When it comes to web traffic, keywords are everything. Lately, two of the most talked-about spots in Taiwan are undoubtedly Ah-Tang’s Congee and Liao Laoda’s tea chain—so our store manager decided to jump on the trending bandwagon too.
Recently, Ah Tang Congee raised its price to NT$260 per bowl, drawing quite a bit of backlash. What do you all think? The store manager believes that as long as the quality is good, pricing is transparent, and consumers accept it, then it’s a fair price. Isn’t that how a free market works? Just like Dayuling tea and HuaGung tea—even at over NT$10,000 per 600 g, demand still outpaces supply. That price of over NT$10,000 is simply the fair market value!
The manager suggests that the owner of Ah Tang should proudly state, “Our congee is amazing, and NT$260 is definitely worth every penny!” The news reports that business is just as good after the price hike, with a half-hour wait for a table. This shows that his congee really is worth NT$260, and the manager wants to try it out next time, too.
Compared to Ah Tang Congee, Crazy Liao’s tea chain is clearly not doing so well, with plenty of harsh negative reviews and viral memes online. Out of curiosity, the manager went to buy a cup a few days ago. The manager’s impression is that it’s “pretty average.” The tea quality certainly can’t compare to the manager’s own tea (which is the best in the world!), but it’s decent enough compared to other hand-shaken beverage shops. Plus, the storefront is clean and the staff are polite—the internet memes are a bit over the top.
By the way, the manager suggests that Crazy Liao could use a new logo; the current one is really not attractive.
Note: The photo features the tea plantations at Dalunshan in Lugu (Ginkgo Forest).
