Canada’s Agriculture Minister, Ambassador Visit Jollibee Group Headquarters in Manila

MANILA, Philippines. – The Jollibee Group, led by President and Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong, recently welcomed the Canadian Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman, and other key Canadian government and industry officials to its headquarters in Pasig City, Philippines. 

Minister MacAulay’s visit is part of Canada’s efforts to strengthen ties with the Philippines and explore other areas of collaboration, in line with the 75th anniversary of Philippine-Canadian relations. 

“It is a privilege to host The Honorable Minister MacAulay, His Excellency Ambassador Hartman, and the Canadian delegation to the Jollibee Group,” shared Ernesto Tanmantiong, Chief Executive Officer of the Jollibee Group. “This comes at an opportune time as we recently opened our 100th Jollibee store in North America, right in Canada’s British Columbia. We thank the Canadian people for welcoming us since day one of our first store opening. Their warm and ever-increasing patronage gives us more joy to expand in Canada and North America, which is a key pillar of our global expansion.” 

“During my visit to the Philippines and Malaysia, I had the pleasure of meeting with a number of food companies that source our world-class Canadian agricultural products, including the wonderful folks at Jollibee. With the opening of our first-ever Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office, we are cementing our presence in the region for years to come and boosting trade and cooperation on both sides of the Pacific,” said Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. 

During the meeting, Minister MacAulay underscored Canada’s commitment to helping build resilient, sustainable supply chains in the region as part of its Indo-Pacific Agriculture strategy. 

Alongside Minister MacAulay and Ambassador Hartman were the Honorable Kevin Lamoureux, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the House of Commons; Paul MacKinnon, President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; and other key representatives from Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry. Mr. Tanmantiong was joined by William Tan Untiong, Chief Business Support Officer; Joseph Tanbuntiong, Jollibee Group Chief Business Officer; David Beal, Global Chief Marketing Officer; Ferns Yu, President of Jollibee Philippines; and other representatives from Jollibee brand and Jollibee Group procurement.

To cap off the visit, the Canadian delegation made a brief stop at Jollibee’s 1000th Philippine store at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. They were warmly treated to a Jolly Kids Party, which, for many members of the delegation, also served as their very first taste of Jollibee’s bestsellers such as Chickenjoy fried chicken and Jolly Spaghetti.

Jollibee’s Presence in Canada

Jollibee opened its first store in Canada in Winnipeg in 2016, and currently has 28 stores across the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. 

Canada is also home to Jollibee’s 100th store in North America, which the brand recently opened in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, last January. The opening attracted huge crowds who waited hours to taste their Jollibee favorites, a testament to the brand’s strong equity and delicious offerings. The long queue was reminiscent of the first Canada store opening in Winnipeg, where people waited amidst heavy snowfall and sub-zero weather.

Recently, Jollibee has been recognized as the second fastest-growing restaurant brand and 5th strongest brand in the world by Brand Finance, a leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy.

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Jollibee USA Opens First Store in the State of Michigan, USA

MICHIGAN, USA. 22 January 2024 – The snow did not bother Detroiters who appeared undeterred by the freezing conditions in Sterling Heights, Michigan as they witnessed the much-anticipated opening of Jollibee’s first store in Michigan state.

“We are thrilled to be opening our first store in the state of Michigan, an important milestone in Jollibee’s accelerated North America growth strategy,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, the president and chief executive officer of Jollibee Group. “As the 10th largest U.S. state in terms of population, there is a huge opportunity for Jollibee to grow and thrive with the local communities in Michigan. We’re excited to introduce the residents of Michigan to Chickenjoy and the Jollibee experience.”

The milestone Jollibee branch is located at 44935 Woodridge Drive, in front of the Lakeside Mall in the city of Detroit–Michigan’s first capital city. While it had to cease dine-in services earlier than expected due to the bad weather, Jollibee Sterling Heights still exceeded its opening-day sales target, boosted by hundreds of hungry Detroiters who ordered through the store’s double-lane drive-thru.

“Despite the intense cold on the day of our opening, local Detroiters still came in droves to have a taste of our Jollibee favorites. We are truly grateful for their love and support,” said Maribeth Dela Cruz, the president of Jollibee North America. “We look forward to seeing both familiar faces and first-time customers at our first Michigan location in the close-knit Sterling Heights community, where we can’t wait to create many new joyful moments for those who call the Detroit area home.”

Among Jollibee–Sterling Heights’ opening-day bestsellers include Jollibee’s signature crispy and juicy Chickenjoy fried chicken, Chicken Sandwich (both regular and spicy versions), and Peach Mango Pie.

The Great Lakes State is officially the 14th U.S. state that Jollibee has reached in the market since it started its aggressive expansion effort in the region. Jollibee’s expansion in the market forms part of the Jollibee Group’s overall vision to be one of the top 5 restaurant companies in the world. For more information on the Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com.

A long line of people and cars flocked for the opening of Jollibee’s first location in Michigan state. Despite having to close the store early due to extreme weather conditions, Jollibee Sterling Heights was still able to exceed sales targets.

