Manila / PH. (jfc) Jollibee Foods Corporation, operator of the Philippines largest fast food network, is a restaurant chain that has also locations in the United States, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Dubai and Brunei. It is an American style fast-food restaurant with Filipino-influenced dishes specializing in chicken, burgers and spaghetti. In March 2006 it had 1.287 stores in the Philippines and 161 in other countries – Wikipedia says. Jollibee is hungry. So we think they have some more outlets today. Last Philippine headline: «Jollibee to put up five more stores in Vietnam – Chain eyes expansions in USA, China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia».
Jollibee is expanding its stores in Vietnam to nine by the end of 2007 as it remains very upbeat in that country´s economic prospects. Vietnam is touted as the Pacific Rim´s fastest-growing economy after China. Dennis Flores, vice president and country head for Jollibee Middle East, says that Vietnam is an attractive market with a population of 85 million and an economy that is growing at seven to eight percent a year. «Vietnam is an attractive market with the high growth of western fast food industry and the improving performance of our existing stores», Flores says.
Jollibee chairman Tony Tan Caktiong has traced the fast food giant´s strong business growth in its foreign operations to continuing improvements in product tastes to suit certain markets, particularly China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Dubai and the United States.
Aside from Vietnam, Jollibee wants to focus on expanding into the United States, China, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. In China, the company is keen on expanding its this and that chain and to acquire three more brands, possibly in the fast food sector within the next two to three years. The company is also looking at opening its first stores in Asia´s and Middle East´s big cities such as Jakarta (Indonesia) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
