Krua Thai operator to expand overseas

A Cebuano restaurant operator will hit three countries starting this year, for its overseas expansion plan.

Krua Thai Inc., a restaurant company that specializes in authentic Thai food, will open its Japan outlet this year, and hitting other two countries soon, in Guam, and the United States.

Krua Thai Inc. managing proprietor Anthony Ballreich said that its upcoming outlets in Guam and United States in South San Francisco, California are already on the pipeline.

However, he said that while the Krua Thai brand has been established in the Philippines, the company is planning to put up a new brand for its international venture.

"It will be under a new brand," Ballreich said adding that its international outlets will be another high-end Thai restaurant or another Asian cuisine restaurant.

Ballreich's company is also operating another Asian theme restaurant, the Vietnamese restaurant located at the Crossroads called Hai Phong.

The Krua Thai restaurant in Japan is set to open this year, he said.

The international outlets he said will be managed by the company, and is not keen on offering its overseas venture to franchise deals.

"We want to have our own. We have proved we can manage," he said, although the Krua Thai branches in Guam and in the US will be operated in partnership with Ballreich's relative.

This homegrown theme restaurant has only been operating for five years now, but it has made its presence in Metro Manila, and other parts in the Visayas and Mindanao, like Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, as well as Metro Manila.

The restaurant started its operations in 2001. Two years after, the restaurant ventured into catering services for exclusive parties and special occasions.

In an earlier interview Ballreich said that there is a market for authentic cuisine here. Besides, he emphasized that the booming tourism industry in Cebu has also helped the restaurant business, specifically for authentic cuisine to thrive and expand amid the unfavorable economic condition.

Despite the perceived economic challenges in the country today, Ballreich said the restaurant business has continued to post encouraging sales performance, not only in Cebu, but also in other major cities.

He said the market has now become sophisticated despite the financial crisis, and with the position of Cebu as the center for tourism and business activities in Southern Philippines, it has continued to benefit businesses, like food.

In its Mactan Island branch, he said 80 percent of its clientele profile are the Korean visitors to Cebu, while some are expatriates from Mactan Export Zone (1 and 2), and a good number of Cebuano customers.