Quick-service restaurant chain McDonald’s Philippines is spending anywhere from P600 million to P750 million for the construction of 15 new stores this year, according to one of the company’s top officials.
In an email to the BusinessMirror, McDonald’s Philippines Managing Director Margot B. Torres said each outlet could cost between P40 million to P50 million.
“We are carefully reviewing our expansion plans given the situation,” she said, referring to the Covid-19 crisis. McDonald’s Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth S. Yang previously said the number of upcoming branches is fewer than the original target because of the pandemic, which forced the company to adjust its plan.
“That’s something we have to continue to assess as time goes [by], and let’s see how the economy will be able to sustain additional growth from the business,” he said during their online press briefing last week. “So we are flexible and ready to accelerate our growth once the circumstances allow.”
Currently, there are 668 McDonald’s stores nationwide. The new outlets in the pipeline will bring its total network of fast-food chain to 683.
Torres said that all of the new branches that the company is set to open in 2020 will follow the NXTGEN format, adding to its over 140 concept stores nationwide.
Even before Covid-19 had spread to become a pandemic worldwide, the company said this format featuring self-ordering kiosks and cashless transactions already promoted indirect contact or physical distancing between the staff and customers.
Now that 93 percent of McDonald’s stores is back in operations, the company said it remains committed to ensure the safety of its patrons and employees.
With the recent resumption of dine-in services due to lockdown relaxation, it vowed to continue introducing digital innovations to provide its signature food offerings either in its restaurants or at the comfort of its customers’ homes.
“While we have reopened our doors for dine-in, and as we gain the confidence of our consumers with our elevated measures, we also acknowledge that a large population of Filipinos still choose to eat at home,” Torres said.
“Because of this, the omnichannel approach that we have prioritized since 2011 has become very relevant today in making our products more accessible to consumers while ensuring their safety.”