Popeyes opens doors for franchising in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Global chicken fast-food brand Popeyes is now accepting franchising partnerships in the Philippines as the brand’s steadily growing popularity is sparking huge interest from local investors.

“The franchising program was the next logical step. It’s a good investment opportunity and aligns with Popeyes growth trajectory in the next three years,” said Dustin Ngo, marketing director for Popeyes Philippines.

The franchise’s significant market potential is further underlined by Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the multinational fast-food holding company that owns Popeyes, which reported that the Philippines is now the world’s leading Popeyes market in terms of transactions.

This indicates a strong presence and a wider business opportunity for investors amid a global footprint of 5,000 restaurants in 47 countries including recent openings in Asia Pacific.

“We’ve hit our 60th branch milestone with SM Dasmariñas, which is also the first Popeyes restaurant in Cavite,” said Ngo. “It quickly became one of the top five branches in sales, reaffirming our growth strategy to expand beyond Metro Manila.”

A Popeyes franchise has the required investment of P45 million to P50 million. “This has been optimized to give investors better ROI, which we project at around three years. It’s also competitive in comparison to other franchising options that are available,” said group chief financial officer Francis Reyes.

The investment would cover a 1,000-square meter free-standing store with drive-thru. The package already includes construction; furniture, fixtures, and equipment; personnel training; as well as the one-time franchise agreement fee valid for 10 years. There’s a separate eight percent royalty fee and five percent systemwide ad fee, as these are based on store sales performance.

Popeyes emphasizes that necessary end-to-end operational and management resources and support from RBI and the local team will be provided to franchisees.

Easily accessible through the RBI’s online system, resources cover guest experience, restaurant maintenance and safety, production and inventory, finances, and team management. The restaurant also offers technologically adaptive solutions such as self-order kiosks.

“We want our partners to operate their Popeyes franchise with ease, essentially in just a turn of a key in less than a year. Our focus is on maximizing their efficiency and accelerating their ROI,” said Popeyes Philippines chief operating officer Dan Hayton.

“We aim to double our store locations within 18 months. Their success directly reflects Popeyes’ brand strength and growth, which is why they can rely on our unwavering, 100 percent support every step of the way.”