When a fried chicken brand can point to freestanding restaurants averaging nearly $5 million in annual gross sales, experienced operators pay attention. Jollibee is betting they'll do more than that — they'll sign development agreements.
The global restaurant brand, famous for its signature Chickenjoy fried chicken and its joyful hospitality, says it has built significant momentum through the first half of 2026, adding three multi-unit franchise developers to its existing four. That brings the total to seven franchise groups and puts Jollibee on a clear path toward 330 US franchise restaurants by 2030.
Seven Franchise Groups and a Clear Growth Runway
The new development activity — paired with a slate of upcoming corporate and franchise openings — signals the next phase of Jollibee's North American expansion. New restaurants this year will deepen the brand's footprint in two high-priority markets, California and New York, while building awareness among consumers beyond its already devoted fan base.
"It's been a great year so far. We have a high degree of confidence in franchising as a key way to grow, and the quality of the franchise candidates we are engaging with is impressive. We are also really excited about upcoming new store openings, both corporate and franchise, this year," said Peter Wright, vice president of franchise development for Jollibee Group North America.
The company's franchise strategy stays deliberately focused: partnering with seasoned restaurant operators who can execute multi-unit development while holding the operational standards that helped make Jollibee one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world.
The Numbers Behind the Pitch
Jollibee is courting operators who want high-volume concepts with real white space left across North America. The draw is a combination of strong average unit volumes, global brand recognition, and rising consumer awareness.
According to the company's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document:
- Freestanding restaurants averaged approximately $4.91 million in annual gross sales during 2025.
- In-line locations averaged approximately $5.07 million.*
Those figures are derived from 37 freestanding and 40 in-line reporting locations open for the full 2025 calendar year — a meaningful, if still developing, sample as the brand scales.
Global Recognition Fuels the Story
The franchise push arrives as Jollibee keeps earning attention on the world stage. Earlier this year, TIME named Jollibee one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2026 and recognized the brand among the publication's 10 Most Influential Food & Drink Companies.
That recognition matters for franchise recruitment: brand equity and cultural relevance are exactly what experienced multi-unit investors weigh before committing capital.
"We're excited about where we are today and where we're headed. The interest we're seeing from experienced franchise operators, combined with the restaurants we're opening this year, gives us tremendous confidence as we continue building Jollibee across North America," Wright said.
Why It Matters
For franchise investors, foodservice executives, and multi-unit operators evaluating where to place their next development dollars, Jollibee's 2026 momentum is a signal worth reading closely.
- The opportunity: A path to 330 US units by 2030 means substantial available territory. With only seven franchise groups on board so far, early movers can secure market share in a proven, high-AUV concept before the map fills in.
- The economics: AUVs approaching $5 million position Jollibee among the stronger performers in QSR — a compelling top-line story for procurement and finance teams modeling multi-unit returns. (Standard FDD caveats apply: individual results differ, and not every operator will hit the average.)
- The strategic read: Jollibee's focus on experienced, multi-unit developers rather than single-store owners tells you what kind of partner it wants — and reflects a broader industry shift toward disciplined, operator-led scaling.
The practical takeaway: if you're a franchise operator seeking a differentiated, culturally resonant concept with room to grow, brands executing disciplined multi-unit expansion — like Jollibee — belong on your shortlist. For suppliers and distributors, a fast-growing footprint in California and New York is a new procurement relationship in the making.
The Bigger Picture
Jollibee sits within Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), one of the world's fastest-growing restaurant companies, with 19 brands and over 10,000 stores across 33 countries. That global scale — spanning wholly owned brands like Smashburger and Tim Ho Wan and stakes in names like The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf — gives its US franchisees the backing of a deep, diversified operator.
Curious how other operators are thinking about multi-unit growth and franchise strategy? Explore our coverage of the top full-service restaurant franchises to consider and how hospitality groups are engineering strategic growth under new leadership.
Is Jollibee's 330-by-2030 target the kind of concept you'd add to your portfolio? Share your take in the comments — we want to hear from the operators building the next wave of QSR.
*Annual gross sales are derived from 37 freestanding and 40 in-line reporting locations open for the full 2025 calendar year. Freestanding locations ranged from $2,053,972 to $9,820,614, with an average of $4,907,120 (19/51% exceeded the average). In-line locations ranged from $2,205,139 to $9,407,510, with an average of $5,074,194 (18/45% exceeded the average). Some outlets have earned this amount. Your individual results may differ. There is no assurance that you will earn as much. See Item 19 of the JBM LLC Franchise Disclosure Document.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
