news |date=1992-08-24 |title=鬍鬚張魯肉飯放眼對岸市場結合中西式速食優點贏得肯定目前正籌設第七家分店 |trans-title=Formosa Chang Minced Pork Rice Eyes Mainland Market, Combines the Best of Chinese and Western Fast Food for Success — Currently Preparing to Open Seventh Branch |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=29 }} Chang's attempt to redesign all the branches in the style of Western fast food was unsuccessful. After one year, he decided to retain fast food's reliable and efficient standard but keep Taiwanese cuisine's familiarity.

The company Formosa Chang Fast Food Co., Ltd. ({{zh|t=鬍鬚張速食有限公司}}) was incorporated in 1987. That year, Chang began the restaurant's second branch at Taipei's {{ill|Chongqing North Road|zh|重慶北路 (臺北市)}}. In 1989, Chang Yan-chuan, his father and the company's founder, died during an accident while fishing at sea.{{cite news |last=Wu |first=Jen-lin 吳仁麟 |date=1991-11-11 |title=開創的手吃魯肉飯吹冷氣讚! '鬍鬚張'青出於藍 |trans-title=The Hand That Created It: Eating Minced Pork Rice in Air Conditioning — Awesome! 'Formosa Chang' Surpasses the Master |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|United Evening News|zh|聯合晚報}} |page=15 }}{{cite magazine |last=Cho |first=Chiu-ying 卓秋英 |date=2008-06-05 |title=媲美麥當勞的鬍鬚張 |trans-title=Formosa Chang: A Taiwanese Competitor to McDonald's |language=zh |url=https://www.watchinese.com/article/2008/417 |magazine={{ill|Watchinese|zh|看 (雜誌)}} |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215007/https://www.watchinese.com/article/2008/417 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} The external perception was that with its leader gone, Formosa Chang would go out of business. At the time, the founder's oldest son, Chang Yung-chang, was the manager of a small branch. When the family met, they chose Chang Yung-chang to become its next leader. Chang resolved to start a new branch within a month to quell the external doubts in the company.

Another challenge arose with the founding of the competitor Hometown Minced Pork Rice ({{zh|t=故鄉魯肉飯}}). The brand gained success by 1991, receiving the endorsement of the well-known singer Yeh Hsien-hsiu and expanding to 187 branches in Taiwan by 1998. Amid this rise of competition, Formosa Chang's founder Chang Yan-chuan's wife died of acute hepatitis while on holiday in Germany in 1991, further fueling the external perception that the company was in trouble. Chang Yung-chang resolved to open the company's fifth and sixth branches in two months to allay the concerns. Formosa Chang started its fifth branch on {{ill|Chenggong Road|zh|成功路 (臺北市)}} in Neihu in 1991. That year, it served between 8,000 and 10,000 dishes of minced pork rice each day.{{cite news |date=1991-10-29 |title=鬍鬚張魯肉飯口味獨特獲好評優越推出辦公室咖啡服務系列 |trans-title=Formosa Chang Minced Pork Rice Praised for Unique Flavor — Launches Premium Office Coffee Service Series |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=28 }} By the 20th century, Hometown Minced Pork Rice had faded while Formosa Chang continued to grow.

=Start of franchising=

By 1992, the restaurant began expanding from northern Taipei to the Eastern District, which the {{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} said signaled its aim to compete with the Western fast food chains that are prevalent in the lively Eastern District. To produce the minced pork rice for its increased number of branches, Formosa Chang spent {{NTD|200{{nbsp}}million|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|200000000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) to build a central production facility spanning several hundred ping at New Taipei Industrial Park.{{cite news |last=Chiang |first=Yen-hsun 江衍勛 |date=2012-03-23 |title=新北市卓越企業系列報導24之24 鬍鬚張魯肉飯揚名國際 |trans-title=New Taipei City Outstanding Enterprises Series Report 24 of 24. Formosa Chang Braised Pork Rice Gains International Fame |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=A12 }} Chang began franchising the restaurant in 1993. Franchisees had to pay an annual fee of {{NTD|300,000|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|300000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) and a monthly fee of {{NTD|12,000|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|12000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) for branding services and support. Franchisees were required to invest about {{NTD|1.8{{nbsp}}million|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|1800000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) to start their branch as well as rent or own a venue of 33 ping ({{convert|33|pyeong|sqm sqft|disp=out}}).{{cite news |last=Fei |first=Chia-chi 費家琪 |date=1993-08-21 |title=連鎖加盟系列中式餐飲種類變化大各有市場潛力投效加盟選擇多 |trans-title=Franchise Series: Variety in Chinese Cuisine, Each with Market Potential and Many Franchise Options |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=15 }} In late 1994, Formosa Chang had added 24 franchise locations that year.{{cite news |last=Fei |first=Chia-chi 費家琪 |date=1994-09-25 |title=味千拉麵來勢洶洶三商巧福嚴陣以待麵食速食市場煙硝味濃 |trans-title=Ajisen Ramen Charges In, Mercuries Food Chain Stands Guard — Fierce Competition Heats Up in the Fast-Food Noodle Market |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=18 }} By the end of 1995, the restaurant had 50 branches.{{cite news |last=Fei |first=Chia-chi 費家琪 |date=1995-12-07 |title=市場拓點馬不停蹄日式、中式速食店今年業績不錯 |trans-title=Market Expansion in Full Swing — Japanese and Chinese Fast-Food Chains See Strong Performance This Year |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=18 }}

