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Category: Food

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Food and Food & Beverage news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Mexican investor Bought three quarters of Restaurant Brands

    Mexican investor Bought three quarters of Restaurant Brands

    Restaurant Brands has announced Mexican investor Finaccess Capital SA de CV now has a controlling stake in the company after acquiring three quarters of the company’s shares.

    The deal closed on March 26 following Finaccess’ offer through its subsidiary, Global Valar SL, for up to 75 per cent of Restaurant Brands New Zealand shares at NZ$9.45 cash per share.

    Finaccess informed Restaurant Brands, the New Zealand franchise operator of Pizza Hut, KFC and Carl’s Jr, on Tuesday that it has paid shareholders for shares taken up under the partial takeover.

    The Mexico-based company, which also has a stake in AmRest, which operates KFC and Pizza Hut among other brands across Europe and China, said in its offer letter last year that it chose not to make a full takeover bid because there were benefits to Restaurant Brands remaining on the NZX and ASX.

    “By remaining a public company, Restaurant Brands will have access to capital to fund future growth while also providing existing shareholders an opportunity to continue participating in the business over the long term,” Finaccess said at the time.

    Restaurant Brands today also announced the appointment of Jose Pares Gutierrez and Emilio Fullaondo Botella as directors, and resignation of Stephen Copulos, Vicky Taylor and David Beguely as directors.

    As required by the NZX Listing Rules, Gutierrez and Botella will each stand for re-election at Restaurant Brands’ next annual meeting of shareholders.

    Ted van Arkel and Hamish Stevens will each remain on the board as independent directors, and Van Arkel will continue as chairman, until Restaurant Brands’ next annual meeting of shareholders on July 10. Both have announced their intention to retire as directors at the conclusion of that meeting.

    Gutierrez, the CEO of Global Valar SL and its parent, Finaccess Capital, is also the chairman of the board and a proprietary director of AmRest Holdings SE, the director of the board of Crown Imports, Chicago, Il, vice chairman of the board of MMI, Toronto, Canada, director of the Board of DIFA, Mexico, and former member of the Beer Chamber of Mexico.

    Botella, a senior executive with over 23 years of experience in the beer industry, has previously worked in a number of finance roles for Grupo Modelo, including four years as chief financial officer.

    Following the acquisition of Grupo Modelo by AB InBev in 2013, Gutierrez oversaw significant cultural and organisational changes at AB InBev (Mexico) as vice president, human resources (to 2017) and vice president, Projects until his resignation in January 2019.

  • Vivent Les Vins Libre Festival 2019 – A Celebration of Natural Wines

    Vivent Les Vins Libre Festival 2019 – A Celebration of Natural Wines

    For the first time in Singapore, come drink and be merry as you learn from some of the best natural winemakers at the Vivent Les Vins Libre (VLVL) Festival 2019.

    Meaning “Live Free Wine”, the Les Vivent les Vins Libres is a collective of natural winemakers with a common goal — to share their passion for natural wines and winemaking philosophy.

    Since it started a little more than a decade ago, natural winemakers have gathered every June in Paris showcasing their wine and fuelling their passion. And as the natural wine movement grew, the group decided to bring this annual gathering out of France to share and spread their love for natural wines with the rest of the world, including Amsterdam, Bruxelles, New York, Montreal and Hong Kong over the years.

    And for the first time, the VLVL Festival is travelling to the sunny island of Singapore.

    Brought to you by Drunken Farmer, this three-day event will host 19 winemakers and is set to excite wine enthusiasts from Singapore and around the region.

    WHEN:
    13 – 15 April 2019

    13 – 14 April:
    Paired food and wine tastings at various restaurants around Singapore, including three of Spa Esprit Group’s very own dining establishments — Bochinche, Tippling Club and Ding Dong

    15 April:
    11am – 6pm: Wine tasting and masterclasses
    S$25 per pax.

    6pm – 11pm: Wine Down with the Farmers
    Expect a merry night with food, drinks and lots of good vibes with DJ Titus spinning tunes throughout the night. For more infomation, visit the Wine Down with the Farmers Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/events/689790524751121/)

    HIGHLIGHTS: 
    Three Masterclasses featuring all 19 wine makers. Each session covers a different topic focusing on natural wines and consists of a meet-and-greet session as well as a chance to interact with the different wine makers. A S$25 cover charge gets you a tasting glass to sample over 90 labels offered.

