Hong Kong – Tim Ho Wan, the dim sum chain owned by Jollibee Foods Corp., is accelerating its international expansion with a goal of reaching 100 outlets globally as the Philippine fast-food giant seeks to leverage the brand’s Michelin-star pedigree in more lucrative markets.

The opening of its 10th store in Hong Kong on Feb. 4 brought the brand’s total global footprint to 85 branches. Yeong Sheng Lee, Tim Ho Wan global chief executive officer, said the company is aggressively pursuing its 100-store milestone in the near term, with Hong Kong and the United States (US) serving as primary growth engines.

“Hitting 100 in the near term is something that we're actually aspiring for,” Lee told Manila Bulletin.

While 100 stores is the immediate target, Lee suggested the brand sees significant room for growth beyond that figure as it matures under Jollibee’s ownership and refines its internal operational systems.

The push comes shortly after Jollibee took full ownership of the brand last year on the back of the company’s pivot toward higher-end dining concepts to complement its core fast-food portfolio.

The latest Hong Kong location in Kowloon’s Mikiki Mall serves as the pilot for a refreshed “Michelin-starred” concept.

He said the refreshed outlet is “threefold,” covering product upgrades through better ingredient sourcing and new flavors, service improvements to enhance the guest experience, and upgrades to the restaurant environment.

“And while we are actually looking at expanding,” Lee stressed. “We're actually taking a very disciplined approach in expansion, making sure first that we actually have the right site, the right site location.”

He added that the company places strong emphasis on ensuring that it not only opens stores but also locates them in locations that align with its strategic goals.

Lee also noted that Tim Ho Wan earned its first Michelin recognition at one of its outlets and has continued to receive Michelin recognition through 2025.

“We opened our first store in 2009, and in less than a year after that, from 2010 onwards, we have actually been recognized by Michelin consecutively for the past 16 years,” he said.

Looking ahead, Lee stated that the company aims to expand further, targeting the opening of 20 additional stores in the US alone by 2028.

Lee said that all new stores will adopt the refurbished design, adding that existing outlets will also follow the same concept during renovation or refresh.

He noted that while the store concept may be updated, products and services will remain consistent across all locations.

“And for all the stores that we're actually expanding into, we would actually then be looking at introducing this refreshed look across,” he added.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Lee said the company continues to look at expansion opportunities nationwide.

“We’re really looking at the opportunities across the Philippines,” he said, noting that while the brand has already expanded beyond Metro Manila to areas such as Cebu and Baguio, further provincial expansion is likely.

“I think for the longer term, there are actually opportunities for us to actually further expand because our presence has primarily been in Metro Manila,” he said.

Lee added that Tim Ho Wan is working closely with its franchisee to assess market demand and identify growth opportunities as it plans the next phase of its expansion.