ABU DHABI
Filipino fast food chain, Jollibee, is planning to open 25-30 stores in the UAE by 2020, a partner in the company told Gulf News in an interview.
The company opened its second branch in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday on Al Falah Street. It already has a store in Mushrif Mall, which was launched in December last year.
“Before 2020, we plan to have 25-30 stores in the UAE. There is a lot of demand for the kind of food that is served in Jollibee and we plan to expand in the UAE,” said Hisham Al Gurg, a partner in the firm.
The two consecutive store openings in Abu Dhabi add to the over 1,100 branches operating across the globe, with 28 in the Middle East covering Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. Jollibee entered the UAE in May 2015 with The Dubai Mall opening, followed by four more stores during 2016, including branches at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates and the BurJuman Centre.
Apart from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the company plans to have new stores in Sharjah and Al Ain in the coming months.
“We are looking for a suitable place to open a store in Sharjah. Al Ain is also on our radar as we focus on expansion. The brand is popular with both Filipinos and expats,” Al Gurg said.
Asked whether the business has been profitable, he said they had a good 2016 with revenues and profits exceeding their expectations. He did not provide figures on revenue and profits. “We had a fantastic year last year. Revenues and profits were beyond our expectations. We hope to continue the growth this year too,” he said.
The new store in Abu Dhabi, with a seating capacity for 170 people, offers visitors a variety of best-selling items including widely popular Chickenjoy and Jolly Spaghetti.
