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Jollibee’s cafe-buying spree brews a showdown with startups

JFC has long served brewed coffee in Jollibee and its other fast-food outlets, but it had no dedicated coffee brand until it began acquiring them

    • Valued at US$4.5 billion, Jollibee Foods Corporation has made some notable moves into the cafe scene lately.
    • Valued at US$4.5 billion, Jollibee Foods Corporation has made some notable moves into the cafe scene lately. PHOTO: REUTERS
    Published Fri, Mar 21, 2025 · 10:42 AM

    THE scent of butter and coffee drifts onto High Street Cafe, a food hall located in Metro Manila, Philippines. Inside, bakers stack croissants and kouign-amanns as baristas fire up espresso machines.

    A month in, Tiong Bahru Bakery’s first outpost outside Singapore is buzzing. The crowd? Young, well-heeled, and eager for the flaky pastries served on blue and teal ceramics.

    Behind the bakery sits a familiar sight – an outlet of Jollibee, the Philippines’ largest fast-food chain famous for its Chickenjoy fried chicken.

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