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SCMP’s Asia desk

Burger King in Japan is tempting franchisees of rival fast-food brands like McDonald’s and Mos Burger by offering them 40 million yen (US$250,000) cashback to jump ship.
The offer, under its franchise switching plan, is on the table until 3pm on September 30, according to a statement by the chain issued on Wednesday.
Applicants must have been in business for at least three years, submit financial statements for the past three financial years and identify a general manager for the converted restaurant.
In return, Burger King will cover half of the initial investment to make the switch.
It dangled another carrot in front of potential franchisees. Last year, its stores achieved average monthly sales of around 17 million yen, it said, adding: “By utilising this plan, you can expect to recoup your investment even sooner.”
Burger King Japan, which was acquired by Goldman Sachs in late February, has been eating up its competition at the highest rate of store openings in the country’s hamburger industry.
The chain, which had 77 stores nationwide at the end of May 2019, now operates 352. It aims to reach 600 stores across Japan by the end of 2028.
Ordinary people looking for a bite of Burger King’s expansion drive should look out for its periodic location scouting campaigns, according to news website SoraNews24.
Each suggestion will receive a Whopper discount coupon, and if it leads to Burger King leasing the property, the chain will give the submitter 300,000 yen in cash.
Asia’s appetite for fast food appears to have benefited another big chain.

On Monday, Jollibee, the fried chicken chain from the Philippines, announced a record fourth-quarter operating income of 4.1 billion pesos (US$67 million), up 41.9 per cent year-on-year, and 16.6 per cent growth in full-year system-wide sales.
“Throughout 2025, we continued to scale across our key markets, reinforcing the depth and resilience of our global platform. We opened 1,126 stores during the year, the highest annual store opening level in our company’s history, further strengthening our long-term growth runway,” Jollibee’s global CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said in a statement.
The operator has set its sights on world domination, striking 27 international deals worth around US$1.1 billion since 2000, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
In January, it announced plans to spin off its international business and list it on a US stock exchange by late 2027, Reuters reported.
Its latest acquisition is All Day Fresh, the operator of South Korean hotpot chain Shabu All Day, for 130 billion won (US$87 million) on Monday.
The 172 Shabu All Day stores in South Korea generate average annual sales of around 480 billion won, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Jollibee is considering expanding Shabu All Day into Southeast Asian markets, just as it did after acquiring South Korea’s Compose Coffee last year.


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Burger King in Japan dangles US$250,000 to lure rival franchisees

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Military officers from Japan greet each other during the opening ceremonies of the Philippines-US Exercise Balikatan at a military camp in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on Monday. Photo: EPA

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Meanwhile, Philippine fried chicken chain Jollibee has announced a record operating income and is accelerating its global expansion


Meanwhile, Philippine fried chicken chain Jollibee has announced a record operating income and is accelerating its global expansion.


Burger King in Japan dangles US$250,000 to lure rival franchisees

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Meanwhile, Philippine fried chicken chain Jollibee has announced a record operating income and is accelerating its global expansion

Meanwhile, Philippine fried chicken chain Jollibee has announced a record operating income and is accelerating its global expansion