MANILA, Philippines — Homegrown fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) is drawing intense interest from large-scale franchise operators in the United States, with some multi-unit groups looking to open bundles of at least 50 stores.The massive franchise inquiries arrive as the company successfully cements its footprint in the highly competitive North American fast-food sector.
The disclosure was made by Jollibee Group Chief Financial and Risk Officer Richard Shin during the Philippine Stock Exchange’s (PSE) Investor Day 2026.
According to Shin, the surge in institutional franchise demand is tied directly to JFC’s aggressive positioning in the rapidly growing American chicken market.
- The Top Three Standing: Jollibee has officially climbed to become the third-largest chain in Annual Unit Volume (AUV) among chicken-focused brands in the United States. Jollibee’s average yearly sales per store now trail behind only industry titans Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s.
- The Beef Cost Catalyst: JFC’s chicken-centric global menu is proving to be a massive advantage as global beef prices continue to face severe supply chain volatility and rising commodity costs.
- Franchise-Led, Low-Risk Capital: Shin noted that JFC’s current borrowing costs remain significantly lower than the projected financial returns generated by new physical branches. This spread allows the group to aggressively scale its global footprint using a heavily franchise-led strategy without incurring expensive, fresh debt or issuing corporate bonds.
JFC’s broader international portfolio continues to hit key operational milestones across different continents, leaning on localized scaling:
- Southern California Focus: To maximize immediate logistics efficiency and reduce shipping friction, Jollibee plans to cluster its upcoming, immediate US corporate expansions specifically around Southern California to build a highly optimized supply chain scale.
- The Korean Coffee Push: Following its acquisition of Compose Coffee in South Korea, JFC expects the brand to open roughly 360 mostly franchised stores this year alone.
- Global Franchise Ratio: Across its worldwide network of over 10,000 corporate locations, roughly 70 percent are now owned and managed by third-party franchisees rather than the parent company.
Despite broader macroeconomic headwinds—including ongoing inflationary pressures and regional shipping risks stemming from the geopolitical crisis involving Iran—JFC reported that a series of strategic price adjustments implemented in April 2026 have had virtually zero negative impact on consumer demand, positioning the restaurant giant for a highly stable fiscal year.
