For Lawry's, Finding the Right Partner is Key to Expanding in Asia (September 7, 2006)

It is a culinary institution in major cities across the U.S. Chances are that if you enjoy fine food and unique dining experiences, you have been served table-side from the famous silver cart at Lawry's The Prime Rib. You may not know, however, these facts about the company: it is owned and operated by the third generation of the two families that opened the first Lawry's in 1938; the name "Lawry's," a "classier" take on Larry's, was originally pronounced LAW-ry's; and almost 70 years after the flagship restaurant opened in Beverly Hills, there are Lawry's restaurants across Asia, with the latest grand opening taking place in Hong Kong this September.

At a September 7 Breakfast Briefing at the Jonathan Club, father and son business duo Richard N. Frank and Richard R Frank, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lawry's Restaurants, Inc., discussed the development of Lawry's from a family- and community-oriented restaurant to a business network anchored by the same core values. The success of Lawry's restaurants in locations across Asia is reinforced, according to the Franks, by the key component of seeking the right overseas partners in an overall growth strategy.

The original Lawry's in Beverly Hills was designed by founders Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp as an English gentleman's club where the splendor of the meal was showcased in the elaborate table-side preparation of meals from an elegant silver cart. Since the 1960s, the Lawry's concept has been realized in restaurants in Chicago, Dallas and Las Vegas. Investors from Asia began approaching the Franks about extending a franchise in the 1980s, but logistical difficulties delayed the entrance of Lawry's into the Asian market.

The most challenging aspect of opening a franchise in Asia involved finding spaces large enough to accommodate restaurants with layouts similar to the U.S. locations. The Franks believed that the key to Lawry's success laid in volume, and finding the right spaces were therefore integral. The first Lawry's The Prime Rib in Asia opened in Jakarta in 1996 and subsequent openings followed: Singapore in 1999, Tokyo in 2001 and Taipei in 2002.

Although the Jakarta restaurant has since closed, the Lawry's restaurants in Singapore, Tokyo and Taipei have been successful. The most important element of expanding in Asia, for the Franks, was finding the right partner. For their Hong Kong operations, the Franks have partnered with Maxim's Group, a hospitality conglomerate operating restaurants and catering services and the Hong Kong licensee of the Starbucks franchise. Richard R. Frank describes the partnership with Maxim's as one of mutual good feeling and trust, as Maxim's is similarly a family-owned and operated business.

Instilling a spirit of family and community was a priority of the Franks in bringing Lawry's restaurants overseas. From choosing partners with similar outlooks, the Franks ensured that every detail of the restaurants, from ambience to staff training, reflected the Lawry's culture and aesthetic. The Hong Kong location in Causeway Bay has an Art Deco look and feel similar to the Las Vegas restaurant, and the Hong Kong staff were sent to the flagship restaurant in Beverly Hills to undertake an eight-week training course with Lawry's staff, some of whom have been with the business for over two decades.

With the success of Lawry's The Prime Rib in Asia, the Franks are currently scouting potential locations in Shanghai and Beijing, as well as cities in Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea. They believe that there are opportunities in Asia, and view it as an integral part of Lawry's growth strategy, one that begins and ends with partnership, family and community.