Fastfood chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. said Friday it plans to open 28 stores in North America this year in line with its goal to have 300 stores in the region by 2024.
It said the target was to open 19 stores in the United States and nine stores in Canada this year. The 2021 expansion will mark Jollibee’s largest addition to its North American store network.
Jollibee said despite the pandemic, it opened 16 stores in the two countries last year, including four in December.
It opened stores in San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; Delano, California; and Yonge Street in Toronto, Canada last month.
Jollibee said it had 68 stores in North America as of end-2020, including 48 in the US and 14 in Canada.
The company said that while there were challenges across the restaurant industry, it persevered by focusing on off-premise channels apart from dine-in services.
Jollibee said it encouraged customers at the onset of the pandemic to experience the joy of Jollibee from the comfort and safety of their own homes via call ahead pick-up, take-out and drive-thru. By April, Jollibee announced the launch of its nationwide delivery service via DoorDash.
“We have remained nimble and optimistic which has led Jollibee to defy expectations amidst an extremely difficult year and experience double-digit sales growth across North America,” said Maribeth Dela Cruz, president of Jollibee Group North America, Philippine brands.
“Make no mistake though. We would not be weathering these hard times without the support of our customers. They’ve showed up for us, and now we want to show up for them. We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support we’ve received from across these regions and are thrilled to deliver a small spark of joy for them and their families,” Dela Cruz said.
The company said that to provide a safe environment for customers and store team members amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the dining rooms of these stores would remain closed until further notice.
Each store will offer a mix of alternative channels for receiving food, including call ahead and pick-up, take-out, drive-thru and delivery services.