SET-listed telecom operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) and Food Passion have launched Bar-B-Q Plaza virtual restaurant on the carrier's virtual shopping mall V-Avenue to create a new customer experience.
AIS introduced the v-avenue.co website in April to promote a new shopping experience amid the ongoing pandemic.
Pratthana Leelapanang, chief consumer business officer at AIS, said connecting department stores and online platforms created "a brand new retail phenomenon".
He said AIS worked in tandem with Food Passion to open the world's first virtual restaurant -- Bar-B-Q Plaza on V-Avenue -- to enable online food orders.
Some other Food Passion restaurant brands such as PoCha, Charna and Red Sun also operate on a digital format on the platform. There are lots of special dishes, privileges and discounts up for grabs, said Mr Pratthana.
"The company is expanding services from retail to our first partnership with a restaurant business -- Food Passion," he said.
"They bring leading brands such as Bar-B-Q Plaza to the table for us to jointly develop a virtual restaurant."
At the virtual restaurant, customers can order food for delivery using promotional discounts.
Mr Pratthana said V-Avenue's goal is to deploy the best technology to develop connections and expand capabilities to various sectors, enabling digital opportunities for a diverse set of use cases.
Boonyanuch Bunbamrungsap, chief marketing officer at Food Passion, said the collaboration gives Thai diners the opportunity to experience a new dimension of restaurant service, while giving the restaurant business a new channel to access customers through 5G technology.
Bar-B-Q Plaza is Food Passion's flagship brand offering Mongolian/Japanese-style self-barbecue service.
There are 144 outlets at malls in Bangkok and the provinces.
The virtual restaurant should help the company reach out to more customer groups, Ms Boonyanuch said.
The virtual shop's front has been designed with the distinctive logo of Bar-B-Q Plaza with Bar B Gon, its green dragon mascot.
Inside the virtual building is a zone of restaurant brands from the group, including Charna and PoCha, she said.
One exclusive deal is a 100-baht discount when making a food order valued at 750 baht or more via the platform, said Ms Boonyanuch.