The fried chicken restaurant is the flagship brand of food and beverage giant Jollibees Food Corporation.
By Andrew Carlo
Jollibee, the award-winning fried chicken restaurant, revealed that it has launched its first U.S franchising program.
Back in 1998, Jollibee opened its first North American location in Daly City, California. The brand now has 76 locations in 14 U.S. states and 28 stores in Canada. According to Jollibee, the company’s expansion goal is to have 350 locations in the United States and Canada over the next couple of years.
The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain is the flagship brand of Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), also known as the Jollibee Group, which is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies. In its franchise announcement, Jollibee said that it is seeking “high-caliber, multi-unit franchisees, who can not only bring operational expertise and development capabilities, but also share its passion to bring the joy of eating to everyone.”
Jollibee restaurants in the U.S. reported average gross sales of $4.3M in the prior calendar year, the company said. Additionally, Jollibee reported that it has witnessed 50 consecutive months of positive same-store sales growth, driven largely by increasing customer transaction.
The food and beverage chain was also recently named “the best fast-food fried chicken” in America by USA TODAY. Jollibee said it is best known for its fried chicken and chicken sandwiches.
“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,” said 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.”
Based in the Philippines, JFC operates 19 brands with over 9,500 stores across 32 countries.
As part of the announcement, Jollibee said that it 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. Under the new franchise program, JBM offering a range of ownership opportunities to fit various locations and business needs.
Physical options for new locations are plentiful under the franchise program. Franchisee candidates will be able to choose from stand-alone buildings with or without drive-thru, strip mall endcaps, urban storefronts, and exterior mall entrances. The brand noted that it 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.
JFC’s portfolio include 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 (80%), Compose Coffee (70%), SuperFoods Group that operates Highlands Coffee (60%), and bubble tea brand Milksha (51%).
For more information about the franchise program, visit jollibeefoods.com/franchising.
