Jollibee, the Philippines’ largest restaurant company, will enter Australia under two franchise agreements, an expansion the government says is set to create jobs in three sectors.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the agreements Sunday in Manila alongside Jollibee Global President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong. The plan covers dozens of outlets in New South Wales and Victoria. The government says new roles will span retail and product supply, as well as logistics.
Jollibee operates more than 1,600 stores across 17 countries, according to the prime minister’s office. The Australian announcement also cited a Filipino diaspora of more than 400,000 people born in the Philippines, ranking the community as the country’s fifth largest. Greater Sydney has Australia’s largest Filipino population.
The government said the planned stores would broaden access to home-style Filipino dishes and give Australians an opportunity to experience the country’s cuisine and culture. Albanese said he welcomed investment that “supports Australian jobs.”
