Mango Tree and COCA restaurants to be fed by eco-friendly farms
Thai dining specialist Mango Tree and COCA Restaurants Worldwide says it is getting back to business in Asia by reopening with a renewed focus on natural cuisine, and a brand new supply chain model to ensure healthy and sustainable produce.
The peak of the Covid-19 outbreak saw 68 of the group's 71 outlets close, but 62 have now relaunched under "new normal" safety and sanitation standards.
Mango Tree and COCA said examples of nature recovering during lockdown – including blue skies over usually smoggy cities and the return of wildlife to tourist areas – had inspired it use the operational hiatus to pioneer a new era of organic farming.
The fruit is the COCA Boutique Farm in Thailand, dedicated to cultivating local and seasonal produce in a responsible manner, the operator said. The farm features five greenhouses for fresh herbs and vegetables plus orchards of mango and banana trees, large fishponds and free-range chicken runs.
The facilities will be run in partnership with local communities and in line with permaculture farming philosophies and techniques, said the operator.
The concept will be gradually rolled out across Asia, ensuring that Mango Tree and COCA restaurants have a trusted source of natural ingredients, it added. This would support the company's focus on healthy dishes and drinks, including its recently launched vegan menus.
"With our new model, underpinned by our growing network of COCA Boutique Farms, we're now in a position to continuing expanding across the globe," said Trevor MacKenzie, global managing director for Mango Tree and COCA Restaurants Worldwide.
The group's entire collection of non-airport restaurants in China, Hong Kong, Japan and the UAE are now operational, and the company recently launched a new restaurant at the Tokyo Dome. The company said it remains on track towards achieving its target of 100 outlets worldwide by 2025.
