Less than six months after opening its first Perth store at Cloisters Arcade, Vietnamese street food franchise Rolld has opened another, with a third store planned to open next week that will usher in a new flagship concept for the national chain.
Rolld started just three years ago in the Melbourne CBD, but has since grown to have a network of 34 stores across Australia.
It’s been a remarkable story in an increasingly diverse fast-service restaurant scene, which has not only featured recent new entrants in Perth in Rolld, Zambrero, Oporto, Mad Mex and Guzman y Gomez, among others, but also rising competition from food trucks and hawker-style markets popping up around the city.
But Rolld shows no signs of slowing its momentum, with eight stores opened across the country since the first Western Australian outlet in May, and also plans in place to expand to the Philippines.
The next store to open will be at the base of the one40william office tower, which Rolld Founder Bao Hoang said would also be a new concept aimed at drawing a dinner crowd as well as serving lunchtime fare.
“Rolld in food courts is our classic model, which is quick grab and go, made-to-order … but ideally it’s not getting people to sit down and dwell because it’s a food court setting,” Mr Hoang said.
“But Vietnamese food and Rolld in particular can also be expanded into a dining concept, so we’re calling it Rolld Vietnamese Kitchens.
“It’s taking our menu from our classic stores and expanding it, adding on maybe 10 extra dishes that are more conducive to a dining experience.”
He said the 140 store, opening on December 15, would be three times as large as its other WA shops at 200 square metres, allowing for around 140 seats.
“We expect to give our customers there a great experience in terms of food and atmosphere,” Mr Hoang said.
“Because the precinct has done really well, so doing something upscale is critical.
“We’ve spent a lot of money on the fit-out and I think it’s going to be exciting.”
Mr Hoang said there were another three Rolld stores in the works for the New Year in Perth; one on Mount Lawley’s Beaufort Street that would mirror the kitchen concept, and two other food court destinations in suburban shopping centres.
“WA is going to be a big part of our growth,” Mr Hoang told Business News.
“We feel like the demographic, the customer base and the health consciousness of the people here is clear and I think there is a massive opportunity for someone to bring in a really healthy, fast, casual concept.”