As the number of branches grew, the original central kitchen could no longer meet production demands, prompting Chang to open a larger facility in Wugu. The facility size grew from 90 ping ({{convert|90|pyeong|sqm sqft|disp=out}}) to 480 ping ({{convert|480|pyeong|sqm sqft|disp=out}}). The growing scale of operations compelled Formosa Chang to expand by opening more stores to prevent financial losses. In 1995, the company greatly expanded its store count. For two years, it started two or three new branches per month throughout Taiwan. Although the quick growth boosted the brand's recognition, it also resulted in substantial reputation harm. The food at the flagship location tasted differently from the branches and the franchisees struggled to adhere to the company's policies. As a result of the overly fast expansion, numerous branches went out of business shortly after opening and customer satisfaction went down.

=Foot-and-mouth disease and move away from franchising=

Taiwan experienced a major outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 1997, causing the business to lose over {{NTD|10 million|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|10000000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) in two quarters. In the first 10 days after the outbreak, sales fell by 60% as customers did not want to eat pork, which had become associated with the disease. Formosa Chang posted notices on the door informing customers they also sold chicken curry and beef brisket rice.{{cite news |last=Shao |first=Ping-ju 邵冰如 |date=1997-03-29 |title=口蹄疫專題系列三之一聞豬，色變！滷肉飯沒人吃瓜仔肉不准上桌… 排骨便當沒人問要吃，請早點預約吧！病死豬畫面惡心吃肉，筷子舉不起來。 |trans-title=Foot-and-Mouth Disease Special Report Series 3-1: The Smell of Pork Triggers Panic! No One's Eating Braised Pork Rice, Minced Pork Banned from Tables... Pork Chop Lunch Boxes Ignored — If You Want It, Better Reserve Early! Disgusting Images of Diseased Pigs Make It Hard to Even Lift Your Chopsticks. |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|United Evening News|zh|聯合晚報}} |page=4 }} Before the outbreak, the company had reached a high of 63 branches.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Hui-min 陳慧敏 |date=2004-09-13 |title=走過口蹄疫鬍鬚張不當盆栽要學神木 |trans-title=Having Survived Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Formosa Chang Aims to Be a Sacred Tree, Not a Potted Plant |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=D1 }} Within a year, over a dozen stores shut down. Chang closed down franchises that were underperforming and pushed forward with a model of having operators directly own the stores. He took these actions to improve the company's reputation which had been damaged by the overly rapid expansion. His decisions were shaped by the insights he gained from a one-year management program offered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In 1999, Chang launched the ISO 9001 quality management system and enacted total quality management to enhance the business's operations. By 2004, the number of stores in Taiwan had declined to 18, of which four were owned by franchisees. As the company had faced challenges in controlling franchises, the decline aligned with its decision to move away from expanding by opening new franchises.{{cite news |last=Huang |first=Jen-chien 黃仁謙 |date=2004-10-19 |title=二度就業看過來五大連鎖餐飲許媽媽一個未來 |trans-title=Second Career Seekers, Take Note: Five Major Chain Restaurants Offer Aunt Hsu a New Future |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=D3 }}

=Expansion to Japan and mainland China=

Formosa Chang approved the Japanese hardware company {{ill|Miwa Honten|qid=Q58537613}} to be its regional franchise agent in Tokyo in 1999.{{cite news |last1=Chen |first1=Hui-min 陳慧敏 |last2=Sung |first2=Chien-sheng 宋健生 |date=2003-04-14 |title=台灣連鎖品牌揚威東瀛 |trans-title=Taiwanese Chain Brands Make a Splash in Japan |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=33 }} Its first branch in Japan opened in 2003.{{cite news |last1=Wang |first1=Chia-lin 王嘉琳 |last2=Huang |first2=Yu-chun 黃鈺淳 |date=2020-08-28 |title=滷肉飯傳奇路邊攤到海內外75家店張永昌豪砸3.8億買地五股蓋新總部 |trans-title=Minced Pork Rice Legend: From Street Stall to 75 Stores Worldwide — Chang Yung-chang Invests NT$380 Million to Build New Headquarters in Wugu |language=zh |url=https://www.ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2020828F06M1 |publisher=FTV News |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421215636/https://www.ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2020828F06M1 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} It marked the first time that a Taiwanese street food company had established a presence in Japan. Initially, the Japanese branches struggled as their dishes did not resonate with the local market. After enlisting the advice of {{ill|China Productivity Center|zh|中國生產力中心}}, Formosa Chang transported ingredients and condiments from its central facility in Taiwan to Japan. The Japanese teams then adapted the sauce to cater to the Japanese palate which favors saltier tastes. To cater to local tastes, they eliminated dishes that had pig trotters, reduced the number of soup dishes, and sold beer.{{cite news |last=Huang |first=Li-chiu 黃麗秋 |date=2007-03-11 |title=《成功案例》融入在地口味鬍鬚張東瀛飄香 |trans-title="Success Story" Blending Local Flavors — Formosa Chang's Aroma Reaches Japan |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=C5 }}

