Jollibee Doubles Down on Western Canada With New Franchise Development Deals

Published August 17, 2026 | Franchise Expansion

Two Deals, 26 New Restaurants

Jollibee Foods Corporation is making its most aggressive move yet into Western Canada. The Philippines-based fast-food giant confirmed this month that two separate franchise development agreements — one covering British Columbia, the other Edmonton — commit its franchise partners to opening a combined 26 new restaurants over the coming years, a plan that would nearly double the brand's Canadian footprint by the early 2030s.

The British Columbia agreement, signed in July, commits an experienced multi-brand food-retail operator to developing 16 new locations over five years, expanding Jollibee's presence in the province from four restaurants toward a potential 20. In Edmonton, a separate agreement signed in June adds 10 restaurants to a city that already has four Jollibee locations. Combined, the two deals represent the company's largest franchise commitment in Canada to date.

From Company-Owned to Franchise-Led Growth

The agreements mark a deliberate strategic pivot. Jollibee's Canadian business has, until recently, grown primarily through company-operated restaurants — 28 of them, spread across five provinces, with Ontario (12 locations), Alberta (8) and British Columbia (4) forming the core of the network. Going forward, growth is shifting toward a hybrid franchise model run through JBM LLC, Jollibee's North American franchising arm, which is now actively recruiting experienced multi-unit operators to accelerate expansion into provinces beyond its Western Canada base.

Inside the British Columbia Agreement

The BC deal is structured as a multi-unit development agreement, meaning the franchise partner is contractually committed to opening all 16 locations on a set timeline rather than negotiating each restaurant individually — a structure Jollibee has increasingly favoured internationally because it accelerates market density and gives franchisees exclusivity within defined territories. If fully executed, the agreement alone would quintuple Jollibee's BC restaurant count.

Edmonton's Head Start

Edmonton's 10-restaurant commitment, signed a month before the BC deal, effectively serves as the template Jollibee is now replicating across Western Canada. With four restaurants already trading in the city, the additional locations would make Edmonton one of Jollibee's largest single-market concentrations in the country outside Ontario.

The Numbers Behind the North American Push

The Canadian expansion sits inside a much larger ambition: Jollibee has set a target of 500 restaurants across North America by 2030. The company's North American business posted 6.8% same-store sales growth in the first quarter of 2026, giving management confidence to lean further into franchising as the primary growth vehicle rather than capital-intensive company-owned openings.

“This latest agreement reflects the growing appeal of the Jollibee brand and our confidence in the long-term opportunity in Canada,” Shin said. “As we continue to expand through disciplined franchising, we remain focused on partnering with operators who share our commitment to operational excellence, sustainable growth and building scale in priority markets.”

What It Means for Franchisees

For prospective Canadian franchise operators, Jollibee's shift signals a widening window of opportunity, but one aimed squarely at experienced, well-capitalized multi-unit players rather than first-time owners. Both the BC and Edmonton agreements went to operators with existing food-retail track records, suggesting Jollibee is prioritizing execution certainty over rapid franchisee recruitment. For operators who can meet that bar, the brand's same-store sales momentum and relatively under-penetrated Western Canada footprint — just four restaurants across BC prior to this deal — represent a rare greenfield opportunity among established international QSR brands in Canada.

Looking Ahead

With 28 company-operated restaurants today and a contracted pipeline that pushes the total toward at least 54 by the early 2030s, Jollibee's Canadian growth curve is about to steepen materially. The key test will be whether JBM LLC can replicate the BC and Edmonton template in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada — provinces the company has signalled as next in line for franchise-led expansion.

Sources :

• Retail Insider, "Jollibee Plans Major Canadian Expansion as 26 New Restaurants Committed Through Franchising," August 10, 2026 — https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2026/08/jollibee-plans-major-canadian-expansion-as-26-new-restaurants-committed-through-franchising/
• Philstar.com, "Jollibee ramps up Canada expansion," August 11, 2026 — https://www.philstar.com/business/2026/08/11/2548365/jollibee-ramps-canada-expansion