In Wuhan City, where the novel coronavirus first took hold, Jollibee has quietly pulled the shutters down on 14 of its Yonghe King noodle restaurants, all of them in the surrounding province of Hubei.
The Philippines’ home-grown fast food giant disclosed the temporary closures to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, saying they were made as part of the Chinese government’s push to halt the outbreak’s spread.
“The 14 stores represent less than 1% of the total JFC store network and 3.6% of the total store network in China,” the company said. Jollibee counts 5,973 stores worldwide, 389 of them in China, where the market accounts for 6.5% of its store network and 7.4% of global systemwide sales.
“While it is too early to determine the total impact of the novel coronavirus on its business in China, JFC remains very committed to keep building and growing a profitable business in China,” the company said, adding that it still plans to launch more Yonghe King outlets this year and reach 1,000 or more in China over the coming years.
The wider backdrop is grim. China’s confirmed death toll rose to 425 on Tuesday after Hubei reported 64 new fatalities, with 2,345 fresh infections pushing the national total to 19,550.
Sources
- Jollibee closes 14 Yonghe King stores in Hubei, China | GMA News Online
- Jollibee 'very committed' to China expansion; 14 Hubei stores closed | ABS-CBN News
