West Covina, Calif. — Jollibee, a global fast-food fried chicken concept based in the Philippines, is launching its first franchising program in the U.S. The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain is the flagship brand of Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), also known as the Jollibee Group, one of the world’s fastest-growing restaurant companies.
Jollibee opened its first North American location in 1998 in Daly City, Calif., and currently operates 76 stores spanning 14 states in the U.S. and 28 stores in Canada. Jollibee’s projected expansion goal is to have 350 stores across both the U.S. and Canada in the next couple of years. Jollibee’s franchising program will play a critical role in this growth strategy, with franchise-owned stores projected to make up the majority of its footprint.
“Jollibee brings a special warmth and hospitality to the QSR landscape in North America — it’s a unique element that our brand is very proud of, and we are even more proud to provide that joyful dining experience that you won’t find anywhere else,” says Maribeth Dela Cruz, business group head, Honeybee Foods Corporation dba Jollibee. “Franchise candidates have the opportunity to build upon 47 years of expansion and usher in a new era for Jollibee.”
Jollibee has established a U.S. subsidiary, JBM LLC (JBM), to operate its U.S. franchise program. JBM is currently vetting potential franchisees with strong restaurant operations experience and will soon be awarding franchises in both existing and new markets.
Qualified candidates will be able to choose from stand-alone buildings with or without drive-thru, strip mall endcaps, urban storefronts and exterior mall entrances. Jollibee is also open to exploring opportunities in other high-traffic locations, like airports, transit hubs, food courts, and college campuses with the right experienced operators.
For more information, visit www.jollibeefoods.com/franchising.
Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), also known as the Jollibee Group, is one of the world’s fastest-growing restaurant companies and has 19 brands with over 9,500 stores across 32 countries. Its portfolio includes nine wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger and Tim Ho Wan), five franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, Yoshinoya, Common Man Coffee Roasters, and Tiong Bahru Bakery in the Philippines), and ownership stakes in other key brands like The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Compose Coffee, SuperFoods Group that operates Highlands Coffee, and bubble tea brand Milksha.
For more information, visit www.jollibeegroup.com.
SOURCE: Jollibee