In 2003 in the midst of the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak, Formosa Chang gave a mainland Chinese company permission to start a branch in Shandong. After the branch launched on 1 May, the mainland Chinese company said customers did not like the food and found it to be too costly. The Shandong branch closed, causing the company to lose money.{{cite news |last=Ho |first=Hui-an 何蕙安 |date=2011-04-11 |title=進軍大陸受挫，決定在台穩紮穩打，力推品牌年輕化，下個50年要躋身國際。張永昌操刀鬍鬚張變潮牌 |trans-title=Setback in Expanding into Mainland China, Decided to Strengthen Presence in Taiwan, Pushing for Brand Modernization; Aiming for International Recognition in the Next 50 Years. Chang Yung-chang Leads the Transformation, Turning Formosa Chang into a Trendy Brand. |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=A10 }} Realizing during the outbreak that franchisees would only continue running the business when they could make profits, Chang decided to stop extending contracts with the stores.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Ching-yuan 陳景淵 |date=2013-08-19 |title=名人會客室藤蔓哲學鬍鬚張走過危機更茁壯 |trans-title=Celebrity Guest Room: The Philosophy of Vines. How Formosa Chang Grew Stronger Through Crisis |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=AA2 }}

Beginning in 2001 or 2002, Formosa Chang hosted a speed eating competition.{{cite news |date=2008-10-24 |title=因噎廢食鬍鬚張取消大胃王賽嗆死意外傳出彰化乳牛節考慮取消喝奶賽北縣類似比賽不少縣長：不因個案禁賽 |trans-title=Overreaction to Choking Incident. Formosa Chang Cancels Eating Contest. Fatal Accident Sparks Concern; Changhua Dairy Festival May Cancel Milk-Drinking Contest Many Similar Competitions in New Taipei; County Magistrate: "Will Not Ban All Due to One Case" |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=A6 }} At the 2003 competition, people competed at the Ningxia Night Market to eat the most minced pork rice in five minutes. The highest number of bowls consumed that year was nine.{{cite news |last=Tsai |first=Hui-ping 蔡惠萍 |date=2003-11-01 |title=寧夏夜市美食展「好像在過年」百公尺擠滿食客滷肉飯吃通海有人五分鐘解決九碗 |trans-title=Ningxia Night Market Food Festival: "Feels Like Lunar New Year" — 100 Meters Packed with Diners, Braised Pork Rice Devoured Nonstop, One Person Polished Off Nine Bowls in Five Minutes |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=B1 }} The 2008 competition was canceled after a contestant choked to death at an unaffiliated eating competition.

=Catering to younger diners and new brand, Jing Jian Kang=

File:Hino 300 of Formosa Chang RAL-2061 20150830.jpg refrigerated truck in 2015]]

In 2003, the company allowed executives to purchase stock which gave them the opportunity to receive a share of the company's profits.{{cite news |last=Huang |first=Yu-zhen 黃玉珍 |date=2009-02-18 |title=《〈愛心企業〉系列》鬍鬚張堅持魯肉飯一味中小企業協會發起「愛心企業約定宣言」活動，19家企業簽署「不任意裁員」宣言。本系列報導這些愛心企業因應不景氣之道及用人育才策略。 |trans-title="Loveable Enterprises" Series Formosa Chang Sticks to Its One-Flavor Minced Pork Rice. The Small and Medium Enterprises Association launched the "Heartfelt Enterprise Commitment Declaration" event, with 19 companies signing the declaration to "not arbitrarily lay off employees." This series of reports highlights how these heartfelt enterprises are responding to the economic downturn and their strategies for talent cultivation. |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=D2 }} By 2013, the company had 191 shareholders, who largely were company executives.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Ching-yuan 陳景淵 |date=2013-08-03 |title=起薪3萬鬍鬚張拓點徵才逾200人 |trans-title=Starting Salary at 30,000: Formosa Chang Expands and Recruits Over 200 Staff |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=AA2 }} In the late 2000s, Formosa Chang was opening around one branch each year. At the end of 2008, the company had 750 employees who worked in 30 branches in Taiwan and three in Japan, giving it an annual revenue of {{NTD|600{{nbsp}}million|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|600000000|TWN|round=yes}}}}).{{cite news |last=Wang |first=Wei-tsu 王慰祖 |date=2008-12-19 |title=鬍鬚張品牌年輕化策略奏效 |trans-title=Formosa Chang's Brand Revitalization Strategy Proves Successful |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=AA4 }}

