GOTIANUN-LED Filinvest Hospitality Corp. (FHC) said it will develop a new dining establishment in Camp John Hay, Baguio City.
Situated on a 730-square-meter lot along Sheridan Drive, FHC will establish its latest food and beverage venture, The Hay Diner, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
FHC secured the property after winning the bid for a six-year lease offered by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and John Hay Management Corp. The agreement was signed on July 23. The newly acquired space was the former site of the Italian restaurant Cantinetta.
The Hay Diner will be operated by Filinvest’s hotel management company, Chroma Hospitality, Inc. It will feature a fusion of American favorites with twists inspired by Cordilleran cuisine.
“We envision this new project becoming a valuable addition to Baguio’s vibrant restaurant scene. It also aligns with our plans to not only expand our hotels and resorts but also invest in new food and beverage ventures,” FHC First Senior Vice-President Francis C. Gotianun said.
“Our goal is to expand our business while enhancing the natural attractions of the Philippines, ultimately boosting the country’s tourism industry. We are excited for the chance to reinvigorate tourism activities in Baguio and are committed to doing it conscientiously to preserve the area’s beauty for generations to come,” he added.
The Hay Diner will reuse existing architectural elements, redesigning with minimal changes to preserve “the current structure’s charm.”
The restaurant is located near Grafik Hotel Collection Baguio, which is also being constructed by FHC. The hotel was topped off on June 14 and will have 256 rooms.
Headroom, the lead design firm, will implement passive cooling by utilizing the existing window openings. The design team also installed supplementary inverted air conditioning units, LED lighting, water-efficient toilet fixtures, and low-volatile organic compounds paint.
Other FHC hotels include Crimson Resort and Spa Boracay, Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan, Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila, The Quest Hotels & Resorts in Cebu, Clark Pampanga, Tagaytay, and Timberland Highlands Resort in Rizal.
It is also currently growing its French-inspired café, Baker J, which has locations in Crimson Alabang, Mimosa Golf Course Clark, Quest Tagaytay, Timberland Rizal, and Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
FHC is a subsidiary of listed conglomerate Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC), which has business interests in real estate development and leasing, banking and financial services, hotel and resort management, power generation, and sugar milling.
On Thursday, FDC shares increased by 1.3% or seven centavos, closing at P5.47 per share. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
