Taiwan’s success at the Tokyo Olympics is fuel for lots of retail and hospitality promotions. One restaurant is offering free meals for customers who have Olympic-related characters in their names. If your Chinese name has the character for gold, silver or bronze, you’re in for a treat. At another coffee shop, there’s a very different bargain on offer. If Team Taiwan can garner any more medals, the shop will give away hundreds of their coffees for free.

Pork is tipped into a wok and stir-fried with tomato and Chinese basil to create a fragrant Thai pad krapow. Meanwhile, a refreshing green papaya salad is rustled up in a wooden mortar. Both these dishes could be yours for free.

Yang Szu-min
FTV reporter
Taiwan’s athletes have got great results at the Tokyo Olympics. This restaurant is offering a special offer. If your name includes the character for gold, silver or bronze, you can enjoy a “buy one get one free” offer. If you have two or more golds in your name, take an order on the house.

Any name with gold, silver or bronze in it – or even a character containing the gold radical – wins you “buy one get one free” green papaya salad and a hand-shaken drink.

This gentleman has a character meaning “prosperous” in his name. It’s made of three gold radicals, piled up in a pyramid. Those three golds qualify him for a free dish from the restaurant, and a free drink.

Member of public
Definitely, lots of my friends have a gold radical in their name. I’d like to get everyone together and come and enjoy the offer.

Lin Chih-ping
Restaurant owner
Everyone is happy when we get a gold in Tokyo. So we thought, if everyone’s happy, let’s offer a giveaway. If a customer brings in any form of identification, be it an NHI card, ID card, or any named identification, they can claim the discount.

Taiwan’s Tokyo medal haul is already an all-time record. This coffee shop is celebrating too. If Team Taiwan wins just one more gold medal, the shop will offer the public 500 free black coffees. A silver will unleash 300 more, and a bronze 200. More medals equals more caffeine.

Member of public
It’s a way to boost sales. Lots of drinks shops, restaurants, lotto shops and the like, have all got some promotions on because of the gold medals.

The last year of COVID life has been tough on the food and drink industry. Now that we’re in Level 2, it’s time to make the most of it. And if customers need some encouragement, riding the coattails of Taiwan’s sporting success is a popular strategy.