Minor International Plc (MINT) acquired a 50.1% stake in GAGA Beverages (Thailand) Co on Tuesday for an undisclosed amount in a move to extend its portfolio to the retail beverage business.
Founded in 2018 in Thailand, GAGA is a trendy retail beverage concept with distinctive brand characteristics marketed under the theme "Attitude in a Cup".
"We are delighted to welcome this exciting beverage brand to our portfolio and work with such passionate and creative founders. We look forward to new business opportunities and accelerated growth of GAGA throughout Thailand and internationally," said Dillip Rajakarier, chief executive of MINT.
"GAGA's beverage category will solidify, complementing our existing food brand portfolio. We will capitalise on this partnership to cement Minor Food's leading position in Thailand's restaurant and food retail industry."
Anhul Chauhan, chief executive of Minor Food, said given GAGA's strong brand recognition both offline and online, the brand has great potential to scale.
"Together with its ambitious founders, we aim to drive expansion from 29 existing stores," he said.
"In addition to Thailand as the brand's homegrown market, we can leverage Minor Food's strong international presence to bring the brand to other potential markets in Asia and the Middle East."
In a separate development, Burger (Thailand) Co on Tuesday opened a new flagship store in Thailand in response to digital lifestyles.
Tanawat Damnernthong, the general manager, said the company recently converted a 400-square-metre space in the Ratchadaphisek area into the new Burger King flagship store to increase consumer convenience.
The 60-seat store has an American-style exterior design and a large parking area for up to 20 cars.
In addition, a separate zone behind the restaurant is dedicated to art with graphics that reflect Burger King's uniqueness.
"It is the first Burger King branch in Thailand to use technology to adapt to the digital lifestyle trend, with a unique exterior design that adds a touch of American style, aiming to become a 'Restaurant of the Future'," he said.
Mr Tanawat said the new store has three key features, including Asia's first flame-grilled burger broilers, where customers can see the meat being grilled.
Another feature is smart lockers that make food delivery easier by creating a dedicated area for take-out orders, he said.
This addition accelerates the rapidly expanding off-premise dining segment, eliminates bottlenecks for dine-in and counter service operations, and lowers the risk of direct contact.
The third feature at the new branch is electric vehicle charging stations that should help to reduce emissions, said Mr Tanawat.
In addition, a solar rooftop has been installed to convert solar energy into electricity.
"This is the most cost-effective use of renewable energy and helps the store to save electricity," he said.
Mr Tanawat said the company intends to use this innovative model for other branches soon to support consumer demand and respond to emerging consumer lifestyles.
