Jollibee scraps South Korea focus for global coffee assault

Massive growth of 2,000 stores in 18 months forces management to accelerate Southeast Asian expansion ahead of schedule.

Jollibee Group’s South Korean coffee chain, Compose Coffee, is ready for its international debut, cutting its initial South Korea-only plans short after reaching 3,000 sites.

In 2024, following Jollibee's acquisition, Richard Shin, CEO of Jollibee Group International, and global chief financial and risk officer of Jollibee Group told the media that they planned to focus on South Korea.

“At the moment, we see significant growth opportunities just in Korea. From a market share, adding Starbucks with nearly 1,900 stores in Korea, leads that segment. Composed Coffee has about 8% market share. So I think there is plenty of focus and plenty of opportunities,” Shin said.

The group plans to launch the chain in Southeast Asia, going head-to-head with rising coffee chains such as China’s Luckin Coffee and Malaysia’s ZUS Coffee.

The decision follows a major milestone of opening 2,000 sites in under 18 months. The group said this underscores Compose Coffee’s strong consumer appeal, scalable operating model, and growing role as a key growth driver within the group’s coffee portfolio.

In South Korea, Compose Coffee’s app has reached 17.59 million cumulative users—approximately one in three Koreans and 60% of the country’s economically active population.

“As we bring this momentum to more international markets, we see significant opportunities to create long‑term value for shareholders. Compose Coffee is a strategic growth engine for the Jollibee Group’s international portfolio, and we are committed to investing behind its global potential,” said Richard C.W. Shin, Chief Executive Officer, Jollibee Group International, and Global Chief Financial and Risk Officer, Jollibee Group.