Fruitas ripe for next growth phase with P750 million PNB credit facility

MANILA, Philippines —  Fruitas Holdings Inc., led by businessman Lester Yu, is ripe for its next growth chapter with a P750-million credit facility secured from Lucio Tan-led Philippine National Bank (PNB) that will support its continued expansion, portfolio diversification and long-term growth initiatives.

The financing, which will fuel Fruitas’ growth in the next few years, is expected to boost its position as a major player in the Philippine food and beverage industry.

“As we pursue the next phase of our growth journey, this credit facility provides additional flexibility to accelerate store expansion, strengthen our brand portfolio and pursue new opportunities both locally and internationally,” Yu, Fruitas president and CEO, said.

From its beginnings nearly 25 years ago as a single fruit shake concept, Fruitas has evolved into a diversified multi - brand platform with a nationwide footprint spanning beverage kiosks, bakeries, community stores and casual dining establishments.

The company’s resilient financial performance and strategic execution have enabled it to grow from an entrepreneurial venture into one of the country’s most recognizable food and beverage groups.

“We have a lot of things lined up: geographic expansion and expansion of our different businesses, including types of things we will sell and new products we will launch,” Fruitas director Calvin Chua said.

“Of course, what we are focusing on is national expansion. But we have also looked at both inbound and outbound so potentially bringing brands into the country and also expanding our brands abroad,” he said.

PNB president and CEO Edwin Bautista said the credit facility reflects the bank’s confidence in Fruitas’ long-term growth trajectory and disciplined financial management.

“PNB remains committed to backing companies with strong fundamentals as they scale toward greater market reach and long-term competitiveness,” he said.

The partnership is aligned with PNB’s broader strategy of leveraging the bank’s investment infrastructure to support high-growth Philippine enterprises expand beyond their current scale.

“Our role is to give companies like Fruitas the financial runway to grow, helping strong local businesses compete on a bigger stage,” PNB vice chairman Lucio Tan III said.

A leader in food and beverage stores across multiple formats, Fruitas ventured into the roasted chicken segment in 2024 with the acquisition of a majority stake in the owner of the Mang Bok’s brand for P8.86 million.

Its subsidiary Balai ni Fruitas Inc. acquired in the same year the 40-year-old legacy brand Sugarhouse.