Thai restaurant chain Mango Tree plans to open between seven and 10 new outlets in the Philippines, venturing outside Metro Manila for the first time.

The Hong Kong-headquartered parent of the concept, Mango Tree Worldwide, is celebrating its fifth anniversary with Mango Tree Philippines franchisee Mother Spice Food Corp, which now operates in Bonifacio Global City, Greenbelt 5 in Makati City and at Trinoma in Quezon City. Globally there are 41 restaurants in the network.

Mango Tree Worldwide MD Trevor MacKenzie said the company’s strategy in new markets is to open a flagship first, build brand awareness and test the market. Now that has been achieved by Mango Tree Philippines, it is time to start a more aggressive roll-out, he said.

Cebu City, Baguio, Tagaytay and Davao City are the most likely locations for new restaurants.

Meanwhile, Mango Tree’s flagship restaurant will also be undergoing renovations to lighten the ambiance, and add new dishes to the menu.

“(We want to) make the brand a little bit younger, lighter, feminine… Just a different type of ambiance to it. Mango Tree has always been a little more dark wood, elegant in a different way, but we can see that there’s a change in diners now,” he said.