• Fast-growing food and beverage operator deepens community-rooted expansion
• Quezon City honor underscores Fruitas’ people-first growth model
• New concepts and stronger brands expected as 2025 winds down
Food kiosk king Lester Yu’s Fruitas Holdings Inc. is doubling down on an expansion strategy anchored on inclusivity, local entrepreneurship, and community presence, a model that has become one of its strongest advantages in the Philippine food and beverage sector.
The Quezon City government’s decision to confer the Manuel L. Quezon Gawad Parangal Award on Fruitas, the city’s highest recognition for organizations delivering meaningful community impact, highlights how its growth remains both civic-minded and commercial.
Why it matters
Fruitas positions itself as a democratizer of everyday food: clean, affordable, and proudly local.
From a single fruit shake cart, it has grown into a nationwide network of multi-format stores and concept brands, showing how a community-shaped business can scale without losing its core identity.
The award reflects Fruitas’ commitment to Filipino entrepreneurship and employment, driven by a broad ecosystem of employees, franchisees, suppliers, community partners, and customers whose support continues to power the business.
Management’s view
“We accept this award with humility and pride. We thank our store teams, our partners and of course our customers who have made this possible,” said Yu, the founder and CEO of Fruitas.
“This award is a reminder of what has fueled our growth from day one: the belief that as long as you have focus, integrity, willingness to sacrifice for what you want to achieve and a bias for action, you can make something ordinary, truly extraordinary,” he added.
People-first expansion
The company has widened its hiring reach to include talent of different ages, backgrounds, and regions.
This has helped build a workforce that mirrors the communities it serves and strengthens Fruitas’ role as a career and business platform for Filipinos nationwide.
As 2025 nears its close, Fruitas is preparing new store concepts and brand-building efforts to sustain its momentum and leverage its civic recognition.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
