McDonald's Taiwan maintains more than 200 24-hour restaurants, while Mos Burger has only 8 restaurants left

There is a labor shortage and it is difficult to recruit employees for the night shift. Is a 24-hour operation absolutely necessary? McDonald's Taiwan is taking advantage of the drive-thru store format, and currently has more than 200 restaurants operating 24 hours a day. (Photo by reporter Yang Yamin)

[Reporter Yang Yamin/Special Report] There is a labor shortage and it is difficult to recruit employees for night shifts. Is a 24-hour operation absolutely necessary? Taiwan's McDonald's relies on the drive-thru store model, and currently maintains more than 200 restaurants operating 24 hours a day. Due to changes in business districts, Mos Burger's operating efficiency during the night shift has not met expectations. Currently, only 8 stores in Taiwan operate 24 hours a day.

McDonald's Taiwan once faced competition for fresh food from supermarkets. In 2008, it adjusted its operating strategy and emphasized that the "24/7" era has arrived, that is, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. McDonald's must meet the dining needs of all consumers anytime and anywhere. It is no longer only open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. During peak periods, there were as many as 240 stores open 24 hours a day.

Please read on...

In terms of the "Anytime" strategy, 200 restaurants provide 24-hour non-stop service, serving breakfast from 4 a.m., and extending from breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and midnight snacks to 24-hour non-stop operation.

The "Anywhere" strategy extends from restaurant counters to "drive-thru" services, and then to "24-hour happy delivery" meal delivery services. There are nearly 440 stores in Taiwan and more than 160 restaurants have set up drive-thru lanes. If you stay up late reading and feel hungry, just call the happy delivery line and McDonald's meals will be delivered to your home within half an hour.

More than ten years ago, Mos Burger actively built 24-hour stores to serve night owl people. With high night operating costs, severe manpower shortages, changes in business districts, etc., Mos Burger also reviewed the operating performance of its 24-hour stores. If the performance was not as good as expected, it canceled the 24-hour operation. Of the 296 stores in Taiwan, only 8 remained open 24 hours a day.

Japanese Ichiran Ramen debuted in mid-2017, and the first store was open 24 hours a day. In just 6 years, it faced pressure from labor shortages. On May 16, 2023, it was announced that the Taipei branch would remain open 24 hours a day from Friday to Sunday and during consecutive holidays due to limited store manpower.

However, the business hours from Monday to Thursday have been changed to 0 am to 5 am, 10:00 am to 11:59 pm, and closed from 5 am to 10 am. The business hours of Yilan Taichung Chaofu store will remain from 10 am to 1:30 am, and it has not been followed up to open 24 hours a day.

Grasp the economic pulse with one hand. Click here to subscribe to Free Finance Youtube Channel