By 2008, the restaurant focused its marketing efforts on appealing to a younger demographic—people ages 15 to 30—to counter an aging customer base. It became a sponsor of the band Chthonic, which was known for having a rebellious image; opened an online store; and created T-shirts featuring Formosa Chang's logo and a hollow-eyed skull paired with two crossed white bones.{{cite news |last=Huang |first=Yu-zhen 黃玉珍 |date=2009-02-23 |title=《〈通路經營〉》拉攏明天的顧客 |trans-title=〈Channel Management〉Winning Over Tomorrow’s Customers |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=D2 }}{{cite news |last=Ho |first=Hui-an 何蕙安 |date=2011-04-11 |title=潮T＋粗框眼鏡成幸運符歐吉桑變身推動變革 |trans-title=Trendy Tees + Thick-Rimmed Glasses Become Lucky Charms: Middle-Aged Man Transforms to Drive Change |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=A10 }} By 2010, Formosa Chang had 39 branches which brought in a yearly revenue of {{NTD|600 million|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|600000000|TWN|round=yes}}}}). That year, it was the second largest Chinese-style fast food chain in Taiwan, behind only {{ill|Mercuries Food Chain|zh|三商巧福}}.{{cite news |last1=Li |first1=An-ni 林安妮 |last2=Yang |first2=I 楊毅 |date=2010-07-19 |title=端出ICT 鬍鬚張吃到科專補助少數獲加持服務業品牌小小一碗魯肉飯展現超高研發力放眼國際加速展店要當中式速食龍頭 |trans-title=Serving Up ICT: Formosa Chang Secures Tech Subsidy. One of the Few Service Industry Brands to Receive Government Backing. A humble bowl of braised pork rice showcases remarkable R&D power. With eyes on the global market and accelerated expansion, the goal is to become the leader in Chinese fast food. |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=A4 }} The restaurant's branches in 2014 largely were in Taiwan's north in large commercial areas.{{cite web |date=November 2014 |title=台灣商業服務業優良品牌專刊 |trans-title=Taiwan Superior Commercial Service Brands |language=zh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eseYBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA117 |location=Taipei |publisher=Taiwan Institute of Economic Research |via=Google Books |page=129 |accessdate=2025-04-21 }} In Greater Taipei in 2011, the chain had over 30 branches.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=David |date=2011-08-26 |title=Restaurant review: Formosa Chang 鬍鬚張 |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2011/08/26/2003511675 |newspaper=Taipei Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215319/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2011/08/26/2003511675 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} The company in the 2010s began expanding southwards from Greater Taipei to Hsinchu and Taichung. David Chen of the Taipei Times in 2011 called Formosa Chang a noteworthy business that had effectively commercialized street food classics on a large scale.

Formosa Chang launched its 50th branch in 2014 close to Far Eastern Memorial Hospital. It was the chain's first branch to implement a revamped store format to mimic a fast food restaurant. In the previous format, customers placed orders through a server. In the new format, customers place orders at a checkout counter on stepping into the restaurant. Previously showcasing a traditional Taiwanese aesthetic, the new branch adopted a modern setup with well-lit tables, dining chairs with backrests, and more sinks, catering to contemporary concerns about food hygiene. The new branch moved from an à la carte to a set menu. The restaurant changed the logo, revising Chang's beard from having three wrinkles to having two. The primary goal of these changes was to draw in younger diners between the ages of 15 and 30. The restaurant's primary customers at the time were between the ages of 30 and 50.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Ching-i 陳靜宜 |date=2014-08-17 |title=品牌年輕化鬍鬚張二代店 Logo魚尾紋變少了 |trans-title=Brand Revamp for a Younger Look: Beard Zhang's Second-Generation Stores: Fewer Wrinkles on the Logo |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=C4 }}

In 2017, the company spent {{NTD|295 million|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|295000000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) to purchase 372 ping ({{convert|372|pyeong|sqm sqft|disp=out}}) of land at Wugu District in New Taipei City. It invested an additional {{NTD|88 million|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|88000000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) to construct a factory on the site, their second. Formosa Chang spent {{NTD|25 million|linked=no|passthrough=yes}} (US${{Formatnum:{{To USD|25000000|TWN|round=yes}}}}) in 2019 to support mobile payments in its stores through a new point of sale system. It added kiosks to allow customers to do self-service as well as kitchen display systems and tablet ordering systems.{{cite news |last=Yao |first=Shun 姚舜 |date=2019-07-16 |title=導入行動支付、APP點餐鬍鬚張啟動近60年最大改造 |trans-title=Introducing Mobile Payments and App Ordering, Formosa Chang Launches the Biggest Revamp in Nearly 60 Years |language=zh |url=https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20190716700082-430503 |newspaper=Commercial Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421215039/https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20190716700082-430503 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} The National Animal Industry Foundation authorized the company to label its products as being "Taiwan Pork" certified, meaning that the pork is from Taiwan.{{cite news |last=Yang |first=Yuan-ting |date=2020-12-27 |title=Mislabeling triggers doubt over 'Taiwan Pork'. A Trial month: National Animal Industry Foundation executive director Wang Chung-shu said Formosa Chang was approved as its Spanish pork supply finishes this week label |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/12/27/2003749466 |newspaper=Taipei Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215100/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/12/27/2003749466 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}{{cite news |last=Tan |first=Shuh-chen 譚淑珍 |date=2020-12-26 |title=鬍鬚張外還有未爆彈？陳吉仲：全面清查 |trans-title=Formosa Chang: Is There Still an Unexploded Bomb? Chen Chi-chung: A Thorough Investigation Will Be Conducted |language=zh |url=https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20201226700265-430104 |newspaper=Commercial Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421215113/https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20201226700265-430104 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} The restaurant sparked controversy in 2020 after it put the label on a lunchbox—braised pork containing anka—that had Spanish-produced pork. To abide by the label guidelines, the company paused the lunchbox sales. In 2024, the company had 73 branches in Taiwan, 68 branches in China, and 3 branches in Japan.{{cite news |date=October 2024 |title=以滷肉飯征服亞洲人味雷揭開鬍鬚張一甲子展店百間秘訣 |trans-title=Conquering the Taste Buds of Asians with Minced Pork Rice: The Secrets Behind Formosa Chang's 100-Store Expansion After 60 Years |language=zh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AXI6EQAAQBAJ&pg=PA52 |script-magazine=zh:餐飲學院 |via=Google Books |volume=38 |pages=52–54 |accessdate=2025-04-21 |author1=美食映象 }} That year, Formosa Chang started a new restaurant brand named Jing Jian Kang ({{zh|t=京簡康}}), which literally means "Capital Simple Health". With the aim of targeting health-conscious consumers, the restaurant serves dishes that have little sugar, oil, and fat. Its dishes are steamed and baked.