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  • Jollibee Singapore to open Restaurants in Woodlands and Punggol

    Jollibee Singapore to open Restaurants in Woodlands and Punggol

    Jollibee Singapore is to open new stores at Woodlands MRT station and Waterway Point in Punggol.

    The Philippine fast-food giant is recruiting full-time and part-time staff for the stores via its Facebook page. Listed jobs include service, kitchen crew as well as managerial roles.

    Having opened its first store at Lucky Plaza in 2013, Jollibee Singapore now has six outlets: two at Lucky Plaza, and one each in Paya Lebar, Changi, Novena and Jurong East.

    In a 2017 interview, Dennis Flores, Jollibee’s president and head of international business, said the company plans to open 15 stores in the island in the next five years.

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  • Fat Brands China to open six stores More

    Fat Brands China to open six stores More

    Fat Brands China has announced the development of six new co-branded Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express restaurants throughout Shanghai with Bloomfield.

    The new locations will build on Fat’s existing presence in China, where the company currently operates multiple successful locations in both Beijing and Shanghai.

    “When expanding internationally, it’s important to identify a partner we can trust with our iconic brand,” said CEO of Fat Brands Andy Wiederhorn. “Markets such as Shanghai, where demand and crowds are large, magnifies this need even more. We’re thrilled to open more restaurants with the Bloomfield team. They’ve done an excellent job maintaining the integrity of our brand while providing a deep understanding of the Chinese consumer.”

    Fat Brands currently owns seven restaurant brands that have more than 300 locations open and 200 under development around the world.

  • Dole Appoints Pier Luigi Sigismondi as GlobalPresident for Packaged Foods

    Dole Appoints Pier Luigi Sigismondi as GlobalPresident for Packaged Foods

    Dole Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation, today announced the appointment of Pier Luigi Sigismondi as President of its Worldwide Packaged Foods business.

    Sigismondi joins Dole with over 20 years of industry experience in consumer goods. Before joining the company, he was President of Unilever Southeast Asia and Australasia, where he led the business of this fast-growing region. Prior to that, Sigismondi held multiple global senior executive, operations and board roles with Unilever and Nestlé, in addition to NED positions in Europe and the USA.

    Based at its headquarters in Singapore, Sigismondi is responsible for the global operations of Dole Packaged Foods and for driving the company’s continued innovation, growth and transformation across all markets. “We are very pleased to welcome Pier Luigi to the Dole family,” said Takeshi Kumekawa, President and CEO of Dole Asia Holdings. “With his diverse experience in leading growth for consumer goods across an extensive range of markets, we are confident that Pier Luigi will successfully combine the best from Dole’s 168 year expertise, the strengths of ITOCHU and lead us towards a healthy and sustainable future.”

    “I am thrilled to join Dole, an iconic brand that has long been committed to bring a healthy lifestyle to people around the world for generations,” said Sigismondi. “I look forward to building further this purpose and fulfilling Dole’s true global long-term profitable growth potential.”

    An Italian citizen born in Venezuela, Sigismondi holds a Master’s Degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States.

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  • GTN Foods rejects Vinamilk acquisition bid

    GTN Foods rejects Vinamilk acquisition bid

    Vinamilk’s bid to acquire a 49 percent stake in GTN Foods, which owns 51 percent of Moc Chau Milk, has been rejected. The board of GTN Foods passed a resolution turning down the public offer made by Vinamilk, Vietnam’s largest dairy company. It would have increased Vinamilk’s stake in GTNFoods from 2.32 percent to 49 percent.

    The offer was for 116.7 million shares at VND13,000 (56 cents) per share for a total value of VND1.5 trillion ($64.5 million).

    At the meeting March 23, the board was evenly split with three directors each supporting and opposing the Vinamilk bid. But the chairman Ta Van Quyen had the casting vote and he voted against the offer.

    In a report filed to the State Securities Commission, the company explained that Vinamilk is a direct competitor of Moc Chau Milk, one of its main subsidiaries.

    The acquisition and resulting 49 percent stake would have made Vinamilk a principal shareholder. GTN indirectly owns 51 percent of Moc Chau Milk through its subsidiary the Vietnam Livestock Corporation (Vilico).

    Besides, Vinamilk had only registered its public offer but had not written to GTNFoods about the plan, direction or strategy to contribute to the development of the company, it said. “They have not given us sufficient grounds to agree to the public offer.”

