Jollibee buys top Korean hot pot chain for P5.1B

Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) is expanding deeper into South Korea and strengthening its global Chinese cuisine portfolio by acquiring one of the country’s leading hot pot chains—a move that gives the Filipino fast-food giant a new growth platform.

In a disclosure on Monday, JFC confirmed that its subsidiary Jolli-K Co., Ltd., through Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd., signed an agreement on 13 February to acquire 100 percent of All Day Fresh Co., Ltd., operator of the “Shabu All Day” brand, for about KRW126.9 billion or around P5.1 billion at the current exchange rate. According to JFC, the new business will consolidate into its financials upon closing, immediately boosting its Korean portfolio and reinforcing its push into franchisable restaurant concepts abroad.

JFC said Jolli-K “serves as a platform through which JFC pursues strategic expansion in Korea, which is one of the markets leading global consumer and food and beverage trends.”

The company added that the deal “represents a strategic bolt-on to our high ROIC Korean business, Compose Coffee, and reinforces JFC’s commitment to its Chinese Cuisine Segment and franchising initiatives, while opening a gateway to the rapidly expanding international hot pot market.”

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Seoul, All Day Fresh operates Shabu All Day, an eat-all-you-can hot pot chain with 169 stores nationwide as of January 2025.

The brand ranks first in store count and systemwide sales among hot pot chains in South Korea, generating about $285 million annually and averaging $2.4 million in revenue per store.