Jollibee Group opens first of 100 Tim Ho Wan restos in China


The Jollibee Group continues to expand its presence in China with the opening of the country’s first-ever Tim Ho Wan in Shanghai, kicking off plans to open 100 branches in five years.

Inaugurating the first-ever Tim Ho Wan in Mainland China were Jollibee Foods Corporation China Chairman Carl Tancaktiong (2nd from the left); Jollibee Foods Corporation China President Shirley Chang (3rd from the left); Jollibee Foods Corporation China Regional Marketing & Brand Strategy Head Connie Wu (1st from the left); and Tim Ho Wan General Manager Alex Lau (4th from the left).

This marks the Michelin starred restaurant’s entry into one of the world’s largest economies.

“Shanghai, home to 24 million people and one of the most populous city centers of the world, welcomed Tim Ho Wan with a packed waiting list and a long line of customers,” Jollibee said in a statement.

Located in the Jing’an Kerry Center, which is just a few minutes away from the famous Jing’an Temple, Tim Ho Wanis the latest addition to the portfolio of brands being directly operated by the Jollibee Group and is a joint venture with the Tim Ho Wan Group.

“The core of Tim Ho Wan is to serve delicious authentic Hong Kong dim sum to more peopleat a good value for money, and this is why we believe that Tim Ho Wan is a great addition to the Jollibee Group’s portfolio,” said Jollibee Group CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong.

He added that, “Opening in Shanghai, one of the busiest global hubs, is an excellent starting point for our expansion plans for Tim Ho Wan in Mainland China, and our near-term goal is to open 100 restaurants in the next 5 years.”

“We are excited to grow the Tim Ho Wan brand in Mainland China as we leverage on our established network here and knowledge in food-service,” said Jollibee Foods Corporation China Chairman Carl Tancaktiong.

He noted that, “Given the response we are seeing, we are planning to open the second store by the end of this year.  Aside from Shanghai, we will also open in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.”

Tim Ho Wan is often called one of the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, with its Sham Shui Po branch in Hong Kong being awarded a Michelin star for eleven straight years. 

The most popular dishes are the signature Baked BBQ Pork Buns, Rice Rolls, Pork & Shrimp Dumplings, and the Pan-Fried Radish Cake. Everything on the menu is always freshly steamed and freshly served following the philosophy of the dim sum icon. 

The Jollibee Group has entered into a joint venture agreement with the Tim Ho Wan Group to open and operate Tim Ho Wan restaurants in Mainland China.