Jollibee Group Opens the First Common Man Coffee Roasters Café in PH

MANILA, Philippines. –The Jollibee Group is off to a great start this 2024 with the opening of the first Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR) cafe in the Philippines at the Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City last January 11, 2024. This milestone opening is part of the Jollibee Group’s aggressive growth plans this year, consistent with its vision of becoming one of the top five restaurant companies in the world.  

“We’re excited to bring the Common Man Coffee Roasters in the country and give the community an elevated café experience,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group’s President and CEO. 

“Common Man’s consciously sourced coffee and numerous deliciously healthy brunch options contribute to this experience and help fulfill our mission of spreading the joy of eating to everyone. We invite everyone to come visit our first ever Common Man Coffee Roasters café,” he added.

Championing specialty coffee & brunch

Established in 2013, Common Man Coffee Roasters aims to champion specialty coffee and the best all-day brunch and has expanded from Singapore to Malaysia, and now the Philippines. It also roasts and sells coffee beans and operates the Coffee Barista Academy in Singapore and Malaysia, which provides coffee training to baristas and coffee enthusiasts.

In the Philippines, the breadth of the café’s menu includes different types of specialty coffee, bannered by the Nitro Honey Oat Latte and Filter Brew. Its brunch is thoughtfully crafted, headlined by the Common Man Full Breakfast that has generous servings of sausage, bacon, portobello mushroom, hash browns, house-made baked chorizo beans, and greens along with artisanal sourdough. The crowd favorite Common Man Beef Brisket Benedict packs an indulging punch of savory in its tender braised beef topped by poached eggs and creamy hollandaise.  

The first location in the country, which has a modern, casual, “come as you are” ambiance, also features its own roastery. 

"Having a roastery on site for us to showcase the roasting method will not only help the customers understand the coffee process better, but it will also offer a unique dining and sensory experience for them," said Koon Beng Chua, CEO of the Spa Esprit Group, which operates Common Man Coffee Roasters in Singapore.

Celebrating partnerships

The Jollibee Group announced its joint venture with Food Collective Pte. Ltd. (FCPL) through FCJB Foods Inc. to own and operate Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines in August 2023. The Jollibee Group owns 60 percent in FCJB Foods Inc. 

"This is the first café from our partnership with the Spa Esprit Group and we’re looking forward to expanding the Common Man Coffee Roasters experience to more people. The strong collaboration between the two partners is very evident and is greatly rewarded by the enjoyment we see from people upon entering the café and upon tasting our menu selections.  We recognize the increasingly discerning palate of Filipinos and we’re here to delight them," said Joseph Tanbuntiong, Jollibee Group Chief Business Officer, during the store's inauguration and opening.

The inauguration rites were attended by Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines Constance See, Makati Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo, Spa Esprit Group CEO and Common Man Coffee Roasters’ co-founder Koon Beng Chua, Spa Esprit Food Group’s General Manager Michael Bovell, Ayala Malls President Mariana Zobel de Ayala, and Ayala Land Estates Group Deputy Head Chris Maglanoc. The Jollibee Group was represented by its President and CEO, Ernesto Tanmantiong, its Chief Business Support Officer and Chief Real Estate & Design Officer, William Tan Untiong, and its Chief Business Officer, Joseph Tanbuntiong, along with the President and Group Head for Greenwich, Red Ribbon, and Foreign Franchised Brands, JJ Alano, and AVP and Head of Business Development for Foreign Franchised Brands, Ned Bandojo.

The Common Man Coffee Roasters at Ayala Triangle is open every Monday to Sunday from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. 

To learn more about Common Man Coffee Roasters Philippines, visit their website, or follow them on social media via Facebook and Instagram. 

Jollibee Group Cited Anew in ASEAN Corporate Governance Awards

MANILA, Philippines. – The Jollibee Group has once again been awarded with a 1-Golden Arrow Recognition from the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS) Golden Arrow Awards, acknowledging the company’s success in responsible and transparent business practices.

Organized by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), the award recognizes the top Philippine publicly listed companies in corporate governance based on the ACGS.

“Getting cited again by the ASEAN ACGS validates our dedication to integrity, accountability, and transparency, ensuring that we conduct business ethically as an organization,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group President and CEO. “This is also consistent with our commitment to strong ESG practices that are aligned with our Joy for Tomorrow Global Sustainability Agenda, in which our business success is closely linked with our ability to create a beneficial influence on both society and the planet.”

According to ICD, the Golden Arrow is awarded to companies that achieved a score of at least eighty points in the ACGS Assessment, which means the company has exhibited observable conformance with the Philippine Code of Corporate Governance and internationally recommended corporate governance practices as espoused by the ACGS.

It measures the performance of companies in the areas of facilitating the rights and the equitable treatment of shareholders, how they relate to their different stakeholders, ensuring transparency and accountability thru timely disclosure of material information, and how the board guides the company strategically, monitors the management, and ensures the board’s accountability to the company and the shareholders.

The scorecard is composed of 184 questions based on publicly available disclosures on the companies’ websites. It aims to raise the corporate governance standards and practices of the country and to make well-governed Philippine publicly listed companies attractive to investors.