MANILA - Jollibee Group said Friday it brought back The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to New York City and debuted the new Smashburger store design in Boston.

Jollibee's franchisee Hudson River Coffee and Tea opened CBTL at 5 Green Avenue in Brooklyn last Aug. 28, JFC said in a statement.

“New York City is a competitive and highly desirable market for any coffee retailer and our opening in New York underscores our commitment to bringing our beloved beverages to more guests, and demonstrates our strength as a leading roaster and retailer of coffee and tea,” said Peter Vavra, director of Franchise Operations at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

In the same month, the group debuted the Smashburger store in its newest location at 545 Boylston St. in the Back Bay of Boston, Massachusetts -- the first to showcase the brand’s new branding and interior design.

“For years, Boston has been known as one of America’s greatest food towns, which is why it made perfect sense to bring our newest design to the city... Our Boylston location is designed with food at the forefront. The restaurant layout is a stage for our skilled culinarians, and gives a nod to the local culture we know our Boston Smashburger fans appreciate,” said Smashburger CEO Carl Bachmann.

"We are happy to see that these two openings were met with very strong reception from local patrons despite the pandemic. This is a good indication that consumers will continue supporting brands that serve quality, great-tasting food and beverages,” said Jollibee Group CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong.

JFC acquired CBTL and Smashburger in a bid to become one of the top 5 restaurant operators in the world.

Jollibee said Smashburger has been "double digit positive" for the past 3 months, with online sales growing by 390 percent while CBTL has "steadily grown" since April despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

JFC said CBTL has 1,106 stores while Smashburger has 293 outlets. It said the CBTL brand could become profitable by 2021.