    Moc Chau has the biggest dairy farm in the north, and in recent years has been a major revenue earner for GTN.

    Vinamilk has a 58 percent share of the dairy market and Moc Chau, around 2.7 percent, according to international consumer statistics firm Kantar Worldpanel.

    Vietnam’s dairy industry reported revenues of more than VND100 trillion ($4.4 billion) in 2017, with Vinamilk commanding more than a 50 percent market share.

    According to a report by the EU-Vietnam Business Network, the market is expected to double in size by 2020 as the country’s population, personal incomes and dairy consumption increase.

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  • Vietnam’s Q1 coffee exports down 15.3 percent on-year

    Vietnam’s Q1 coffee exports down 15.3 percent on-year

    Vietnam’s coffee exports in Q1 are expected to fall 15.3 percent from a year earlier to 477,000 tonnes, government data showed Friday.

    Coffee

    Coffee exports from Vietnam will likely fall an estimated 15.3 percent in the first quarter of this year from a year earlier to 477,000 tonnes, equal to 7.95 million 60-kg bags, the General Statistics Office said in a report on Friday.

    Coffee export revenue for Vietnam, the world’s biggest producer of the robusta bean, will likely decline 23.8 percent to $830 million in the three-month period, the report said.

    The country’s coffee shipments in March are estimated at 160,000 tonnes valued at $278 million, it said.

    Rice

    Rice exports in the first quarter from Vietnam were forecast to fall 11.5 percent from a year earlier to 1.31 million tonnes.

    Revenue from rice exports in the period was expected to drop 23.6 percent to $567 million.

    March rice exports from Vietnam, the world’s third-largest shipper of the grain, totalled 600,000 tonnes, worth $256 million.

    Energy

    Vietnam’s first-quarter crude oil exports were seen rising 7.7 percent from the same period last year to an estimated 1.07 million tonnes.

    Crude oil export revenue in January to March is expected to fall 3.5 percent to $507 million.

    Oil product imports in the first quarter were estimated at 2.0 million tonnes, falling 42.6 percent from the same period last year, while the value of product imports fell 47.6 percent to $1.17 billion.

    Vietnam’s January to March liquefied petroleum gas imports were seen falling 7.9 percent from a year earlier to 349,000 tonnes.

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  • Subway Launching online ordering platform

    Subway Launching online ordering platform

    Fast food chain Subway is planning to launch a mobile app and website to support online ordering by mid-2019. A Subway spokesperson told that the company is in the final stages of testing the platform before launching it in Australia.

    “Our app will allow our guests to order their favourite sub, salad or wrap from the convenience of their office or home, for collection at their local Subway restaurant,” the spokesperson said.

    “We are also looking at further opportunities to integrate our ‘Fresh’ sites with both social media and our app in the near future.”

    Subway recently unveiled a brand refresh to modernise its offerings and a new website that highlights key supplier stories and educates customers about the chain’s fresh ingredients. According to Subway, the “Real Fresh” website aims to give guests a look behind the scenes at some of the 80 local growers and suppliers who support the business from all over Australia.

    Ben Miles, senior manager for brand marketing at Subway, said the sandwich chain is a strong supporter of Aussie produce.

    “We’re committed to supporting farmers, growers and producers around the nation,” Miles said.

    “We wanted to shine a light on the incredible work they do, bringing the fresh factor to our restaurants multiple times a week.”

    Miles said many of the company’s customers are unaware that their fresh vegetables are sliced and prepared in-restaurant before serving, so this information is also shared on the site.

    “Subway was the pioneer of freshly prepared sandwiches,” he said. “We estimate we’re one of the largest national purchasers of fresh produce in Australia.”

    “Our guests understand that the provenance of our ingredients is important, and we’ve been making considerable changes to our menu to deliver the best possible quality ingredients for our subs, salads and wraps.”

    Subway supply partners include local Echuca tomato business, Kagome and Minto-based bakery, Suprima. It has also partnered with South-East Queensland farms.

    Subway’s Real Fresh website was recently awarded a Gold Ava Digital Award, an international competition recognising excellence in website design.

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  • Chili’s Singapore closing Down

    Chili’s Singapore closing Down

    American grill & bar Chili’s Singapore has quietly closed all three remaining outlets in the city.

