Vantage Point providing a taste of Europe
Bistro Asia expands its food portfolio
Bistro Asia Co, a food operator under Thai Beverage (ThaiBev), has added the first European eatery to its food portfolio, a move aimed at strengthening its food business growth in the long term.
According to Paisarn Aowsathaporn, managing director of Bistro Asia, the company opened a Vantage Point restaurant last month. This is first European eatery chain under ThaiBev, which at present is involved in Japanese restaurants, quick-service restaurants, Asean and Chinese restaurants as well as Thai culinary and Food Street businesses.
The inaugural Vantage Point restaurant was opened on the second floor of Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in a space measuring 960 square metres.
It is Bistro Asia’s seventh food brand, following Hyde & Seek; Baan Suriyasai; So asean café and So asean restaurant; Man Fu Yuan; Rajpruek Club; and Food Street.
“Vantage Point, a premium European eatery, has been developed by getting inspiration from Mercato Centrale in Florence, providing customers with highlights from menus from various European countries with open kitchens providing a feeling of freshness in the way you might experience at a market in Italy, France or Spain,’’ Mr Paisarn said.
Vantage Point targets office workers, families and couples. It provides a la carte dining for customers on weekdays and a buffet format at the weekend. The price has been set at 300-500 baht for a la carte dining and 998 baht for the buffet.
In addition to Vantage Point restaurant, the company is also studying the market opportunity for other food options such as Korean food.
Apart from building sales growth from its own brands, the company is also open to acquiring other food brands that could help strengthen Bistro Asia’s food portfolio in the future, said Mr Paisarn.
ThaiBev built its food portfolio over two decades through its own Japanese restaurant brands and also bought franchise rights from Yum Restaurant to become one of the operators of KFC quick-service restaurants in Thailand.
“Vantage Point will be built to be one of our flagship brands to help drive our sales growth. Many Thais have travelled around the world and they may be familiar with western eateries such as pizza, steak or pasta restaurants, but we believe Vantage Point will fulfil their food requirements,” Mr Paisarn said.
The firm also plans to continue opening its Chinese restaurants in response to the return of tourists from China and expand its So asean and Man Fu Yuan restaurants within Asean over the coming years.
Mr Paisarn says Thailand’s overall food business has a brighter outlook this year amid a recovery in tourism and an easing of the Covid-19 situation.
Mr Paisarn said Bistro Asia’s business has been gradually recovering from the pandemic since September 2021, and the firm’s sales in the first quarter of its 2023 fiscal year, between Oct 1, 2022 and Dec 31, 2022, had doubled compared with the corresponding period in the year before.
Higher sales were driven by a huge same-store growth of Baan Suriyasia, a Thai dining restaurant, the opening of Food Street, the firm’s flagship food court at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center and active marketing activities through both online and offline channels to reach more customers.
The company is also open to acquiring other food brands that could help strengthen Bistro Asia’s food portfolio in the future. PAISARN AOWSATHAPORN Managing director, Bistro Asia