Formosa Chang offers traditional Taiwanese cuisine, serving street food classics. In 2003, the restaurant served enoki mushroom pork rib soup, bamboo shoots, and lotus flower chicken soup.{{cite news |last=Chao |first=Min-su 趙敏夙 |date=2003-08-31 |title=【鬍鬚張魯肉飯】 |trans-title=Formosa Chang Minced Pork Rice |language=zh |newspaper=Min Sheng Bao |page=D1 }} The restaurant serves fried pork chops as well as sweet potato leaves containing a hint of fermented bean paste and served with minced pork rice.{{cite book |last1=Ku |first1=Josh |last2=Brown |first2=Trigg |last3=Erway |first3=Cathy |date=2023 |title=Win Son Presents a Taiwanese American Cookbook |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ZldEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT186 |location=New York |publisher=Abrams Books |via=Google Books |isbn=978-1-4197-4708-3 |accessdate=2025-04-21 }} The minced pork rice is drenched in sweet soy sauce. At Taipei City's Traditional Food Carnival ({{zh|t=台北市傳統美食嘉年華會}}), the dish secured a public's pick honor in the 2000s. Although he liked that the dish "taste[d] fresh and homemade", David Chen of the Taipei Times in 2011 criticized the chain for offering its minced pork rice at a higher price than similar dishes at other restaurants. Chen said the restaurant promoted roast salted pork ({{zh|t=石板鹹豬肉}}) but that the dish was an "utter disappointment" in looking far less appealing as what is shown in the image. Other Taiwanese classics the chain serves are chicken and rice, bitter melon and pork ribs soup, and {{ill|four herbs soup|zh|四神湯}}. The restaurant serves lunchboxes which Chen praised as "good value". It offers frozen gift packages.{{cite news |last1=Chu |first1=Chia-ying 朱家瑩 |last2=Fan |first2=Chen-ho 范振和 |last3=Chiang |first3=Chien-nan 江健男 |date=2007-07-08 |title=滷肉飯 UDN票選全台滷肉飯比拚 |trans-title=Braised Pork Rice UDN Reader Poll: Minced Pork Rice Showdown Across Taiwan |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=B7 }}

Customers

In the 1980s, the Formosa Chang branch on Ningxia Road, which was modeled after McDonald's, attracted a clientele of civil servants and students, while the wider population was still drawn to street stalls. In the early 2000s, Formosa Chang's Taiwanese branches largely served people between 25 and 40 years old. Japan did not have a minced pork rice dish, which is the restaurant's signature dish, so Formosa Chang's Japanese branches in the 1990s largely served people between 19 and 30 years old who had more adventurous palates. In 2023, most of the restaurant's customers were from the middle class.{{cite news |last=Scanlan |first=Sean |date=2023-01-31 |title=Taiwanese eatery Formosa Chang raises prices. Low-cost eatery responds to inflationary pressure by upping prices on many popular items |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/4795765 |newspaper=Taiwan News |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215210/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/4795765 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}

