MANILA - Jollibee Foods Corp said it has opened the first Tim Ho Wan branch in Hangzhou City in Zhejiang Province in its bid to grow its presence in China.

The new outlet, Tim Ho Wan's 9th in China, opened last June 29 "as part of the company’s aggressive expansion in overseas markets," JFC said in a statement.

“We are excited to continue growing the Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan in Mainland China. We are encouraged by the strong reception and continued patronage for our brands in this region,” said Jollibee Group CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong.

The new branch is located in the Mixc Mall in Hanzhou, which is considered among the largest urban areas in the country, JFC said.

"Opening Tim Ho Wan in Hangzhou, one of China's key cities, is instrumental to the expansion of the Tim Ho Wan and the growth of Jollibee Group in this part of the globe," said Jollibee Foods Corporation China and Yonghe King President Louie Liu.

Liu said the company plans to open 100 Tim Ho Wan restaurants in China within the next few years.

The company said China "remains as one of Jollibee Group's four pillar markets."

In September 2021, JFC said it has bought the shares of its partners in the fund that owns the Tim Ho Wan brand.

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As of the first quarter of 2022, the group has 468 stores in China, across the brands Tim Ho Wan, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan and Dunkin'.

Jollibee Group operates in 34 countries with over 6,200 stores globally.

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