MANILA, Philippines - Japanese fastfood chain Yoshinoya plans to expand in the country by opening two to three more stores this year to take advantage of the growing market.
“This year, we plan to open two or three more stores,†Yoshinoya Century Pacific Inc. (YCPI) president Timothy Yang told reporters.
The new outlets would be located in Makati, Manila and Quezon City.
Yoshinoya presently has seven stores which are all company-owned and located in malls in Metro Manila.
“We are open to go out of malls, but it is hard to find a site,†Yang said.
He said that while more Yoshinoya outlets could be put up, the company wants to choose sites carefully.
As for setting up outlets outside of Metro Manila, he said it would be difficult to do so at the moment.
“We have slicing standards. I cannot just slice and deliver anywhere,†he said noting that the meat used by the fast food chain needs to be sliced at a certain temperature.
The company has a commissary in Pasig serving all its outlets in Metro Manila.
“That (commissary) can serve up to 50 stores,†Yang said.
Yang said there is no immediate plan to expand the fast food chain’s presence in the country by opening stores through franchising.
“We want to make sure that when you offer gyudon here and in China and anywhere else, it is the same gyudon,†he said.
Aside from opening additional outlets, Yoshinoya is also offering new products to the Philippine market.
“Every quarter, we have new products. We will introduce the tofu maki for the Philippine market only this year,†Yang said.
The fast food chain wants to grow its business here amid strong economic growth.
“The Philippine market is not really shrinking. It is continuously growing although at a slower pace,†Yang said.
Yoshinoya, a renowned fast food chain in Japan was introduced in the Philippines in 2001 by YCPI, the fast food and retail arm of the Century Pacific Group.
Yoshinoya’s offerings include beef, chicken and tempura on Japanese rice bowls and noodles.