As seen on Entrepreneur.com.ph:
With a population of 104 million, 49 percent of whom live in urban areas, and growing at an annual rate of 1.6 percent, the Philippines is an attractive prospect for many international franchise brands. According to Asia Development Bank (ADB), the Philippines' GDP is expected to grow by 6.8 percent in 2018 and by 6.9 percent in 2019, following the robust 6.6-percent expansion in 2017.
Franchising is already a major contributor to the country’s economic performance with a growth rate of 20 to 25 percent and turnover that now stands at over $7 billion since 2011. There are over 1,500 franchise brands operating 150,000 units.
International franchise brands represent about 35 percent of all franchises in the Philippines. US brands continue to have a well-deserved reputation for higher quality and performance, especially brands with already proven international franchise presence.
Bill Schreiber, vice president of international development for Little Caesars, says, “We here at Little Caesars believe that pizza is widely accepted in the Philippines. When you look at the number of restaurants that exist in the market, it shows how much the people of the Philippines love pizza.
Little Caesar's Pizza
“After doing research on the market, Little Caesars strongly believes that our pizza has a place in the market and we know from other countries that we do business in, that our Hot and Ready product offers all of our customers great convenience, quality and value. What we see is the opportunity for pizza-loving customers to be able to get the bestselling pizza, that is not only fresh but hot and ready for them. When customers realize that they can get a high quality pizza in their hands in one minute or less, they realize how convenient that is for them. We are proud to be able to bring our great tasting pizza to the Philippines.”
For bubble milk tea lovers, Presotea from Taiwan is also keen to enter the Philippines with the right franchise partner, fresh from its recent expansion into Hong Kong. Presotea was founded in 2006 and currently has over 366 units in seven countries and territories. Presotea introduced the world’s first premium tea brewing process using an espresso machine that keeps the flavors and sweetness of the teas. Fans of the brand love the freshly brewed teas that are made-to-order, tastier and healthier.
Presotea from Taiwan
“Filipinos have the same sweet-tooth habits like other Asian countries and bubble milk tea is definitely one of their preferences nowadays,” says Jackson Kah, Presotea’s international franchise manager. “With Presotea entering the Filipino market, we will be able to fulfill the craving for bubble milk tea with healthier, brew-to-order teas for the more sophisticated tea drinkers.”
Pronto Cafe and Bar
This year’s business matching will also include exciting franchises from Japan, Mennya Kokoro and Pronto. Mennya Kokoro is known for its no-soup, dry-ramen noodle dishes that are hugely popular in Japan and has recently been franchised in Indonesia and Thailand. Pronto, also hailing from Japan, is an Italian-themed café and bar restaurant with a diverse menu of fusion Italian and Japanese dishes. There are currently over 300 Pronto units in Japan and it has recently been franchised in Shanghai, China.
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Chris Lim is the Chief Marketing Officer of Francorp Philippines (francorp.com.ph); President of U-Franchise Sales & Management (www.ufranchiseasia.com); and Chairperson and Director for Special Projects, ASEAN Integration-Philippine Franchise Association.
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