Jollibee, the global fast-food brand, is strengthening its presence in the New York City metro area with a new three-unit franchise development agreement covering Staten Island, a borough the brand sees as a high-potential, underserved market. The deal was signed by Yong Xu and Aron Teng, experienced multi-brand operators currently running café and restaurant concepts across New York and New Jersey.
Unlike other New York City boroughs, Staten Island operates largely as a self-contained market where residents tend to shop and dine locally. With no Jollibee locations on this island, as well as the brand’s existing name recognition and loyal customer base in nearby Woodside, Queens, there is pent-up demand for the restaurant.
"Staten Island has a population like Long Island, but it's 65% denser; everybody is just trapped on the island," Teng said. "They don't need to go to Manhattan, and they don't need to go to the other boroughs to shop. We feel that it's a really good fit and it's New York City, but more of a suburban New York City."
The borough's limited access to certain national and international brands creates an opening for a high-demand concept to gain traction quickly and build a loyal local following. This is especially true when it comes to delivery.
"A lot of online platforms don't deliver to Staten Island, not from other boroughs," Xu said. "If you don't have the location in Staten Island, then you don't get the food. We would like to be part of that so the community has more options when they order online."
Xu and Teng bring complementary skill sets that align with the demands of multi-unit restaurant development. Xu has undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting, earned his CPA designation and built his early career at Ernst & Young and Barclays, where he focused on auditing, financial analysis and corporate operations.
"My background in accounting helps me manage financial performance and build scalable systems," he said.
Teng, meanwhile, spent years in New York real estate, first as an agent and broker, then as a developer working on multifamily and commercial projects for six to seven years after graduating with a finance degree from Baruch College in New York City. When the pandemic disrupted the real estate market, the two partners began evaluating businesses with stronger cash flow characteristics, which ultimately led them to food service.
"We wanted to go into more of a cash flow-heavy business," Teng said. "That's when I decided to team up with Yong." They now operate multiple concepts across New York and New Jersey, including a Paris Baguette franchise, and describe a hands-on management style that covers everything from site selection to daily operations.
The decision to invest in Jollibee came from seeing the brand’s performance and culture. Xu and Teng spent more than two years pursuing the opportunity, staying in contact with the corporate team even during a period when the brand was not yet ready to move forward with franchising.
"The first year, they weren't quite ready for franchising, but we kept trying and kept in contact," Teng said. "Finally, in the third or fourth quarter of last year, we had an opportunity to invest in Jollibee, and it's really been a good journey."
Both operators were already familiar with the brand as regular customers at its Woodside, Queens location, and strong unit-level sales first caught their attention. After attending a Jollibee franchise event and convention, the team became equally convinced by the company's organizational culture and its approach to franchisee relationships.
“They're very family-oriented, and we just feel that warm and loving culture is really different," Teng said. "It really aligns with what we want to do with our team and our future business. They call themselves support centers; they don't even call themselves headquarters. We feel very welcome and warm to join the family, and there's a lot of help from their team."
Jollibee has set a target of 500 North American locations by 2030, representing a significant opportunity for experienced multi-unit operators like Teng and Xu looking to grow within a system that is still in the early stages of its national expansion.
"We would like to be part of that growth in New York,” Xu said. “What's most exciting for us is the sales and business success. We hope the stores we open and the sites we select are a huge success for both the company and us as franchisees."
With site selection underway and the team close to signing a lease on their first Staten Island location, the three-unit deal marks another concrete step in Jollibee's strategy to expand through experienced, multi-unit operators in competitive urban markets. Xu and Teng expect to have their first store open by the end of the year, with the remaining locations to follow as development progresses.
For more information on franchising with Jollibee, visit: https://1851franchise.com/jollibee.
Jollibee
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The global fast-food brand is expanding its U.S. franchise network with a multi-unit agreement that will bring three restaurants to Staten Island, one of New York City's most underserved boroughs.
Jollibee, the global fast-food brand, is strengthening its presence in the New York City metro area with a new three-unit franchise development agreement covering Staten Island, a borough the brand sees as a high-potential, underserved market. The deal was signed by Yong Xu and Aron Teng, experienced multi-brand operators currently running café and restaurant concepts across New York and New Jersey.
Unlike other New York City boroughs, Staten Island operates largely as a self-contained market where residents tend to shop and dine locally. With no Jollibee locations on this island, as well as the brand’s existing name recognition and loyal customer base in nearby Woodside, Queens, there is pent-up demand for the restaurant.
"Staten Island has a population like Long Island, but it's 65% denser; everybody is just trapped on the island," Teng said. "They don't need to go to Manhattan, and they don't need to go to the other boroughs to shop. We feel that it's a really good fit and it's New York City, but more of a suburban New York City."
The borough's limited access to certain national and international brands creates an opening for a high-demand concept to gain traction quickly and build a loyal local following. This is especially true when it comes to delivery.
"A lot of online platforms don't deliver to Staten Island, not from other boroughs," Xu said. "If you don't have the location in Staten Island, then you don't get the food. We would like to be part of that so the community has more options when they order online."
Xu and Teng bring complementary skill sets that align with the demands of multi-unit restaurant development. Xu has undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting, earned his CPA designation and built his early career at Ernst & Young and Barclays, where he focused on auditing, financial analysis and corporate operations.
"My background in accounting helps me manage financial performance and build scalable systems," he said.
Teng, meanwhile, spent years in New York real estate, first as an agent and broker, then as a developer working on multifamily and commercial projects for six to seven years after graduating with a finance degree from Baruch College in New York City. When the pandemic disrupted the real estate market, the two partners began evaluating businesses with stronger cash flow characteristics, which ultimately led them to food service.
"We wanted to go into more of a cash flow-heavy business," Teng said. "That's when I decided to team up with Yong." They now operate multiple concepts across New York and New Jersey, including a Paris Baguette franchise, and describe a hands-on management style that covers everything from site selection to daily operations.
The decision to invest in Jollibee came from seeing the brand’s performance and culture. Xu and Teng spent more than two years pursuing the opportunity, staying in contact with the corporate team even during a period when the brand was not yet ready to move forward with franchising.
"The first year, they weren't quite ready for franchising, but we kept trying and kept in contact," Teng said. "Finally, in the third or fourth quarter of last year, we had an opportunity to invest in Jollibee, and it's really been a good journey."
Both operators were already familiar with the brand as regular customers at its Woodside, Queens location, and strong unit-level sales first caught their attention. After attending a Jollibee franchise event and convention, the team became equally convinced by the company's organizational culture and its approach to franchisee relationships.
“They're very family-oriented, and we just feel that warm and loving culture is really different," Teng said. "It really aligns with what we want to do with our team and our future business. They call themselves support centers; they don't even call themselves headquarters. We feel very welcome and warm to join the family, and there's a lot of help from their team."
Jollibee has set a target of 500 North American locations by 2030, representing a significant opportunity for experienced multi-unit operators like Teng and Xu looking to grow within a system that is still in the early stages of its national expansion.
"We would like to be part of that growth in New York,” Xu said. “What's most exciting for us is the sales and business success. We hope the stores we open and the sites we select are a huge success for both the company and us as franchisees."
With site selection underway and the team close to signing a lease on their first Staten Island location, the three-unit deal marks another concrete step in Jollibee's strategy to expand through experienced, multi-unit operators in competitive urban markets. Xu and Teng expect to have their first store open by the end of the year, with the remaining locations to follow as development progresses.
For more information on franchising with Jollibee, visit: https://1851franchise.com/jollibee.
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