American fried chicken giant Popeyes is now accepting franchising partnerships with local investors in the Philippines, as the company sets an ambitious goal of doubling store locations in less than two years.

Filipinos looking to grab a bite of the quick service restaurant’s growing success are required to invest ₱45 to ₱50 million for a Popeyes franchise.

Popeyes Chief Financial Officer Francis Reyes said the amount has been “optimized” to give investors return on investment within three years’ time.

The investment would cover a 1,000-square-meter free-standing store with drive thru, which already includes construction, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and personnel training.

This also covers the one-time franchise agreement fee, which is valid for a period of 10 years.

There is a separate eight percent royalty fee and five percent systemwide ad fee based on store sales performance.  

This franchising opportunity comes at a time when Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the multinational fast-food holding company that owns Popeyes, named the Philippines as the top market for the restaurant in terms of transactions.

Popeyes said it will provide the necessary end-to-end operational and management resources and support to the franchisees, particularly on guest experience, restaurant maintenance and safety, production and inventory, finances, and team management.

The restaurant will also offer 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,” said Popeyes Philippines Chief Operating Officer Dan Hayton.

“Our focus is on maximizing their efficiency and accelerating their ROI,” he added.

Hayton said the franchising push will enable the company to reach its goal of doubling its store locations in the country within 18 months.

Based on its website, Popeyes currently has 60 store locations in the Philippines.