Logo

The founder, Chang Yen-chuan, slept around three to four hours every day when he ran a stall selling minced pork rice. Owing to his busyness, he did not have time to tidy his beard and regular diners began calling him "Formosa Chang". The restaurant's distinctive logo features the creator, a man between 40 and 50 years old with a thick beard.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Lan-ti 陳蘭棣 |date=1992-05-20 |title=餐飲實戰以文化塑造店格 |trans-title=Food And Beverage Practice: Using Culture to Shape Store Brand Identity |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=27 }} The logo most commonly encountered shows him with creases at the side of his eyes and a smiling face. In 2008, the chain collaborated with the niche T-shirt design firm Pizza Cut Five to make T-shirts showcasing its logo.{{cite news |last=Wu |first=Tzu-i 吳姿儀 |date=2009-06-01 |title=鬍鬚張變凡爾賽少女台味潮T尚青 |trans-title=Formosa Chang Turns into a Versailles Maiden: Trendy Taiwan-Style Tees are the Hottest Thing |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Upaper|zh|Upaper}} |page=9 }} 10,000 T-shirts were sold in the first three months after they were released in 2008. The United Daily News attributed the 10% increase in 2009 in youths eating at Formosa Chang to the T-shirts.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Ching-i 陳靜宜 |date=2009-08-30 |title=餐廳公仔小兵立大功鼎泰豐推「包仔」、「籠仔」鬍鬚張出魔術方塊業績大增 |trans-title=Restaurant Figurines, Small Soldiers Making Big Impact. Din Tai Fung Launches "Baozai" and "Longzai", Formosa Chang Releases a Magic Cube: Sales Surge |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=C4 }} The T-shirts, which were well-received, had Chang's head styled in an array of pop art designs. For their uniforms, employees wore black T-shirts containing the hot pink-colored phrase "Formosa Chang Cut Five". In 2011, Pizza Cut Five released Formosa Chang-branded T-shirts featuring five well-known movie characters including The Godfather and The Dark Knight.{{cite news |last=Wang |first=Hui-lin 王惠琳 |date=2011-09-30 |title=《New新品上市》 Pizza Cut Five鬍鬚張電影系列 |trans-title="New Product Launch" Pizza Cut Five x Formosa Chang Movie Series |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=C6 }}

Decor and ambience

Formosa Chang is a fast casual restaurant. It has a yellow storefront and decorations. Its ambiance is designed to evoke a traditional Taiwanese restaurant's charm. It has Hakka fabric; brown, wooden stools and tables; and red brick walls.{{cite news |last=Yu |first=Ming-huang 游明煌 |date=2011-12-08 |title=從1碗5毛錢… 到35家連鎖店鬍鬚張：嫌貨才是買貨人 |trans-title=From a 50-Cent Bowl… to 35 Chain Stores. Formosa Chang: "Only Those Who Criticize Are Real Buyers" |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=B2 }} To create an authentic Taiwanese atmosphere, the restaurant decorated the kitchen entrance with the Chinese characters for kitchen ({{zh|t=灶腳}}). Formosa Chang has soothing jazz melodies that fill the air, which David Chen of the Taipei Times said echoes Starbucks. Min Sheng Bao reported in 1991 that Formosa Chang houses a "cultural showcase" in each newly opened branch. It features the rice ladles and ceramic rice bowls that the founder had used three decades prior.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a branch on average was 50 ping ({{convert|50|pyeong|sqm sqft|disp=out}}). Sales before the pandemic were split between 60% takeaway and delivery and 40% dine-in but changed to 80% for takeaway and 20% for dine-in in May 2022 in the midst of the pandemic. To support a target of 50% takeaway and 50% dine-in after the pandemic, the chain planned to reduce 50-ping branches to 30 to 35 ping ({{convert|30|to|35|pyeong|sqm sqft|disp=out}}) and 40-ping stores to 25 ping ({{convert|25|pyeong|sqm sqft|disp=out}}).{{cite news |last=Yao |first=Shun 姚舜 |date=2022-06-20 |title=疫情衝擊連鎖餐飲展店策略轉彎 |trans-title=Pandemic Impact: Chain Restaurants Shift Expansion Strategy |language=zh |url=https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20220620700116-430503 |newspaper=Commercial Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421220114/https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20220620700116-430503 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}

Price increases

File:Formosa Chang Taipei Bade Store 20150912.jpg in 2015]]

Over the years, Formosa Chang has increased its prices multiple times.{{harvnb|Wang|Yao|2018|p=137}} Some of the increases have prompted criticism from customers. In September 2012, the restaurant chain hiked the price of its braised pork rice item by 6.25%.{{cite news |last=Mo |first=Yan-chih |date=2012-10-05 |title=Ningxia Night Market set to host Double Ten feast |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/10/05/2003544431 |newspaper=Taipei Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215145/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/10/05/2003544431 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} The increase sparked a media backlash with publications criticizing the price hike.{{harvnb|Wang|Yao|2018|p=143}}{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Kevin |date=2012-10-04 |title=Formosa Chang rolls back its prices |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2012/10/04/2003544301 |newspaper=Taipei Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215147/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2012/10/04/2003544301 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} Every publication highlighted that Formosa Chang had raised its price the second time that year. Some publications said that its new price was higher than its competitors'. The publications said that competitors bore the increased costs of ingredients. Some publications questioned why the hike happened after the cost of vegetables had just decreased, while the cost of rice had not increased for three years.{{harvnb|Wang|Yao|2018|pp=143, 145}} Some criticized Formosa Chang for decreasing its portion sizes. The commentator {{ill|Liu Ka-shiang|zh|劉克襄}} wrote an opinion piece calling braised pork rice a "national dish for the common people" that "poor families can afford with the least money, yet it fills them the most". He accused Formosa Zhang of forgetting their roots. Numerous media publications referenced his post which spread widely.

