Fruitas seen outpacing PH economic growth
Fruitas Holdings Inc. is targeting at least 20 percent growth in sales this year. The homegrown food and beverage chain is banking on strong demand and new product offerings even as global risks cloud the outlook.
The target, if achieved, would allow Fruitas to outpace the broader Philippine economy.
The latter is expected to grow slower than 5 percent this year, even as global headwinds weigh on consumer sentiment.
Fruitas is depending on store expansion, new offerings and sustained consumer demand to meet its 20-percent sales growth target.
CEO Lester Yu said that the company remained confident of hitting its growth goal, pointing to a solid start to the year.
“If there’s no crisis, the 20 percent growth in sales is guaranteed. Because our first quarter this year is organically strong and we haven’t even done anything special yet,” Yu said.
Fruitas has earmarked P120 million in capital expenditure (capex) for 2026. It allocated P90 million for expansion, P20 million for commissary upgrades and P10 million for logistics support.
Yu said that capex reached P270 million in 2025, but P155 million went to one-off projects such as land purchases, new commissaries and a new head office. This left recurring capex at about P115 million.
The company plans to open 80 to 100 new outlets—comprising kiosks, community stores and restaurants. Rollouts are expected to be spread more or less evenly throughout the year.
Yu said the company will roll out new offerings under De Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and noodle house Ling Nam. It will also build new revenue streams from exports, food service and institutional accounts.
Despite this optimism, he acknowledged that external pressures—particularly elevated oil prices tied to geopolitical tensions—continue to weigh on operations.
Fruitas operates its own network of stores and logistics fleet. It is exposed to rising fuel costs that could push up operating expenses.
“It affects us; our operational expenses are really affected,” Yu said. While sales have so far held steady, the firm continues to monitor the impact of global developments.
