$100m revenue target in 5 years: Asia White Knight acquires S’pore F&B group Creative Eateries

SINGAPORE – After more than 30 years in the dining scene and establishing 13 brands, home-grown food and beverage (F&B) group Creative Eateries has been acquired by another local company, Asia White Knight Group, for an undisclosed amount. 

White Knight is an investment and operations group in the franchise sector helmed by its director and serial entrepreneur Adam Tan, 37. His older brother, local actor Andie Chen, 40, is its chief marketing officer. 

They are backed by a team of entrepreneurs and advisers, including their eldest brother Ash Chen, 41. This marks the first time the three brothers are working together. 

The official acquisition date was Nov 1, and White Knight announced it on Nov 17 at Vineyard at HortPark, one of the 13 brands under its restaurant empire. 

The other restaurant brands include Bangkok Jam, Suki-Ya, Typhoon Cafe and Tanglin Cookhouse, along with two catering arms: Creative Eateries Catering and the halal-certified Shiok Kitchen Catering.

This acquisition marks White Knight’s first major foray into the restaurant group – as opposed to cafe chain – space, which the brothers say is a “cut-throat” industry.

White Knight owns the franchise rights for cafe chain Joe & Dough and had opened six outlets in 2024.  

Mr Tan was then on the lookout for more brands and was recommended to Creative Eateries’ founder Anthony Wong, 67, who was looking for a suitable buyer. 

Ms Bonnie Wong, 37, who is the outgoing chief executive of Creative Eateries and Mr Wong’s daughter, says her father was looking to retire, and she is ready for a new challenge and new industry. 

She adds: “Our values aligned with Adam’s and they believe in what we have done in the past. They didn’t want to change too much and agreed to retain the employees.” 

Ms Wong will remain a director at Creative Eateries for at least a year to ensure a smooth transition and business continuity. The entire team of 250 employees across 13 brands will be retained.

Mr Tan, who replaces Ms Wong as chief executive, says: “Creative Eateries has always been about connecting people through food, and that aligns perfectly with what we believe in at White Knight – using data and systems to elevate creativity.

“We see enormous potential to bring a new level of operational excellence to well-loved culinary concepts, while ensuring that every dining experience remains heartfelt, authentic and human.”

The group has set a three-phase growth plan to hit its $100 million target in annual revenue within five years. Though Ms Wong declined to reveal absolute numbers, she said the group’s revenue for financial year 2026 is expected to grow by 15 per cent year on year. 

In the next six months, the focus will be on operational optimisation and making improvements across all brands. 

Over the next six to 18 months, the group is looking to revamp its membership and loyalty ecosystem into a unified rewards programme that offers exclusive perks and cross-brand dining benefits. 

The first promotion – “One Million Dollar Stamp Rally” – features a $1 million giveaway of vouchers to customers over the next three months. 

Diners can collect stamps from eating at any three restaurants under the group and enjoy 50 per cent off their total bill, in the form of Creative Eateries vouchers, across subsequent visits.

After 18 months, Creative Eateries will work on more collaborations and develop new concepts with its chefs. 

Ms Wong says: “We’re incredibly grateful for the love and support our customers have had for our brands, and look forward to working closely with Adam and his team to continue to innovate and create concepts.”