SME finds foothold in Sands China supply chain as diversification drives growth in food and beverage sector

Macau’s diversified food culture continues to underpin its position as a regional dining destination, with thousands of visitors drawn daily to its restaurants and integrated resorts.

As competition intensifies across the catering sector, operators are increasingly focusing on kitchen efficiency and ingredient management as key factors in maintaining service quality and enhancing the customer experience.

Against this backdrop, the local startup YOUFRUIT Company Limited has carved out a niche in vegetable and fruit pre-processing, offering cutting, preparation, and delivery services aimed at easing labor pressures in the city’s food and beverage industry.

However, for local micro-enterprises and startups, transitioning from a niche service provider to a scalable commercial supplier requires significant market volume.

For YOUFRUIT, founded in 2023 by Suki Leong after returning from overseas studies, the turning point came through forming a corporate partnership with Sands China.

The SME has since secured partnerships with other major operators and continues to expand its presence in the local supply chain.

From overseas experience to local opportunity

Leong said the idea for the business emerged during her time working at a fruit processing factory overseas, where she developed an interest in standardized food preparation systems. Upon returning to Macau, she identified a gap in the market for professional pre-processing services tailored to the catering sector.

The company was formally established in 2023, focusing on the procurement and processing of fruits and vegetables. Its operations cover a full-service model including washing, sorting, cutting, and delivery to commercial kitchens.

Leong said the business model was designed to respond to two structural pressures in Macau’s catering industry: rising labor costs and persistent manpower shortages.

By shifting part of the preparation workload upstream, restaurants are able to devote more resources to cooking and customer-facing service.

Entry into the Sands China supply chain

As a newly established startup, YOUFRUIT connected with Sands China through the “Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme,” an initiative by the integrated resort operator to help greater numbers of local suppliers enter its broader supply chain.

Leong said the company proactively reached out her to introduce its SME-support services and explore cooperation opportunities.

Following an evaluation of its hygiene standards, equipment setup, and operational readiness, the startup entered into a formal partnership with the integrated resort operator in 2023 through standard procurement procedures.

“Partnering with Sands China drove a rapid surge in our business,” Leong said. “It also pushed us to significantly expand our product offering and strictly adhere to high food safety standards.”

Standardization and operational support

Sands China procurement and supply chain supervisors Ming Ao Ieong and Christy He said the partnership was established during a period of strong post-pandemic recovery, when the city’s visitor numbers and operational demand rebounded significantly.

They said YOUFRUIT stood out for its willingness to adapt to operational requirements and its structured approach to food safety and production processes.

During the early stages, Sands China chefs provided technical guidance, including training materials on cutting techniques and raw material utilization, to help improve cost efficiency and reduce food waste. This contributed to more consistent production and lower operational costs for the startup.

Ming said, “This partnership has been a process of mutual progress. In the early stages of our collaboration, we focused on cost control and waste management for pre-prepared fruits and vegetables. Our senior chefs recorded instructional videos to guide the supplier on cutting techniques and maximizing raw material utilization.”

In addition, Sands China’s procurement team conducts periodic inspections of production facilities, offering guidance on hygiene management, equipment maintenance, and standardized operating procedures.

Leong said her company has since adopted a flexible “manual-plus-machine” production model tailored to Macau’s market conditions. “For high-volume products with uniform specifications (such as lemon slices), we use a semi-automated approach – manually trimming the ends before machine slicing – to balance efficiency and appearance,” she said, describing the company’s production process. More delicate produce is handled manually to preserve texture and shape.

To maintain consistency, the company also sources produce from multiple origins and conducts seasonal testing to mitigate quality fluctuations.

Supply chain efficiency and value-added services

Sands China said a key advantage of the partnership lies in the introduction of value-added services beyond traditional wholesale supply.

Unlike conventional suppliers that deliver unprocessed produce, YOUFRUIT provides precision-cut ingredients that can be used directly in kitchens, significantly reducing preparation time and internal labor requirements.

Its local processing model also enables shorter transport distances and tighter cold-chain control, helping maintain freshness and reduce handling losses. Compared with cross-border supply chains, the “cut-and-deliver” approach offers greater flexibility and responsiveness to customized requirements.

For Sands China, this model allows kitchen operations to allocate more resources to culinary quality and customer experience rather than preparatory work.

Both YOUFRUIT and the integrated resort operator see strong growth potential in Macau’s fruit and vegetable pre-processing sector, fueled by rising tourism numbers and the continued development of the city’s catering industry.

Christy said, “With the growth in visitor arrivals and the continuous expansion of the food and beverage business, we believe demand for fruit and vegetable cutting and preparation services will grow steadily among both large enterprises and medium-sized restaurants.”

However, Sands China noted that the number of local suppliers meeting professional hygiene and processing standards remains limited, expressing support for more local enterprises entering the sector – particularly those investing in technology upgrades, food safety systems, and supply chain optimization.

Shaping a new procurement model

Sands China’s procurement approach is quietly reshaping how local startups engage with large-scale integrated resort operators. Rather than simply treating SMEs as suppliers, the company is increasingly positioning them as strategic partners within a broader ecosystem of operational improvement and innovation.

For emerging startups, the message from Sands China is clear: those that can deliver agility, efficiency, and innovation will not only find opportunities within Macau’s evolving food and beverage landscape, but also become part of its long-term transformation.