At the same time as the chairman, Chang Yung-chang, had participated in the Taipei city administration's initiative to boost the area's culinary scene, he had pledged to set the prices at an affordable level. In response to the price hike, the city planned to end its partnership with Formosa Chang to promote local dishes.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Ching-i 陳靜宜 |date=2012-10-03 |title=鬍鬚張調回原價 |trans-title=Formosa Chang Returns to Original Prices |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Upaper|zh|Upaper}} |page=2 }} The partnership with the city government was critical to the restaurant's brand image.{{harvnb|Wang|Yao|2018|p=144}} After the mayor of Taipei, Hau Lung-pin, held a discussion with Chang, the restaurant announced it would withdraw the price hike. The restaurant said it "apologized for the public's feelings" and said it "started as a street vendor, and has always been dedicated to the preservation of snack culture". The researchers Wang Rui-xiang and Yao Hui-chung said that Formosa Chang was able to defuse the controversy through apologizing and undoing its price increase. According to the {{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}}, despite rising food and labor costs in 2018, restaurant operators were wary of raising prices, thinking, "Just look at the consequences of Formosa Chang's price increase."{{cite news |last=Han |first=Hua-yu 韓化宇 |date=2018-10-13 |title=鼎泰豐70品項平均漲2％ |trans-title=Din Tai Fung Raises Prices by an Average of 2% Across 70 Menu Items |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=A5 }}

Formosa Chang hiked prices of its minced pork rice three times in 2014 owing to increased ingredient expenses.{{cite news |date=2015-01-12 |title=Dining-out costs rose by NT$2,610. Unappetizing: Surging food prices wiped out the benefits from plunging fuel prices last year, data from the government's statistics agency demonstrated |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2015/01/12/2003609016 |newspaper=Taipei Times |agency=Central News Agency |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215157/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2015/01/12/2003609016 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} The increase in prices February, March, and July resulted in some negative media coverage but the response was generally neutral. The researchers Wang and Yao said that the media had viewed the 2012 price increase as opportunistic, whereas the 2014 price increase was seen as having more justification since the cost of rice, meat, and vegetables had increased in the previous year.{{harvnb|Wang|Yao|2018|p=145}} Whereas Formosa Chang had increased prices for numerous in 2012 regardless of the increase in ingredient costs, they took a more precise approach in 2014 and justified to the public why they were raising prices.{{harvnb|Wang|Yao|2018|pp=146, 148}} When eggs, chicken, and vegetables cost more in February, they increased the lunchbox price. When pork costs increased in March, they increased the cost of pork dishes such as ribs. When pork, chicken, and rice cost more in July, the restaurant increased the price of its braised pork rice and chicken rice dishes.{{harvnb|Wang|Yao|2018|p=146}} When Formosa Chang raised prices in 2014, Liu, the commentator, penned an opinion piece in the Apple Daily opposing the price hike. Yeh Kuang-shih, the Minister of Transportation and Communications, responded that when there is an excessive focus on keeping food costs low, restaurants are compelled to trim their budgets which causes supply chain and food safety issues.{{cite news |last=Shan |first=Shelley |date=2014-09-13 |title=Tainted oil scandal: Yeh's remarks on tainted oil scandal spark netizen rage |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/09/13/2003599638 |newspaper=Taipei Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215312/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/09/13/2003599638 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}

In 2016, the restaurant raised prices on 22 dishes, citing the 50% rise in inspections expenses year over year and the increase in labor costs to recruit staff.{{cite news |last1=Chiu |first1=Wen-min 邱雯敏 |last2=Wei |first2=Yu-ting 魏妤庭 |date=2016-05-17 |title=食安和人事成本增加轉嫁消費者鬍鬚張、五十嵐漲價了月內漲2次菜單逾半漲5元中杯貴5塊茶類最高漲10元 |trans-title=Rising Food Safety and Labor Costs Passed on to Consumers: Formosa Chang and 50 Lan Raise Prices. Two Price Hikes in One Month: Over Half the Menu Up NT$5, Medium Cups Up NT$5, Tea Prices Rise Up to NT$10 |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=A2 }} Formosa Chang froze its prices in 2020 before raising them again in January 2023.{{cite news |last=Yao |first=Shun 姚舜 |date=2023-01-30 |title=年後第一槍鬍鬚張2月1日起調漲部份商品價格 |trans-title=First Price Increase After the New Year: Formosa Chang to Raise Prices of Certain Products Starting 1 February 1 |language=zh |url=https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20230130700881-431401 |newspaper=Commercial Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421215220/https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20230130700881-431401 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }} The company increased the price of 23% of its menu selections by 5% in January 2023. It attributed the increase to the COVID-19 pandemic, increased labor costs, and the growing cost of raw materials. Two additional prices increases took place in 2024 in February and December owing to increased labor and food costs.{{cite news |last=Yao |first=Shun 姚舜 |date=2024-12-25 |title=扛不住了鬍鬚張5品項喊漲食材成本與人力薪資攀升，魯肉飯便當、唐山里肌豬排等，平均漲幅5.8％ |trans-title=Can't Hold On Anymore: Formosa Chang Raises Prices on 5 Items Rising Ingredient Costs and Labor Wages Lead to an Average Price Increase of 5.8% for Dishes like Minced Pork Rice and Tangshan Pork Chop |language=zh |url=https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20241225700173-439901 |newspaper=Commercial Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421215323/https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20241225700173-439901 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}{{cite news |last=Yen |first=Ya-fang 嚴雅芳 |date=2024-12-25 |title=扛不住！鬍鬚張今年二度漲價明起調漲5品項、平均漲幅5.8％ |trans-title=Can't Hold On! Formosa Chang Raises Prices for the Second Time This Year. 5 Items to Increase Starting Tomorrow, Average Hike of 5.8% |language=zh |url=https://udn.com/news/story/7241/8446672 |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215235/https://udn.com/news/story/7241/8446672 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}

