Insider Spotlight
For the Jollibee Group, the brand’s performance in one of the world’s most competitive coffee markets is shaping how it approaches growth in a region where coffee is deeply embedded in daily life.
As of September 2025, Compose Coffee had opened its 3,000th store in Seoul, reaching the milestone in under 18 months after hitting 2,000 locations.
That pace reflects a model built not on premium pricing or novelty concepts, but on affordability, speed, and consistency—traits that closely mirror consumer expectations across Southeast Asia.
Why Southeast Asia fits
In markets such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, coffee consumption is frequent and price-aware. Consumers may trade up occasionally, but daily routines are anchored in value.
Compose Coffee’s success in South Korea suggests that a brand designed for repeat visits can scale quickly in environments where foot traffic and frequency matter more than destination cafés.
From Korea to the region
In outlining its expansion roadmap, the company notes in a press release that Compose Coffee is leveraging Jollibee Group’s operational footprint across more than 30 countries to enable a smoother market entry.
The emphasis is on replicating systems—supply chain efficiency, store formats, and quality controls—rather than reinventing the brand for each market.
Cultural pull meets daily demand
Beyond operations, Compose Coffee has also shown it can tap into Korea’s cultural exports. A 2025 collaboration with BTS member V strengthened the brand’s visibility and competitiveness in its home market.
While the core business remains volume-driven, the association reinforced brand relevance among younger consumers—a dynamic that could translate well in Southeast Asia, where BTS enjoys a massive and highly engaged fan base.
Proof in performance
Despite intense competition at home, total product sales increased by more than 10 percent year on year in 2025.
The brand’s iced Americano sold roughly 200 million cups during the year, highlighting how a single core product can drive massive volume. That kind of everyday demand is particularly relevant in Southeast Asia, where coffee is often consumed multiple times a day.
Built to travel
Compose Coffee maintains large-scale in-house roasting and relies on data-driven quality systems such as moisture analysis and laser-based color tracking.
Its proprietary Bitter Holic blend and positioning, “Coffee as coffee should be,” are designed to deliver consistency across locations—an essential requirement when expanding into diverse, multi-market regions.
What they’re saying
“Compose Coffee’s explosive growth in the world’s ‘Coffee Republic’ proves its ability to scale with quality, value, and brand love. As we bring this momentum to more international markets, we see significant opportunities to create long-term value for shareholders.
Compose Coffee is a strategic growth engine for the Jollibee Group’s international portfolio, and we are committed to investing behind its global potential,” said Richard C.W. Shin, chief executive officer, Jollibee Group international, and global chief financial and risk officer.
The bottom line
As Jollibee Group looks south, Compose Coffee’s Korea-honed model—now backed by cultural relevance and proven scale—may find its most natural audience among Southeast Asia’s everyday coffee drinkers. — Princess Daisy C. Ominga | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
