Down-Home Hospitality-- Tungshan Rest Stop

As far as business goes, many entre-preneurs agree that in bidding for rest stops, the central region is the first consideration, followed by the north, with people heading into the city. But while the Tungshan stop near Hsinhua in Tainan, said to be the largest freeway rest stop in Asia, has National Highway 3's second lowest level of traffic, it has proven to be a true dark horse in terms of business, placing second in terms of turnover.

How did they manage to perform so well? Because the Tungshan stop is under the operation of Uni-President Group, the group was able to pool into a small area all of their subsidiary companies, including Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Semeur de Pain bakery, and 21st Century Quick Service Restaurants; anything you want, you can find it there. On the second floor is a restaurant set up by Chi Mei Frozen Food, part of Tainan's other major business group. Upholding the reputation of Tainan for top-shelf hospitality, these two local companies have dedicated themselves to ensuring their guests are entertained, in order to help generate return business.

Uni-President's 7-Eleven group manager Shen You-min notes that in order to break the locally held stereotype of rest stops all being disreputable and shady, everything sold at Tungshan is priced in line with normal prices. The stop's large customer turnover has helped the 7-Eleven there become one of the best earners for the chain in Taiwan, pulling in as much in one day as three ordinary stores, satisfying customers and operators alike.

Unlike traditional rest stops, which are usually bustling with foot and automotive traffic alike, Tungshan is more of a leisure center. With light, melodious music playing, large windowpanes, and the scent of coffee all around, the stop's Starbucks is virtually impossible to resist.

Although it too sits in near a mountain area, what differentiates Tungshan from other rest stops is the cosmopolitan vibe that permeates the place. When people first visit Tungshan, on first sight of the big shop-front windows they could be forgiven for thinking it's a mall. Stepping inside, the food court is designed a lot like those found in malls, and there are even areas set aside for other things like clothing and footwear.

Naturally, those women who love shopping won't want to miss the opportunity the rest stops present, and thanks to Tungshan's setting, with places like Kuantsuling and Tsoumalai Farm nearby, lightweight recreational footwear has become a surprise seller.

Additionally, the biggest attraction to Tungshan Rest Stop is a towering 25-meter-high, 40-meter-round, century-old banyan tree. When ground was first broken on the rest stop, there were plans to relocate the tree, but considering the threat this would have posed to the tree's survival, and the local support for the tree, which is regarded as a local guardian spirit, it remained, becoming the symbol of Tungshan Rest Stop.

Unlike the traditional rest stop, bustling with foot and automotive traffic alike, Tungshan is more of a multifunctional leisure area. With its huge windows, the stop's Starbucks is virtually impossible to resist.

It may be situated near a mountain area, but Tainan's Tungshan Rest Stop has a distinctly urban style. At first glance at the shop windows, you could be forgiven for thinking the place was actually a mall.