Canadian Agriculture Minister Visits Jollibee Group to Explore Stronger Supply Chain Collaboration

Building Stronger Supply Chain Ties. The Jollibee Group explored opportunities to enhance its global supply chain collaboration with Canada during the recent visit of the Honorable Heath MacDonald, Canada’s Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food. In photo are (from left): Jollibee Group Global President and Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong (2nd from left) and Global Chief Business Support Officer William Tan Untiong (1st from left) welcomed the Canadian federal delegation led by Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald (3rd from left) together with Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines David Hartman (4th from left) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Winnipeg North, Manitoba Kevin Lamoureux (5th from left) at the company’s headquarters in Manila

The Jollibee Group recently welcomed the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, to its Manila headquarters to explore strategic collaboration opportunities that aim to strengthen the company’s supply chain network in Canada and enhance the country’s role in Jollibee Group’s global sourcing activities.

​Minister MacDonald was joined by a delegation of senior Canadian government officials, including His Excellency David Hartman, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines; Ms. Diedrah Kelly, Executive Director of the Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (IPAAO); and Ms. Eleonor Rupprecht, Acting Senior Trade Commissioner from the Canadian Embassy.
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The delegation was received by Jollibee Group Global President and Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong, who shared updates on the company’s presence in Canada. As of July 2025, the company’s flagship brand Jollibee has grown its footprint to 28 stores across five provinces—12 stores in Ontario, 8 in Alberta, and additional locations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. The Jollibee Group’s brand for better burger Smashburger also has 6 stores in Canada.

“Canada remains a valuable and strategic market for the Jollibee Group—not only for expanding our store network, but also as a key partner in strengthening and localizing our supply chain,” said Tanmantiong. “We are thankful for the opportunity to collaborate more closely with the Canadian government in exploring new opportunities that will allow us to serve more customers and communities worldwide.”

During the meeting, the delegation and Jollibee Group executives explored potential areas of collaboration such as leveraging Canada’s high-quality agricultural products, identifying sourcing opportunities for key ingredients, and enhancing logistics partnerships to support the company’s expanding footprint in North America and beyond.

“Jollibee has made its way into the hearts of so many Canadians. We are grateful that you have chosen Canada to be one of your global expansion hubs and for contributing to the vibrant culinary industry in our country,” said Minister MacDonald.”

As part of their visit, Minister MacDonald and his delegation experienced Jollibee’s signature joyful dining firsthand at the brand’s 1000th store, located in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, on August 5. The group sampled bestselling favorites such as the Chickenjoy fried chicken and took part in a Jolly Kiddie Party celebration— highlighting the brand’s unique blend of delicious food and family-friendly fun.

The Jollibee Group continues to prioritize Canada as both a key growth market and sourcing partner as part of its broader global strategy. With the support of Canada’s agriculture and trade sectors, the company aims to unlock new opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and sustainable growth in the food service industry.