TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Once known for its humble breakfast fare, My Warm Day has reinvented itself through a digital overhaul, culminating in an AI-powered leap across more than 1,000 locations.
Young Qin International CEO Lin Li-ling (林麗玲), who led the transformation, recalled inheriting a brand with no standard operating procedures and scattered operations, per CNA. “We were late to the game,” she said, “but more committed than others.”
In its early years, the chain attracted franchisees with a bold newspaper ad campaign: “Open a store for NT$199,000 (US$6,600).” The strategy turned heads and helped My Warm Day turn a profit by its fourth year, expanding beyond its modest 70-store footprint.
However, expansion came with complications. Some franchisees began sourcing ingredients on their own, undermining central control. To prevent compromising on quality, Lin’s team developed exclusive menu items and tightened the supply chain.
My Warm Day’s digital journey began with nothing more than a cash register and Excel spreadsheets. Lin tracked beverage and meal sales manually, using the data to refine its brunch menu through trial and error.
In 2014, then-Young Qin International CEO Cho Ching-lun (卓靖倫) introduced a cafe-style model that boosted customer satisfaction and franchisee income. The following year, the brand broke off from parent company Super Qin to focus fully on food and beverage operations and rolled out an integrated point of sale system.
That laid the foundation for My Warm Day’s IPO in 2020 as Taiwan’s first public brunch chain. The company then joined a government data initiative, investing NT$150 million in cloud systems, data platforms, and smart retail infrastructure.
Last year, the company launched a trio of AI-integrated tools: a customer app, a franchisee management app, and a headquarters dashboard. Together, they optimized ordering, inventory, and performance tracking across the board.
The new system also includes smart pickup lockers for 24/7 service, while the store manager app uses AI to preemptively prepare popular items before peak hours, which cuts wait times by up to eight minutes.
Alongside tech upgrades, the brand has refreshed its visual identity and emphasized sustainability, offering low-carbon menu options to meet ESG goals. “Transformation takes time,” Lin said, “but with a clear vision and team unity, anything is possible.”
