Born in the U.S.A., he’s bringing his business back to America. William Heinecke, the American-born entrepreneur who built an empire of hotels, fast food and retail in Thailand will take his Minor Hotel Group to the United States and Japan as part of a multiyear strategic expansion.

It’s an ambitious goal. Minor has 560 properties in 58 countries and regions under a variety of brands including the luxury-level Anantara and Elewana, along with Avani, Tivoli, NH Hotel and Oaks. But the firm is aiming to nearly double that by owning 1,000 properties by 2029 with the U.S. and Japan playing crucial roles in enlarging its portfolio.

Minor is staging a “strategic expansion into high-growth markets” under a strategy for “scalable growth,” said Group CEO Dillip Rajakarier said.

In the United States, Minor already has several mid-level properties and one Anantara resort in Florida. In its American foray, the company said it would focus on growing Anantara, burnishing its reputation in the luxury segment of the market.

While the hotel market in Southeast Asia has been staging a strong recovery since the pandemic, many analysts have said the region may reach a saturation point in coming years. That makes it logical for hospitality firms with plentiful resources to seek growth opportunities in other markets.

The son of a Voice of America correspondent, Heinecke founded Minor in Bangkok in 1967 when he was still a teenager, hence the name of the firm. Defying most industry analysts at the time, he bet big on the idea that Thais would enjoy American fast food, particularly pizza. His bet paid off.

He poured his profits into acquiring hotels and then retail franchises, building one of the largest fortunes in the Kingdom. Grateful for the opportunities the Kingdom afforded him, Heinecke became a Thai citizen during the 1990s.

Photo: Anatara