The Dad Mom Children [D.M.C.] restaurant chain has opened a fast-food outlet at Moto’otua with hospital staff among its first customers.

The restaurant chain’s Chinese owner, Tu’itu’iga Teeking Weng, told the Samoa Observer that they’ve had a large number of satisfied customers since they opened their doors two weeks ago.

He said the name D.M.C. is the abbreviation for Dad, Mom and Children and was inspired by the Samoan culture of love and hospitality within families. 

“Samoa is my home now and making several businesses around the country is nothing else but to help our families make money and enjoy fast food that can be healthy too,” he said.

The goal of the restaurant chain is to set up outlets across the country that would provide healthy fast food as well as employment opportunities for locals, according to Tu’itu’iga.

A D.M.C. staff at Moto’otua, who did not want to be identified, said their main customers in the first week of their opening were doctors and nurses from the nearby Tupua Tamasese Meaole National Hospital.

“They walk in almost every time with their working gowns and stethoscopes and we could tell they were doctors, and we could also tell that they were excited when they had meals here,” she said in an interview.

The new D.M.C. outlet at Moto’otua takes up only a small portion of a two-storey building which is still under construction.

Tu’itu’iga also said the restaurant will not occupy the whole building, when he was asked if that was the plan, who then added that business is not too bad since the lockdown started.

“I heard more doctors and nurses come and have lunch here and for us we try and want to have more branches like this one in Samoa,” he added.

“Tuna is good for the health of the Samoan people so we try our best to provide the food which best provides for the health of the Samoan people.”

The opening of the Moto’otua D.M.C. brings to five the total number of outlets in the country with two more still under construction at Faleula and Puipa’a. 

The company intends to set up 10-12 fast food outlets in Samoa and is yet to expand to the big island of Savai’i. Its current menu is American chicken, New Zealand chicken wings and chips and local tuna.

Tu’itu’iga moved to Samoa from China in 2009 and went on to establish the restaurant chain.