A good neighbor
The Good Neighbor Foundation, founded by President Enterprises with 0.5% of its annual after-tax net profits, came up with a program three years ago aimed at restoring traditional shops. To sign up, shops have to have specialized in traditional light repasts or local products for at least 30 years, must be willing to undergo a makeover, and must agree to shoulder a portion of the expenses. For its part, Good Neighbor would provide NT$200,000 for refurbishing as well as professional consultation in marketing and visual image design. This year, it increased that subsidy to NT$400,000.
In 2003, Good Neighbor mobilized advertising, architecture, and culinary experts to diagnose old shops and launch the first wave of its revamping program. The most famous of the five refurbished in the first wave was Derming Bakery, located in Chiayi County by Mt. Ali's Fenchi Lake.
Selling traditional bridal cakes and tsao-a-guei, Derming Bakery was the first cake shop to be opened near Fenchi Lake. Located at high elevation, the 60-year-old shop has been passed down three generations. Its specialty, tsao-a-guei, is made by mixing cooked sun-dried cudweed (Gnaphalium affine) with glutinous rice paste. The individual cakes are stuffed with preserved daikon, shiitake mushrooms, pork shank, and shrimp.
Although Derming Bakery is located in the tourist district, business depended a great deal on Mother Nature's mood. On weekends and holidays, it did well, but trade plummeted when natural disasters cut off the highway or the railway, keeping tourists away. It was either feast or famine. What's more, the relentless march of time left its mark on the storefront--the windows and awning had seen better days. The shop's manufacturing equipment and products were crammed together in an area only 35 square meters in size.
Good Neighbor's architecture team drew up plans for a new production line and sales area within the store, while removing the equipment, freezer, and ingredients to the basement. It also installed a freight elevator. Two of Fenchi Lake's major local industries--timber and railway, were incorporated into the shop's new exterior, with large quantities of logs and old railway ties used to refurbish the shop. The ceiling was dismantled to reveal the 100-year-old wooden roof.
The front sign, product signboard, packaging boxes, bags, product fliers, as well as employee aprons and hats were also redesigned to bring the shop's sales methods and product image in line with its fine products. The shop owner put up NT$1 million of the total NT$1.2 million required to overhaul the store.
President Enterprise subsidiary 7-Eleven just happened to be promoting Fenchi Lake Royal lunch boxes at the time and the exposure provided by the massive advertising campaign helped make Derming Bakery itself one of Mt. Ali's tourist attractions. Its business trebled and its popularity helped drive up sales in the nearby business district.
The Good Neighbor Foundation has successfully revamped eight shops, each of which is over 30 years old, thereby helping to ensure that local products continue to be passed down from generation to generation.