Jollibee to open new stores abroad

MANILA, Philippines — The Jollibee Group continues to expand with more openings abroad as it  seeks to become one of the top five restaurant companies in the world.

Jollibee Group CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said despite the pandemic, the group would open more Jollibee stores in different countries starting next year.

“We’re excited to bring the Jollibee brand to more countries around the globe – in line with our mission of serving great-tasting food,” Tanmantiong said.

The listed restaurant chain will start 2022 with the opening of stores in Scotland in the United Kingdom and in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur.

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we continue to open more Jollibee stores and are glad to see the community’s support wherever we open. We look forward to bringing the joy of eating to more and more people in different parts of the world, sustaining our growth momentum as we enter 2022,” Tanmantiong said.

The group will also continue with its expansion in Vietnam, with plans to open its 150th store in the Southeast Asian country early next year.

Jollibee’s expansion plans in these markets are fueled by its appeal to a widening customer base, Tanmantiong said.

Jollibee’s entry into Scotland follows an earlier opening in Wales. Scotland is part of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom and is the second-largest in terms of population, with over five million people.

In Malaysia, Jollibee plans to grow to 120 stores within the next 10 years. The new store will be located in Sunway Pyramid, which is a popular destination mall among locals and tourists alike.

Vietnam is home to Jollibee’s largest store network outside of the Philippines.

At present, Jollibee operates in 34 countries, with over 5,800 stores globally and branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and India.

The stores globally are under Jollibee’s eight wholly-owned brands and six franchised brands. Theses are Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger and Burger King, Panda Express, PHO24, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines; as well as Dunkin’ and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China.

It also has 80 percent ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; and 60 percent ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24.