JOLLIBEE Foods Corp. (JFC) is ramping up its push into the global coffee segment, buoyed by what it said was a strong Taiwan debut of its Compose Coffee brand and continued high growth from Highlands Coffee.
In a statement on Thursday, Jollibee said that Compose Coffee, a majority-owned South Korean brand, drew strong demand during the pre-opening of its first store in Taiwan, signaling solid traction in a new market ahead of its planned Philippine launch this year.
Customers were said to have lined up as early as 8 a.m., with peak sales reportedly reaching one cup every 20 seconds and wait times stretching up to two hours.
The store generated around NT$70,000 (about P132,941) in first-day sales, highlighting strong consumer interest in the brand’s value-driven offerings.
Jollibee Group International CEO Richard Shin said the early performance underscored the brand’s global potential.
“We are encouraged by the strong early response to Compose Coffee’s proposition in Taiwan. We believe the brand has unlimited potential to become a leading global brand,” Shin said.
The Taiwan entry will provides operational insights as the brand prepares to enter the Philippine market within the year.
Complementing this momentum, Highlands Coffee, operated by Jollibee’s Vietnam-based unit, posted high double-digit revenue growth in 2025, with same-store sales growth reaching high single digits in the first quarter of 2026.
The brand also maintained what the company described as “best-in-class” store-level profitability, supported by disciplined cost management and a streamlined operating model.
Highlands Coffee founder and CEO David Thai said the results validate the brand’s long-term growth model.
“Highlands Coffee’s market leadership and continued strong performance are a strong validation of our brand and business model. We’re seeing robust and improving store performance and continued traction across channels,” Thai said.
Shin, for his part, said “Highlands Coffee strengthens our coffee and tea platform and expands our presence in a large, growing category. It reinforces our strategy to build scalable, high-growth businesses across our international portfolio, while maintaining disciplined capital allocation."
Jollibee’s coffee and beverage portfolio also includes brands such as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
JFC shares on Thursday jumped P4.50, or 2.81 percent, to close at P164.50 each. NAZYLEN JOY MABANGLO
