Rong Chyuan Marble Soda Generations of Memories／榮泉彈珠汽水 世代傳承的人情味
Rong Chyuan Marble Soda Generations of Memories
◎English translation: Wendy Wei-chang
Established in the 1950s, Rong Chyuan Marble Soda specializes in a variety of sodas with each bottle having containing a marble inside. When the business first began it was a great success since food sources were scarce, and there were very few other beverages on the market. At that time, Rong Chyuan's marble sodas were very popular and considered a luxury. By 1967, hundreds of boxes of marble soda were sold every day, and sales were at a peak. However in 1993, due to increasing competition in the industry, Rong Chyuan's sales dropped drastically to as few as two boxes a day.
The next generation of owners, Mr. Syue Rong-hui and his wife Ms. Chen Man-chin, decided to revive the 60 year-old soda company, so the traditional beverage could be enjoyed by generations to come. Chen Man-chin works as a General Manager in the company. She recalls when she was a child and how she and her brother not only enjoyed drinking the soda, but also taking the marble out from inside the bottle and playing games with it. It was this nostalgia that gave Mr. and Mrs. Syue the inspiration to revive the business.
The company then underwent many changes to develop the new start it needed. One of the first changes was printing the label to include Rong Chyuan's trademark and telephone number on the bottles. This was found to not only attract more customers, but also made it easier for them to call and place orders. When the business began to grow again, the company then restructured its manufacturing facilities. Rong Chyuan replaced its old semi-automatic production line with a new 10 million dollar, Japanese, automated version. The new technology was designed to meet modern quality and hygiene standards. The glass bottles were also replaced with plastic ones, which also improved distribution efficiency. Lastly, they designed and patented a built in bottle opener and holder. Packaging was also an issue however another automated machine was installed at the end of the production line and bundles 6 sodas were packaged together.
The old-fashioned flavor of Rong Chyuan's marble soda is well known in the region; however, they felt they needed to develop a healthier product. Although they reduced the amount of sugar, the flavor remains the same as it did 60 years ago. Even grandmothers and grandfathers enjoy drinking Rong Chyuan's marble soda and have a strong connection with the company.
Chen Man-chin gets her greatest sense of achievement when she sees happy expressions on the faces of children and their grandparents alike, enjoying their soda together. Whenever a customer visits the company's store, they are always ready with cold soda. Students from nearby elementary schools often come to the store with friends. One teenager told Chen Man-chin that he enjoyed visiting their store every day when he was in elementary school. Some of the kids still come back and visit sometimes, even when they have gone to college. Once another Japanese marble soda company came to visit their production line and was impressed with both their flavor as well as their modern facilities.
Chen Man-chin is honored to carry on the traditions of Rong Chyuan's marble soda. Generations of enjoyment have been the cornerstone of their success. Today the company is selling almost a million bottles per year and is also being exported to Singapore, Malaysia and China.
| |
Rong Chyuan Marble Soda
TEL: 07-2858101
|
榮泉彈珠汽水 世代傳承的人情味
◎文／侯雅婷
榮泉彈珠汽水創立於1950年代，專營彈珠汽水，瓶身內有一顆彈珠為最大賣點，在物資匱乏的年代，市售飲料品項寥寥可數，生意風光一時，在彼時，能啜飲冒氣泡的彈珠汽水是奢侈的享受彈珠汽水銷售量在1967年時攀上最高峰，每日出貨幾百箱。1993年，飲料市場進入百家爭鳴，銷售量銳減至每日出貨2箱，第二代接班人薛榮輝和太太陳滿卿決定奮起，要讓逾一甲子的汽水味道和故事，繼續讓人津津樂道。
總經理陳滿卿談起，她不只喜歡喝彈珠汽水，喝完汽水，還會和弟弟將汽水瓶裏的彈珠取出，繼續玩彈珠遊戲，所以彈珠汽水是她童年回憶很重要的一部份，因此夫妻把重振彈珠汽水事業當成使命一般，為了使小小一瓶彈珠汽水重新出發，榮泉推動許多改革。
首先是在玻璃瓶上膜，打上商標和電話，吸引顧客打電話訂購，生意上門也鼓勵他們加快改革腳步，一改半自動製作彈珠汽水設備，斥資千萬引進日本全自動機器，要讓彈珠汽水不只是味道好，也跟得上新時代產製飲料的品質和衛生，從原本的玻璃瓶改成塑膠瓶，如此一來也更便於運送，連打開彈珠的開瓶器和飲料手把都申請專利。生產末端的包裝也沒有被忽略，開發出自動組裝6罐彈珠汽水的機器，曾有日本彈珠汽水同行前來參觀，除了稱讚榮泉彈珠汽水的好味道，對於廠房設備更表示麻雀雖小，五臟俱全。
陳滿卿談起，榮泉彈珠汽水雋永的古早味汽水，深植人心，為了更符合現代健康概念，大幅減糖，但還是60年前那個老味道，已是阿公阿嬤的長輩們，對彈珠汽水都有很深的感情，每當看到老人家和小朋友喝到汽水開心的表情，是她最大的成就感。只要有顧客上門，他們就會遞上冰涼的汽水，因此附近的國小學童經常結伴會到店裏喝汽水，陳滿卿談起，曾有個大孩子跟她說，自己小學天天來，這些孩子唸到大學偶爾也還會回來看看榮泉。
陳滿卿表示，能傳承彈珠汽水是最大的欣慰，這門汽水事業始終以人情味做為後盾，現在榮泉每年銷售近百萬瓶彈珠汽水，在新加坡、馬來西亞和中國也喝得到台灣的古早味。