    ““As of 24th March, we have closed all of our restaurants in Singapore. It’s been a wonderful 10 years serving our loyal community. Thank you for all the great moments and memories we shared,” the company posted on Facebook.

    A fan responded: “We are thankful for the past 10 years that they have been with us and for all the burgers, steak and fajitas they’ve served us.”

    Chili’s opened its first branch in Singapore in Tanglin Mall in June 2009. The other three outlets were at Resorts World Sentosa, Clarke Quay Central and JCube.

    The restaurants served Southwest American cuisine with Mexican flavours, craft burgers and baby back ribs, alongside fajitas and enchiladas.

    Established in Dallas in 1975, Chili’s had expanded to 32 countries worldwide.

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  • Mister Donut China to close down Stores

    Mister Donut China to close down Stores

    Mister Donut China will soon be no more, Japan’s largest donut chain calling time there after losses mount.

    All 10 remaining Mister Donut stores in Shanghai will close their doors on April 1, victims, the company says, of rising labour costs and other overheads.

    Mister Donut China launched in 2000, its parent the Japanese cleaning services company Duskin foreseeing huge potential for sweet treats in the fast-growing economy. While it expanded quickly at first, rising competition and costs saw the company begin to trim its store network in recent years.

    After Mister Donut China announced it was closing via its Chinese website, a Duskin spokesperson told the Nikkei that while the company was leaving for now, it may pursue other opportunities in Chinese food retailing in the future.

    “China’s desserts market holds the promise of further growth. This is without a doubt an attractive region.”

    In Asia, Mister Donut will continue to operate in Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia.

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  • Pret-a-Manger owner JAB Holding in difficult position

    Pret-a-Manger owner JAB Holding in difficult position

    JAB Holding, the German owner of Krispy Kreme and Pret-a-Manger, has pledged to pay US$11.3 million to charity after the family-owned company’s ties to the Nazi party were revealed. The German newspaper uncovered a significant historical connection between the wealthy Reimann family and the Nazis. The Reimann forebears were ardent anti-semites and strong supporters of Hitler, and used both Russian and French slaves in their factories.

    JAB Holding recently divested the Jimmy Choo and Bally businesses to shift its focus from apparel to food. It also owns Green Mountain Coffee, Panera bread, Mighty Leaf Tea, Caribou Coffee, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Einstein Bros Bagels and a 38-per-cent stake in cosmetics giant Coty, among other investments.

    According to the German newspaper report, back in the Hitler era, its factory workers were treated brutally, with female slaves forced to attend barracks checks naked – suffering beatings and sexual abuse as punishment for refusal.

    In a 1937 letter to SS leader Heinrich Himmler, Albert Reimann Jr – the father of the four Reimann family members who now own the businesses – wrote that his company was more than 100 years old, and that the owners at the time were unconditional followers of the race theory.

    “It is all correct,” family spokesman Peter Harf, who is one of two managing partners of JAB Holdings told. “Reimann Senior and Reimann Junior were guilty. The two men have passed away, but they actually belonged in prison.”

    The family has commissioned historian, Paul Erker of Munich University, to study its ties to the Nazi regime. Already four years in the making, more information will be released to the public when it is complete.

    The report was commissioned by the family because it wanted to better understand the extent of their past connection to the Nazi regime. They are currently the second richest family in Germany.

  • McDonald’s buys tech firm

    McDonald’s buys tech firm

    McDonald’s is set to purchase US/Israeli personalisation vendor Dynamic Yield in an attempt to boost drive-thru sales.

    The deal, reportedly worth more than US$300 million, will help the fast food vendor personalise outdoor digital drive-thru menu displays. The tech will analyse a range of variables in order to determine the most persuasive additional items to suggest to customers placing orders.

    “With this acquisition, we’re expanding both our ability to increase the role technology and data will play in our future and the speed with which we’ll be able to implement our vision of creating more personalised experiences for our customers,” said McDonald’s president and CEO Steve Easterbrook.

    Dynamic Yield has served multiple online retailers, including LVMH-owned cosmetics retailer Sephora and furniture giant Ikea. It has more than 300 clients worldwide.

    The technology will be rolled out in drive thrus at US restaurants this year before expanding to other leading international markets.

