Jollibee opens CBTL store in New York

Jollibee Foods Corp. said it has brought back the Coffee bean and Tea leaf (Cbtl) brand to New York in the United States through its franchisee Hudson River Coffee and Tea, while opening a new store concept for its Smashburger brand in boston.

“We are thrilled to bring back The Coffee bean and Tea leaf to New York and debut our latest store design for Smashburger in boston. We are happy to see that these two openings were met with very strong reception from local patrons despite the pandemic. This is a good indication that consumers will continue supporting brands that serve quality, great-tasting food and beverages,” Jollibee Ceo ernesto Tanmantiong said.

The company said its North America business continues to outperform the US quick service restaurant industry. Smashburger has been double-digit positive for the past 3 months across company-owned stores with its online sales growing by close to five folds, while the Cbtl brand has grown since April despite the impact of the pandemic.

“The Philippine brands—jollibee, Chowking, and Red Ribbon—have also performed well with Jollibee even seeing long queues with its recent openings. We thank our customers for patronizing our brands and we hope they'll continue to support our future openings,” the company said.

A Cbtl shop was opened at 5 Green Avenue in brooklyn last August 28. This is the first of many planned openings through its New York-based franchisee Hudson River Coffee and Tea, a venture of outstanding operators, developers, and real estate experts, it said.

“New York City is a competitive and highly desirable market for any coffee retailer and our opening in New York underscores our commitment to bringing our beloved beverages to more guests, and demonstrates our strength as a leading roaster and retailer of coffee and tea,” Peter Vavra, Cbtl director of franchise operations, said.

Also in August, Smashburger opened its latest location at 545 boylston St. in the back bay of boston, Massachusetts, the first store to showcase the brand’s new branding and interior design, along with being one of the first Smashburgers around the country to offer their breakfast menu.

“For years, boston has been known as one of America’s greatest food towns, which is why it made perfect sense to bring our newest design to the city,” Smashburger Ceo Carl bachmann said.

“our boylston location is designed with food at the forefront. The restaurant layout is a stage for our skilled culinarians, and gives a nod to the local culture we know our boston Smashburger fans appreciate."

Jollibee earlier said it will still open some 338 stores worldwide on a very selective basis and in strategic locations across its brands to strengthen the business.