PREMIUM casual restaurant operator Wildflour Hospitality Group said an initial public offering (IPO) is a “big possibility” in the near future as the company pursues nationwide expansion.
“It is something that we are talking about. It’s really a big possibility for us in the near future,” Wildflour President and Chief Executive Officer Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Taguig City last week.
“I can’t say yet because it’s still being discussed. But definitely, we are looking at an IPO,” she added.
In February last year, Wildflour announced that it secured a $15-million investment from Singapore-based private equity firm KV Asia Capital to support its expansion plans.
“Our partnership with KV Asia raises the ceiling for us to be able to do these things,” Ms. De Ocampo said.
The Philippine Stock Exchange is targeting six IPOs this year.
According to Ms. De Ocampo, Wildflour is opening 12 to 14 outlets across all its brands. The company currently operates 27 outlets.
She said new stores will open in SM North EDSA, Trinoma, Cebu, Alabang, Makati, and Baguio.
Ms. De Ocampo expects a strong financial year for Wildflour in 2025, noting that the company had a “good start.”
“I’m hoping that the trajectory really goes upward as we go into the year. We wouldn’t be building all these restaurants if we didn’t feel confident about the market,” she said.
“We’re very happy with how the restaurants are performing. I’m hopeful that 2025 will be a good year for us,” she added.
Ms. De Ocampo also acknowledged challenges in retaining manpower and mitigating the effects of inflation.
“It’s very easy to hire people, but training and retaining them are challenging for us,” she said.
“On inflation, the cost of all our ingredients is rising, which affects many aspects — our menu mix, the prices of menu items, construction costs, and more. It’s really a domino effect. Manpower and inflation are our biggest challenges,” she added.
Wildflour’s portfolio includes various brands, such as Wildflour Restaurant, George & Onnie’s Filipino Restaurant, Wildflour Italian, Pink’s, Farmacy Ice Cream and Soda Fountain, Little Flour Café, Pizza Sisters, Kei Maki, and Antica Osteria. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave