Golden Gate opens $23 mln food plant in northern Vietnam as it expands beyond restaurants

Vietnamese restaurant operator Golden Gate Group has opened a new food-processing plant in the northern province of Phu Tho as the firm expands its production capacity and seeks growth beyond its core restaurant business.

Golden Gate Foods Tien Tien, the group’s second production facility, began operations last Saturday. The facility covers four hectares in Thinh Minh commune, with an investment of VND600 billion ($23.06 million).

The plant will serve as a central kitchen and processing-distribution hub, supplying ingredients to Golden Gate’s restaurant chains. It will also produce ready-to-eat food and distribute products through retail channels.

Golden Gate Foods Tien Tien food processing plant in Phu Tho province, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the firm.

CEO Dao The Vinh said the new facility will allow Golden Gate to quadruple its current production capacity, supporting about 2,000 restaurants.

With the new plant, the firm can move into other fields, rather than focusing solely on the restaurant business, Vinh said, adding that it is also looking to export some consumer food products.

Founded in 2005, Golden Gate was among the first companies in Vietnam to adopt a restaurant chain model. It now operates more than 35 brands and about 600 restaurants, including Manwah, Kichi Kichi, iSushi, Gogi House and Sumo BBQ.

Golden Gate reported revenue of about VND7.69 trillion ($295.55 million) in 2025, up 16% from a year earlier, driven mainly by its food and beverage business. Net profit more than doubled to VND213.8 billion ($8.22 million), the highest level since 2022.

The company has set a target of VND9.81 trillion ($377.14 million) in revenue this year, up 28% year-on-year, and net profit of VND1.2 trillion ($46.19 million), up 65%. If achieved, that would be a record for the company in its more than two decades of operations.

Last month, Vietnam’s State Securities Commission revoked Golden Gate’s status as a public company. The company said the change would not affect its business operations, financial position, shareholder rights, or its commitments to customers, partners, and employees.

Vinh said Golden Gate remains committed to accessing capital markets over the longer term and plans to pursue an initial public offering when market conditions and the company’s development strategy are appropriate.