Green Food Factory Co, the operator of Salad Factory, will allocate 200-250 million baht to expand its business during 2022-2026 in a move to build long-term growth.
Piya Dankum, the company's chief executive, said the healthy food trend has grown for several years, particularly in 2022 when sales of several health food chains grew by 50% as people paid more attention to taking care of themselves following the Covid-19 pandemic.
He cited the number of healthy food restaurants, which has increased from 4-5 chains over the past decade to around 20 chains at present.
Thailand's health food market is currently valued at 4-5 billion baht, and five leading brands -- Sizzler, getfresh, Ohkajhu, Farmfactory and Jones Salad -- dominate the segment.
To capitalise on the growing demand for healthy food, Mr Piya said his company plans to open 8-9 new Salad Factory restaurants annually from 2022 to 2026, employing various models to reach a broader customer base. Each restaurant will require an investment of 40-50 million baht.
"Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the dining restaurant business and Salad Factory have successfully recovered, particularly in the second half of 2022," Mr Piya said.
During the first half of this year, the company opened four new restaurants in Bangkok and its suburbs, with plans for an additional five restaurants in the latter half of 2023, focusing on upcountry locations such as Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Sawan and Pattaya, Chon Buri.
"Partly to explore blue ocean markets, we are now building a new S-curve business by introducing new products and enhancing the dining experience for customers by collaborating with strategic partners," Mr Piya said.
The company recently partnered with Thammachart Seafood Retail Co, an importer of seafood products, for the launch of the "Taste of New Zealand" campaign, showcasing a premium selection of food products imported directly from New Zealand.
This campaign features the introduction of premium-grade kingklip fish and hoki fish, carefully sourced from New Zealand, and exclusively featured in a specially crafted menu by Salad Factory. The campaign is set to run from now until Oct 1, 2023.
According to Mr Piya, the campaign is expected to attract a significant increase in patrons, bolstering Salad Factory's sales by 10-15%.
Green Food Factory expects its sales to reach 600 million baht this year and increase to between 1.2-1.5 billion baht in the next five years.
Sunsanee G. Davies, chief marketing officer of Thammachart Seafood Retail, said the collaboration with Salad Factory is expected to help raise customer satisfaction.
Thammachart Seafood products are currently available at over 200 leading retail stores across the country, while it also supplies its products to 20 of its own restaurants, including 80'below, The Dock Seafood Bar, The Lobster Lab, and Ocean Bar by Thammachart Seafood.