JFC putting up more Tim Ho Wan stores in China

MANILA, Philippines — The Jollibee Group, the Filipino-owned Asian food conglomerate, targets to put up more Tim Ho Wan branches in China this year following its successful expansion in 2023.

Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) said Tim Ho Wan, its flagship Chinese cuisine brand, has continued to gain momentum in China after the launch of its 19th store in the country last year.

China is a key Asian market that has been the focus of the brand’s bold international expansion campaign.

“Overall, 2023 was a year filled with business opportunities in China with Tim Ho Wan performing well and delivering multiple achievements,” JFC president and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said.

“This 2024, we are optimistic and geared up to continue achieving new milestones and further boosting our presence in the country,” he said.

In 2018, JFC invested $45 million to own a 45 percent participating interest in Titan Dining LP which was the master franchisee of Tim Ho Wan in Asia-Pacific and has since raised its investment in the brand.

With its growing appeal in China, Tim Ho Wan opened in April last year its 19th location in Wuxi, a city with a population of 7.49 million people in the southern Jiangsu province in eastern China.

Tim Ho Wan also opened a store in Beijing, China’s capital with more than 22 million residents, in January 2023.

Last year, Tim Ho Wan likewise expanded its menu with 16 new products.

“Tim Ho Wan’s 2023 milestones in China were made possible by the passion and hard work of our exceptional local team, dedicated partners and loyal customers who eventually felt the need to tell others of our great-tasting food through their reviews and recommendations,” Tanmantiong said.

“Together, we have created an environment that serves quality and affordable Chinese dim sum and fosters a sense of community, core values that we strive to embody in all our brands,” he said.