Partnerships

Beginning in 2010, China Airlines served airline meals prepared by Formosa Chang including minced pork rice.{{cite news |last=Su |first=Amy |date=2012-01-04 |title=CAL to offer meals created by Michelin starred chef Albert Tse on some flights |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2012/01/04/2003522330 |newspaper=Taipei Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215411/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2012/01/04/2003522330 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}{{cite news |last=Li |first=Cheng-yu 李承宇 |date=2011-05-12 |title=餐點人氣王機上端出噴香滷肉飯有撇步 |trans-title=Most Popular Meal: Fragrant Lu Rou Fan Now Served In-Flight — There's a Secret to It |language=zh |newspaper=United Daily News |page=A7 }} Formosa Chang partnered with the convenience store chain Hi-Life in 2021 to create two types of baozi to sell in the store. The two products are the "golden cui lu bao" ({{zh|t=黃金粹魯包}}) and the "golden bamboo shoot pork bao" ({{zh|t=黃金筍肉包}}). The exterior skin of the bao is made by Song Baozhi ({{zh|t=松包子}}), while the interior is stuffed with Formosa Chang's minced pork and bamboo sheets.{{cite news |last=Chen |first=You-chia 陳又嘉 |date=2021-12-05 |title=萊爾富進軍早餐市場獨家開賣鬍鬚張、松包子聯名包子 |trans-title=Hi-Life Expands into the Breakfast Market, Exclusively Selling Co-branded Buns with Formosa Chang and Song Baozi |language=zh |url=https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20211205700209-431207 |newspaper=Commercial Times |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250421215305/https://www.ctee.com.tw/news/20211205700209-431207 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}

Formosa Chang partnered with the virtual restaurant Just Kitchen in 2021.{{cite news |last=Peng |first=Hui-ming 彭慧明 |date=2021-05-06 |title=雲端廚房募資兩月掛牌三地打國際盃本土新創業者Just Kitchen顛覆模式陸續在加拿大、德國、美國上市 |trans-title=Cloud Kitchen Raises Funds: Listed in Three Countries Within Two Months, Competing Internationally. Local Startup Just Kitchen Disrupts the Model with Listings in Canada, Germany, and the United States |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=A12 }} The virtual restaurant's staff stopped by Formosa Chang numerous times to observe how to more accurately make the restaurant's classic minced pork rice dish.{{cite magazine |last=Wu |first=Ching-wen |translator-last=Williams |translator-first=Scott |date=June 2022 |title=A Cloud-Based Restaurant Revolution: Just Kitchen |url=https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en/Articles/Details?Guid=4f37fe73-b370-4522-883c-9ef849e1e249 |magazine=Taiwan Panorama |accessdate=2025-04-21 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421215313/https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en/Articles/Details?Guid=4f37fe73-b370-4522-883c-9ef849e1e249 |archivedate=2025-04-21 }}

Reception

The {{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} journalist Chen Nien-tzu in 1991 praised Formosa Chang's minced pork rice as "economical and delicious".{{cite news |last=Chen |first=Nien-tzu 陳念慈 |date=1991-10-11 |title=明星談吃拍戲至今從不吃便當車軒談美食值得一試 |trans-title=Celebrities Talk Food: Never Touched a Bento Since Starting Acting — Che Hsuan on Cuisine: "Worth a Try" |language=zh |newspaper={{ill|Economic Daily News|zh|經濟日報 (臺灣)}} |page=38 }} The authors Josh Ku, Trigg Brown, and Cathy Erway praised the restaurant as being "high on our fast-food restaurant favorites", calling its fare "done well" and "delicious". David Chen of the Taipei Times in 2011 said that Formosa Chang's food was "consistent" and a healthier option compared to a meal of a Big Mac and French fries. He said that although the chain is missing a street stand's "down-home feel", it is a dependable and trustworthy choice for diners pressed for time.

References

Works cited

{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Rui-xiang 汪睿祥 |last2=Yao |first2=Hui-chung 姚惠忠 |date=2018 |title=議題回應與危機訊號：鬍鬚張漲價媒體議題分析 |journal=管理學報 |trans-title=Issue Responses and Crisis Signals: Analyses of Media Issues on Formosa Chang Chain Restaurant Raising Prices |language=zh |script-journal=zh:管理學報 |trans-journal=Journal of Management and Business Research |issn=2521-4306 |volume=35 |number=2 |pages=137–157 |doi=10.6504/JMBR.201806_35(2).0001 |id={{EBSCOhost|130508759}} }}