Iberry dusts off overseas growth

Iberry dusts off overseas growth

Iberry Group, the operator of ThongSmith and Kub Kao Kub Pla Thai restaurant, plans to expand its food business overseas this year.

Atchara Burarak, the company's founder, said the food industry has returned to normal and sales at its restaurants at tourist destinations such as CentralWorld, Siam Paragon and Terminal 21 increased from pre-pandemic levels since the third quarter of last year.

Encouraged by the response, the company vows to aggressively expand its food business this year.

It is scheduled to launch Chin Bo Dang hot pot brand in late April on the sixth floor of EmQuartier, the group's first new brand this year.

The company plans to open 20 restaurants this year, both new brands and existing ones. These include Fran's, a new restaurant model launched last year on Sathon Road.

The company will open 3-4 branches of Fran's this year in Sukhumvit 49, Soi Aree, Phahon Yothin and possibly Chiang Mai.

It also plans to open a Vietnamese eatery called An Com An Ca this year after the Chidlom branch received a warm response.

The company opened Fa Pla Tahn restaurant at Central Chidlom late last year. Branches of Fa Pla Tahn, which specialises in fish noodles and rice soup, will also open at retail malls in the foreseeable future.

"All new restaurant models we opened at the end of last year have had positive feedback and we plan to fully resume our expansion with new 20 restaurant models to open this year," she said.

In addition to the domestic market, the company will dust off its expansion plan this year by exploring opportunities abroad.

Before the Covid-19 outbreak, the company was contacted by investors in many markets including Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and Cambodia about opening restaurants.

"Now that we've opened several ThongSmith, Kub Kao Kub Pla and Rosniyom restaurants in major tourist destinations, these food brands are quite popular among foreign tourists, therefore, these three brands will become our top priority to expand the international market," she said.

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