AWC to open rooftop Nobu restaurant
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AWC to open rooftop Nobu restaurant

Venture targets wealthy customers

In partnership with Nobu Hospitality, AWC plans to open Nobu Bangkok at the top of the Empire Tower in September.
In partnership with Nobu Hospitality, AWC plans to open Nobu Bangkok at the top of the Empire Tower in September.

SET-listed Asset World Corp (AWC) is banking on high-spending customers to support its restaurant businesses in Thailand after it invested more than 600 million baht to open the rooftop Nobu Bangkok.

Wallapa Traisorat, chief executive and president of AWC, said businesses under its portfolio, especially hotels, have greatly benefited from wealthy tourists who visited Thailand in the first half of this year.

In partnership with Nobu Hospitality, AWC plans to open Nobu Bangkok restaurant at the top of Empire Tower in September, dubbing it a lifestyle mixed-use destination.

Mrs Wallapa said traffic at Empire Tower could tally 20,000 daily visitors, with a large number of executives looking for places to gather with business partners and friends.

She said AWC would attract customers via the 600 million people enrolled in the loyalty programmes of hotel chains with which AWC is partnering.

The company's hotel room rates have nearly doubled from 2019 levels, while occupancy rates also strengthened, said Mrs Wallapa.

The revenue of food and beverage businesses in Bangkok also surged 30% post-pandemic, which reflects a trend in the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions sector, as people are willing to spend time with each other, she said.

Nobu Hospitality was founded by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, renowned Hollywood actor Robert De Niro and producer Meir Teper in 1994.

The chain has 54 restaurants and 41 hotels around the world.

Mr Matsuhisa said Nobu operates restaurants in major Asian destinations, such as Tokyo, Singapore, Manila and Kuala Lumpur.

He said it was a good time to put down roots in Bangkok with AWC because of the city's high potential.

AWC is also developing two Nobu hotels: the Plaza Athenee Nobu Hotel and Spa Bangkok in the East Asiatic Company Heritage Building by the Chao Phraya River, and the Plaza Athenee Nobu Hotel and Spa New York. Both are still in the design phase.

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