Homegrown fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) will head into 2022 with new overseas markets, with its flagship Jollibee brand debuting first in Scotland and Malaysia to ride on the reopening of the global economy after nearly two years of pandemic-induced lockdowns.
Early next year, JFC is also opening its 150th Jollibee store in Vietnam, home to the largest store network of the Jollibee brand outside the Philippines.
“We’re excited to bring the Jollibee brand to more countries around the globe, in line with our mission of serving great-tasting food,” JFC chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong said in a press statement on Friday.
“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,” he added.
In plotting its global expansion, JFC is banking on the Jollibee brand’s growing “appeal to a widening customer base,” apart from the overseas Filipino communities that typically form its core customer base.
120 restos in Malaysia
The entry of this Filipino brand into Scotland comes on the heels of its successful 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.
Meanwhile, the first Jollibee store in Malaysia will be in Kuala Lumpur’s Sunway Pyramid, a popular destination mall among local consumers and tourists.
To recall, JFC formed earlier this year a joint venture company to own and operate stores in West Malaysia, which includes the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The goal is to open at least 120 new restaurants under the Jollibee brand in 10 years.
In Vietnam, the brand is set to open its 150th store in a popular location. Vietnam is among JFC’s biggest overseas markets aside from the United States and China.
To date, JFC operates in 34 countries, with over 5,800 stores globally.