Jollibee to open 330 stores

Philippines-based fast food operator Jollibee Foods has reported a 14.3 per cent increase in income and announced a massive 330-store rollout for 2015.

Jollibee is the country’s largest fast-food chain saw global sales increase 12.9 per cent to P90.7 billion (US$2.05 billion) from P80.2 billion ($1.81 billion) year on year to December 31.

Its profit was P5.3 billion ($120 million), according to a lodgement with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Jollibee says it will open 330 stores this year – 220 of which will be in the Philippines. That’s a significant increase on last year’s 234 stores last year, of which 169 were in the Philippines and the remaining 65 abroad.

The expansion will be funded by a 65 per cent boost in capital expenditure this year. two thirds to be spent in the Philippines, the blance in China, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Jollibee operates 2301 restaurants inside the Philippines: 858 bearing the Jollibee banner, 456 Mang Inasal, 410 Chowkings, 211 Greenwich, 323 Red Ribbon, and 43 Burger Kings. It has a further 612 stores overseas, including 310 Yonghe Kings, 50 Sang Pin Wan stores and 42 Hong Zhuang Yuan stores in China; 125 Jollibees outside the Philippines, including 62 in Vietnam and 32 in the US; and a chain of Chowkings in the US and Middle East.

It also has a 50 per cent stake in Vietnamese chains Highlands Coffee, which has 78 stores in Vietnam and the Philippines, and Pho 24 which has 53 restaurants in Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia, Macau and Korea; and in 12 Sabu, which has 19 stores in China.

Jollibee says system-wide retail sales grew a faster 13.3 per cent in 2014, including company-owned and franchised stores.

Jollibee’s CFO Ysmael V. Baysa said profitability would have been higher if not for increased raw material costs last year.

“The raw material cost increases in 2014, averaging 5.4 per cent, brought pressure on our profit margins. We made important price adjustments and improved our store and manufacturing expenses during the year. We are now very close to fully covering these cost increases and look forward to the full recovery and improvement in gross profit margins in 2015 through lower cost of energy and more stable raw material prices,” he said.

“We will also offer even better products to our consumers to help ensure our products continue to provide them great value.”