BANGKOK — Thailand’s three leading salad brands; Ohkajhu, Salad Factory and Jones Salad, are expanding aggressively to capture a growing health-conscious consumer base. The healthy eating restaurant market is now worth 5.2 billion baht ($158.6 million), driven by increased consumer awareness and a wave of new entrants. The sector is expected to continue to grow by 15–20% annually.
Health Food Market Booming
Piya Dunkhum, CEO of Green Food Factory, the operator of Salad Factory, explained that Thailand’s health-orientated restaurant sector will grow by an average of 15–20% annually from 2026 to 2028. Two important factors are the increasing health awareness of consumers and the steady influx of new players into the market.
There are now more than 20 salad brands on the market, a significant increase from just five suppliers a decade ago. By the end of 2025, the market value is expected to reach 5.2 billion baht, an increase of 15–20% from 4.5 billion baht ($137.3 million) in 2024.
However, both short and long-term challenges remain. Economic uncertainty in the second half of 2025 could create headwinds, and over the next five years, market growth could slow due to a higher base and market saturation.
Salad Factory Targets Provincial Expansion
To meet these challenges, Salad Factory is pushing ahead with the expansion of its branches in the provinces, especially in tourist areas. The company is investing 50 million baht to open 8–9 new locations by 2025. This includes a new branch in Gateway Ekamai, which will open on 12 June. Another 4–5 shops are planned to follow in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces such as Chonburi and Kanchanaburi.
The brand is also working to expand its customer base while retaining existing customers by offering high quality, affordable meals and constantly introducing new menu items to increase sales and repeat visits. Currently, the average customer returns 2–3 times per month and spends 200–300 baht ($6-9) per visit.
The brand focuses on three main customer groups:
- Regular customers: including families, millennials and health-conscious people.
- Urban dwellers: millennials and Gen Z with a fast-paced lifestyle and a focus on wellness.
- Larger families: including parents and seniors looking for affordable, healthy options for all ages.
Ohkajhu Launches New Menus
Chalakorn Aekkayaphatthanakun, CEO of Plookpakporakrakmae PCL, which operates Ohkajhu, Oh! Juice and other F&B brands, said during a presentation at Opportunity Day that Q2 2025 was characterised by weaker consumer spending and tourism, as well as the impact of an earthquake that affected sales at 29 of Ohkajhu’s 41 shops. However, overall sales continue to grow, indicating strong market potential.
The company remains committed to growing Ohkajhu and its other brands, albeit more cautiously, by focusing on high-potential locations, both online and offline. It will also continue to introduce new menu items, both internally developed and through co-operations, to maintain footfall and attract new customers.
Ohkajhu plans to invest 350–400 million baht ($10-12 million) to open six more shops by 2025, bringing the total number to 47. Meanwhile, Oh! Juice will open 12 new outlets this year (from 15 to 30), and the group’s new fried chicken chain, Joe Wings, will reach its target of six locations by the end of the year.
The new offering will include both traditional, health-orientated dishes and innovative, healthy meals that deviate from Ohkajhu’s typical style. The company expects these strategies to increase overall sales by 20–30%, with SSSG expected to be 2–5% despite the economic challenges.
Jones Salad Eyes Market Share
Another large health food chain, Jones Salad, currently operates 41 shops nationwide. In H1 2025, the brand continued its expansion, introducing a range of new menu items to cater for more eating occasions, such as high-protein wraps and healthy breakfast options. It also introduced functional drinks to boost the immune system and energy levels, appealing to customers looking for more variety.
New products include a range of healthy smoothies with flavours such as ‘Salad Pun’ (a whole salad blended into a smoothie) and ‘Princess Glow’ (a tangy-sweet fruit smoothie with added Japanese collagen).
Jones Salad also reinforces its brand identity as a nutrition educator through its mascot “Uncle Jones” Jones Salad regularly creates educational content in the form of short videos (Reels, TikTok) and in-depth articles to build customer loyalty and brand awareness amidst increasing competition in the health food store market.
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