Jollibee Foods Corp. is accelerating its Canadian expansion, signing its first multi-unit franchise deal in British Columbia and lining up 26 new restaurants that could nearly double its Canadian footprint within five years.
The agreement, signed in July by Jollibee’s North American franchisor JBM LLC with an experienced multi-brand food retailer, calls for 16 new restaurants across British Columbia over the next five years.
It follows a 10-store development agreement for Edmonton signed in June, bringing Jollibee’s committed Canadian franchise pipeline to 26 locations.
With 28 company-operated restaurants already in Canada, the commitments could lift the network to 54 stores within five years.
The British Columbia deal also signals a strategic shift. After building its Canadian presence largely through company-owned outlets, Jollibee is leaning harder on franchising to expand faster while keeping capital deployment disciplined.
The company already operates four stores in British Columbia. Its new franchise partner brings experience in restaurant operations and multi-unit development, giving Jollibee a local operator as it seeks to build scale in one of Canada’s key markets.
“Canada continues to be an attractive growth market for Jollibee, supported by strong consumer demand, strong brand relevance, and increasing interest from experienced franchise operators,” Richard Shin, Jollibee Group chief financial and risk officer and international chief executive officer, said.
The latest deal comes as Jollibee holds talks with potential franchise partners across several Canadian provinces, raising the prospect of further commitments beyond the 26 restaurants already on the books.
The appeal of the strategy is straightforward. Franchising lets Jollibee add stores with less corporate capital, share investment risk with local operators, and expand its reach without having to build every restaurant itself.
For a company with global ambitions, Canada is becoming more than a promising overseas market. It is becoming a test of whether Jollibee can turn brand popularity into scalable, capital-light growth.
Jollibee Group operates 20 brands with more than 10,700 stores and cafés across 33 countries.
