PETALING JAYA: Empire Premium Food Bhd, the operator of Empire Sushi, delivered a 26% sequential increase in net profit for the July to September quarter, during which it added five new outlets.
With this, its total outlet count has expanded to 156, bringing it closer to the 165 target by end-March 2027.
Empire Premium said its net profit rose 26.2% quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) to RM13.7mil, even though revenue only inched up by 0.7% to RM85.2mil.
Excluding one-off listing expenses in both quarters, adjusted net profit grew 10.4% q-o-q to RM13.8mil, with adjusted net profit margin improving to 16.2% from 14.8%.
“Gross profit margin improved to 42%, driven by better control of raw material purchases and direct staff costs,” the group said in a bourse filing.
For the six months ended Sept 30, 2026, Empire Premium’s revenue rose 25.1% y-o-y to RM169.9mil, while net profit increased 19.5% to RM24.5mil.
Excluding one-off listing expenses, adjusted net profit for the first-half period stood at RM26.3mil.
The group ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of RM235.8mil with no borrowings.
The board of directors has declared a first interim single-tier dividend of 0.67 sen per share, amounting to RM7.4mil payable on Dec 8, 2026 to shareholders.
As the group expands its network, Empire Premium chief executive officer Nicole Lim said its priority is not merely to increase the number of outlets, but to maximise the earnings potential of each location.
It is noteworthy that the group is looking to strengthen its presence in Sabah and Sarawak, while evaluating locations with strong customer traffic and tourism potential.
“We remain focused on enhancing our product offerings, encouraging higher customer spending and strengthening customer engagement to support sustainable organic growth.”
