When Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) first opened outlets overseas in the mid-1980s, its primary revenue engine was the Filipino diaspora longing for a taste of home. Today, the Manila-headquartered fast food titan with over 10,700 stores covering 20 brands in 33 countries is making a bolder bet: winning over non-Filipino taste buds from London and Los Angeles to Hanoi and Hainan.
Backed by localized menu innovations for its 557 overseas own-name stores, from Middle Eastern-inspired pistachio kunafa sundaes to custom adaptations in Europe, and further expansion of its other holdings, JFC is keen to demonstrate it is serious about its bid for quick-service restaurant dominance. The strategy is expected to be anchored by a spinoff of all assets outside its domestic market, which the company announced on September 1 would be in Hong Kong.
Analysts said the latter move—announced in January—has gained greater significance because the Philippine economy has been one of the hardest hit by the global energy crisis triggered by the Iran war, and Jollibee’s profits have suffered as a result. In the first half of 2026 the domestic operations accounted for 75% of global operating income but only 54.3% of gross profit. On August 31, the peso hit an all-time low against the dollar.
