Fruitas buys 2 new food brands

Lester Yu

Newly-listed food and beverage kiosk operator Fruitas Holdings Inc. has signed a deal to acquire two new food brands: The Tofu Store and Filipino cuisine stall operator Kuxina.

“Our 18th year in the kiosk business is a testament of our ability to innovate and identify suitable additions to our portfolio, unified by our vision to be woven into the fabric of daily lives of Filipinos. We will further strengthen our existing brands and seamlessly integrate our latest acquisitions, broadening our offerings to include both traditional and contemporary Filipino food and drinks,” Fruitas president and chief executive officer Lester Yu said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday.

Fruitas acquired 100 percent of the outstanding shares of SoyKingdom Inc., the privately-held corporation carrying The Tofu Store brand and specializing in soybean-related products.

The acquisition of Kuxina, on the other hand, was made through Fruitas’ subsidiary, Negril Trading Inc., operator of De Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar.

The storefronts of The Tofu Store are located in Little Baguio, San Juan and Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City. The brand offers soy milk, taho, tofu, and other soybean-related products.
The Tofu Store has been serving customers since 2006 and has gained a loyal following among its patrons, which also includes restaurants.

Negril Trading, on the other hand, will take over the operations of two stores of Kuxina, operating under the Kuxina Filipino Fusion and Kuxina Ihaw Na! brands, in Fruitas’ own Le Village lifestyle food park in E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Quezon City. It will continue the franchise arrangements with eight other stores.

Kuxina serves Filipino food dishes “with a twist.” Offerings include crispy kare-kare, fried sinigang and crispy dinuguan, usually in a traditional kawali or pan.