Nath Vongphanich, President of Central Restaurants Group Co., Ltd. (CRG), a subsidiary of Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited (SET: CENTEL), revealed that in 2026, the company is committed to driving growth with the concept of “Beyond the Best”. This will propel the business forward using four main strategies to achieve sustainable growth in line with the company’s goals, namely Grow – Drive – Build – Sustain, as follows:
1. GROW: The company will continue to drive quality growth, targeting revenue of THB 19.3 billion, a 14% increase from the previous year’s THB 16.9 billion. The company also plans to expand with 140–160 new branches covering all key brands to strengthen the portfolio and ensure continuous growth. The investment budget allocated for these new branch openings is over THB 900 million.
2. DRIVE: Operations will be enhanced under the 3C Actions:
Cost Excellence: Maximizing efficiency in cost and expense management.
Capex Excellence: Emphasizing strategic investments for optimal benefit.
Cash Flow Excellence: Improving liquidity and applying more technology in restaurant management, such as self-ordering kiosks and QR ordering, to enhance work and service efficiency.
3. BUILD: Strengthen the portfolio by adding promising new brands and co-developing businesses, with a focus on joint venture partners for mutual growth. CRG aims to add 2–3 potential brands to its portfolio this year.
4. SUSTAIN: Demonstrate responsibility beyond business missions to foster sustainable growth for the world and society.
Nath further stated that ongoing uncertainties from the war in the Middle East and rising oil prices continue to impact food business costs, especially transportation costs, which affect the entire restaurant market. As for raw material costs, CRG can still manage, as the company has locked in prices and secured contracts with suppliers, along with having stockpiles available for use. Therefore, in the short term, there is no significant impact on the company’s food costs.
However, the company must closely monitor the situation in the Middle East. If the war ends swiftly, the impact may be limited and only a short-term challenge that the company can manage. But if the war drags on, it will likely affect the company’s food costs. For now, the company believes it can maintain food prices for the next 2–3 months.
For the total investment budget in 2026, the company has set it at THB 1.4 billion, higher than the previous year. Most of this year’s budget will be allocated for branch expansion (THB 900 million), with about THB 220 million used for renovating existing outlets, and the remainder supporting internal system development. This investment budget does not include marketing expenses or the budget for M&A deals or acquisitions.
