Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) has been named Global Growth Champion at the inaugural Globie Awards, with organizers citing the Philippine-founded restaurant group's expansion to more than 10,700 stores and cafés across 33 countries.

The company was chosen from a field of 12 nominees and secured more than 74% of the votes from the award's advisory panel, Jollibee Group said in a statement on Tuesday. The Globie Awards recognize companies and executives for performance in global restaurant leadership, growth, innovation, and operations, and the group is scheduled to receive the honor at the Global Restaurant Leadership Conference, an annual gathering of senior restaurant-industry executives, in November.

Founded in 1978 by Tony Tan Caktiong, who started with an ice cream parlor before shifting into hot meals, Jollibee grew into the Philippines' dominant fast-food chain, where it has long outsold global rival McDonald's, and listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange in 1993.

Jollibee Group operates a portfolio of 20 brands through a mix of wholly owned, franchised, and invested businesses. Many of those brands came through acquisitions as the group diversified beyond its flagship fried-chicken chain, including a majority of Smashburger in 2018, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in 2019, Taiwan's Milksha in 2021, and a 2024 agreement for a controlling stake in South Korea's Compose Coffee — deals that pushed the company deeper into coffee, tea, and Asian dining concepts.

"Growing across markets requires more than opening stores; it takes brands that are relevant to local customers, strong operating teams, committed franchisees and partners, and the ability to execute consistently across different geographies," said David Beal, Jollibee Group Global Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Digital Marketing.

"That is the foundation we continue to build as we grow Jollibee Group into a truly global restaurant company," he added.

As of end-June, the group operated 10,767 stores worldwide, comprising 7,251 overseas and 3,516 in the Philippines — a balance that leaves roughly two-thirds of its network outside its home market. Its global network expanded 6.4% year on year, with 461 gross new stores opened during the first half, roughly 70% of them franchised.

International operations outpaced the Philippine business in same-store sales growth during the second quarter. Same-store sales rose 4.4% overseas and 1.3% in the Philippines, bringing consolidated same-store sales growth to 2.7%.

The quarter's stronger international markets included Jollibee North America, where same-store sales climbed 8.6%; Smashburger, up 7%; Jollibee Vietnam, up 17.9%; Highlands Coffee, up 11.5%; and Compose Coffee, up 12.4%.

Consolidated system-wide sales rose 14.2% to P130.81 billion in the second quarter, while revenue increased 10.7% to P85.91 billion. Attributable net income for the quarter grew 5.7% to P3.39 billion from P3.21 billion a year earlier.

For the first half, system-wide sales climbed 12.4% to P244.67 billion, while revenue increased 9.9% to P162.45 billion. Attributable net income, however, declined 13.3% to P4.87 billion from P5.62 billion in the same period last year.

At end-June, Jollibee Group's international network comprised 3,098 Compose Coffee stores, 1,097 The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores, 1,062 Highlands Coffee stores, 602 stores in China, 455 in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, 340 in North America, 358 Milksha stores, 156 Shabu All Day stores, and 83 Tim Ho Wan stores.

The group also took Compose Coffee outside South Korea for the first time with the opening of its first store in Taiwan. Jollibee Group said it continues to prioritize franchise-led expansion and disciplined site selection, with international openings concentrated in Asia.

On Tuesday, Jollibee Foods Corp. shares rose 0.44%, or P0.70, to P160.70. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno