Empire Premium aims another 150 outlets, with expansions further into Sabah and Sarawak
KUALA LUMPUR: Empire Premium Food Bhd, the owner and operator of the Empire Sushi brand, is looking at opening another 150 outlets over the next three to five years.
Empire Premium Food Bhd, the owner of the Empire Sushi brand, aims to open an additional 150 outlets over the next three to five years, primarily focusing on expanding in Sabah and Sarawak, according to their CEO Nicole Lim. The expansion plan comes as a response to a question about potential growth beyond Malaysia. Lim highlighted the group's flexibility in outlet formats, ranging from 200 sq ft to 2,000 sq ft, enabling them to venture into hypermarkets, transit hubs, MRT stations, and airports.
Currently, Empire Premium has one airport outlet and plans to potentially expand to five to seven outlets next year. The company has already signed contracts for 23 new outlets in malls for the financial year 2027 (FY2027), but Lim stressed that profitability, not the number of outlets, is the key consideration. The group remains content with its current expansion rate and prioritises sustainable growth over merely increasing its store count.
Lim also mentioned the possibility of acquiring other food and beverage (F&B) brands in the future, although there are no immediate plans at present. On its financial outlook, Empire Premium expects to maintain a profit margin of 15.4% in FY2027 despite rising logistics costs and has secured contracts for raw materials until the end of September.
The company's shareholders approved all resolutions at the AGM, including a final single-tier dividend of 0.65 sen per ordinary share for FY2026.
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