Innovation-Driven Culinary Excellence: Chowking Honored as Golden Grab Awards’ 2024 Merchant of the Year

Chowking’s decision to further embrace technology and maximize its partnership with the leading on-demand delivery  platform, enabled it to fortify its connection with consumers.

For its optimized customer service and top-tier food quality, highly efficient operations, and effective use of technology, Chinese fast food leader Chowking, has been named Merchant of the Year in the 2024 Golden Grab Awards. 

Grab Philippines highlights that the ‘Merchant of the Year’  demonstrates exemplary collaboration with the platform – leveraging their partnership to enhance the service and offerings of their brands across multiple facets of the business. This includes utilizing Grab’s comprehensive suite of technologies, data analytics, and efficient delivery operations.

“The award is really valuable to us,” shares Ariane Valinton, Chowking’s Channels and Multi Category Director. “It showcases how Chowking was able to evolve and at the same time meet the expectations of its consumers together withand partners like Grab.”

As it celebrates its 40^th anniversary in 2025, Valinton says Chowking continues to strive to marry tradition with innovation – maintaining its position among the leaders in the local culinary scene.

Their first test was during the pandemic, when the fast food chain had to fully embrace technology to remain operational. They made three main changes during the period: They offered delivery service across all branches (it was previously only available in some), utilized QR codes to facilitate advance orders and pick-ups, and provided a cashless option through Grab Food. 

“We really faced the pandemic head on,” recalls Valinton. “We adapted to where the market was, and optimized our delivery service. We knew that if we did not change, we would be left behind”.  

Aside from further improving service, Valinton adds that Grab Food also helped them expand their reach and brand visibility. 

During the pandemic, the leading on-demand delivery platform has empowered numerous merchant-partners like Chowking with a fast and efficient operationalization of their food delivery channel – a critical pivot during the global health crisis. Beyond the aid in delivery operations, GrabFood also provides each merchant-partner with actionable data, enabling them to analyze trends and create scientific forecasts that enhance operational efficiency. 

Valinton emphasized this point, sharing that, “We at Chowking always value insights coming from our consumers. Just like Grab, we communicate regularly and ensure that we build strategic decisions to better service our market and our consumers coming from the data points and insights that we gather from them.”

Additionally, GrabFood significantly expands the reach and serviceable market of partners like Chowking, allowing them to satisfy the cravings of hundreds more customers.

Established in 1985 by food entrepreneur Robert Kuan, Chowking successfully merged the rich flavors of Chinese and Filipino cuisine in its first branch at Rotary Arcade, Makati. In 2000, Jollibee Foods Corporation acquired the Chinese food outlet for Php 600 million. 

Today, Chowking operates in 600 locations across the Philippines, USA, and UAE, showcasing fusion beyond just its food. The brand seamlessly integrates its heritage from its original owner with the corporate culture of Jollibee Foods Corporation, harnessing the strengths of both worlds.  

As it now pushes 40,  Chowking proudly embraces innovations and new technology  while remaining true to its heritage, identity, and values.   “We are a brand that has always been rooted and centered towards the consumers. They’re the center of everything that we do,” asserts Valinton.

The Golden Grab Awards by Grab Philippines, started in 2021, to recognize its exceptional merchant-partners in various categories in marketing and operations, honoring attributes such as on-time delivery, high customer ratings, round-the-clock availability for the customer, best marketing campaign, among others. The Merchant of the Year award is the ultimate mark of excellence – a clear attestation to the power of innovation-driven excellence and solid collaboration.

The Business Manual is a media partner of the Golden Grab Awards