Fruitas sets P120 million capex, eyes 100 new stores

February 11, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Fruitas Holdings Inc. of businessman Lester Yu is pursuing its aggressive store network rollout this year, with plans to open as much as 100 new branches.

Yu, president and CEO of Fruitas, told The STAR the company is allocating P120 million in capital expenditures to support its 2026 expansion initiatives.

“However, we may increase this amount if there is acceleration of growth in the Philippine economy,” he said.

Fruitas intends to open 80 to 100 stores this year to further beef up its presence nationwide.

Aside from store expansion, Yu said the budget would also fund commissary upgrades and logistics support, including trucks.

Fruitas, a leader in food and beverage stores across multiple formats, has an array of brands in its portfolio, operating a total of 858 stores nationwide as of end-2025.

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, allowing the listed bakery operator to expand its product offerings, particularly in the cake category and tap a broader customer base.

In 2023, Fruitas completed the purchase of 73-year-old legacy brand Ling Nam, marking its entry into the Asian casual dining space.

The listed operator of multi-format food and beverage stores posted a stellar performance in 2024 wherein it achieved a record high revenue of P2.9 billion.

For full year 2025, the company was expecting mid-to-high single digit growth in both revenue and profit.

Last week, the company’s board approved a 12-month extension of its share buyback program from the initial term of one year, or up to Feb. 3 2027 from the original end of Feb. 3, 2026.

Among the objectives of the share buyback program is to manifest confidence in the company’s value and prospects through the repurchase of the common shares and through the return of a portion of the firm’s capital to its shareholders.

The remaining amount allocated for the company’s buyback program is P84.79 million as of Jan. 30.