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  • Vietnamese Coffee farmers can reduce carbon emissions by diversifyingproduction

    Vietnamese Coffee farmers can reduce carbon emissions by diversifyingproduction

    Coffee farmers in Vietnam, the second biggest producer of coffee in the world, can reduce their carbon (CO2) footprint by growing different plant species alongside coffee. These are the findings of a new report titled Source or sink? The carbon footprint of Vietnam robusta coffee from the Initiative for Sustainable Landscapes (ISLA) program by IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative, compiled by Agri-Logic, and based on the work of coffee traders JDE Coffee, Lavazza, Olam and Acom.

    Together with improved fertilizer and water use, this diversification could significantly reduce the impact of coffee production on climate change. Farmers can also broaden the range of income sources available to them, increasing their climate resilience.

    The findings come amidst reports that severe droughts in Vietnam could considerably reduce this year’s coffee output.

    Daan Wensing, Director of Global Landscapes at IDH, said:

    “Climate change is a threat that requires urgently rethinking the farming systems in which coffee is produced. This research brings hope that communities and coffee farmers can become more climate-resilient, and our coffee more sustainable. Together with more efficient fertilizer and water use, diversification can be at the forefront of efforts to make coffee production carbon positive.”

    Coffee production has a huge economic benefit for the Central Highlands region of Vietnam, where 95% of its coffee is produced. At the same time, it is a source of carbon emissions through significant use of fertilizer, water and energy.

    The report found that monocrop coffee farms are net sources of carbon, releasing 0.37 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere per year per metric ton of coffee produced.

    Conversely, diversified coffee farms are carbon sinks, removing 0.16 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere per year per metric ton of coffee produced. Growing pepper, durian, avocado and other crops alongside coffee creates more biomass, sequestering more CO2 than is generated through production.

    Of the small number of monocrop farms that did sequester CO2, more efficient use of fertilizer (the leading driver of carbon emissions in coffee farming) was found to be the reason.

    The research spanned two years and analysed the carbon footprint of robusta coffee production on 300 farms in the Central Highlands provinces of Lam Dong and Dak Lak.

    Through the Initiative Sustainable Landscapes (ISLA) in Vietnam, IDH works with local and national governments, private companies and smallholder farmers to support coffee producers in the Central Highlands in reducing their carbon footprint, maximize water and fertilizer use and to adapt to climate change. Daan Wensing concluded:

    “Diversification is a growing concept in Vietnam. As more farmers adopt this and other agroforestry methods, the number of farms that serve as carbon sinks will grow, becoming crucial drivers of both climate mitigation and resilience.”

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  • Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan Launched in Philippines

    Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan Launched in Philippines

    Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan has opened in the Philippines.

    It is the first time for the franchise to open in the very region from which its special variety of mango is sourced. Its soft launch on March 17 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong city was well-attended by local fans of the brand’s mango-based food products.

    Hui Lau Shan Megamall PH store

    Hui Lau Shan originated as a Chinese herbal tea vendor in the 1960s before blending carabao mangoes in with its other ingredients in the 90s to create a unique dessert.

    The fresh fruit drinks were well-received and the brand now has more than 260 locations globally.

    The firm’s local partner is Fat Daddy’s Group, well-known for its Smokehouse restaurants.

    “The sweet taste of our own fruit has helped propel the brand’s growth in and outside Asia,” said Fat Daddy’s president Freshnaida Versoza. “It’s about time that we bring it here to the Philippines. It’s also our way of supporting the country’s agribusiness since Hui Lau Shan is estimated to consume one ton of premium carabao mangoes per week for 10 to 15 stores.”

    More Hui Lau Shan branches are planned for other malls in the territory, including SM North Edsa, SM Fairview and SM Mall of Asia.

  • French coffee chain Malongo Looking at Southeast Asia

    French coffee chain Malongo Looking at Southeast Asia

    French coffee shop chain Malongo is expanding into Southeast Asia.

    After the successful opening of two outlets in the Philippines last year, the organic-coffee company is eyeing more stores in the region, targeting Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.

    Malongo is seeking investors interested in growing the brand’s presence in their local market via a licensing model. The new stores will be based on the outlets opened in the Philippines.

    Located at One Bonifacio in BGC, the first Philippine store features a French-heritage led design, serves coffee sourced from multiple countries, and promises a commitment to eco-consciousness.

    Roasters since 1934, Malongo is a family-run firm. More than half of Malongo’s coffees and all of its teas hold organic AB certification, including a guarantee that no fertilisers or pesticides are used in farming.

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