How did Jollibee grow from a local food business into one of Asia’s most recognisable brands? Welcome to the first episode of Made in Asia, a long-form video podcast exploring the rise of the companies, brands, and business empires that helped shape modern Asia. In this debut episode, the conversation focuses on Jollibee: its origins, its expansion, the business decisions that fueled its growth, and the reasons it became such a powerful name not just in the Philippines, but across the world. Rather than looking at Jollibee only as a fast food chain, we explore it as a case study in branding, scale, culture, consumer loyalty, and Asian business success. Episode breakdown: 00:00 Intro02:20 Tony Tancaktiong’s Early Life And Why He Was Different05:11 How Big Jollibee Really Is Today07:41 Tasting Jollibee: Chickenjoy, Spaghetti, And The Brand’s Signature Menu09:27 Tony’s Family Background: From China To The Philippines12:09 Growing Up In Davao And Learning The Family Food Business14:12 The Smart Student Who Got Into Santo Tomas15:31 The Field Trip That Changed Tony’s Life16:26 Inside The Magnolia Ice Cream Factory That Inspired Jollibee17:52 Borrowing His Parents’ Entire Savings To Start The Business20:23 Tony’s First Stores And The Magnolia Ice Cream Bet20:43 The Franchise Problem: How Do You Stand Out Selling Someone Else’s Brand?21:32 The “American-Sized Service” Strategy That Helped Him Win Customers27:48 From Two Stores To Six: The Early Expansion Begins29:54 The Customer Feedback That Changed Everything30:52 Why Tony Started Selling Burgers Instead Of Just Ice Cream31:46 The Creation Of The Yumburger55:09 Why Jollibee Needed One More Product To “Seal The Deal”55:25 The Origins Of Chickenjoy58:16 Yumburger, Spaghetti, Chickenjoy: The Formula That Scaled01:18:30 Jollibee Vs McDonald’s: The Existential Fight01:42:06 The Jollibee IPO And The Insane Investor Return01:53:09 After The IPO: Expansion, Capital, And The Next Big Moves01:54:15 Why Vietnam Became Jollibee’s First Major International Success02:12:13 Turning To Acquisitions: The Start Of Jollibee’s Multi-Brand Era02:12:18 The Story Of Greenwich02:39:40 Chowking: The Brand That Emerged From Revenge02:58:28 The Team That Turned Around 160 Stores02:59:20 The Text Messaging System That Helped Fix Operations Fast03:08:14 Mang Inasal: One Of Jollibee’s Most Important Acquisitions03:09:12 Edgar Sia And The Rise Of Mang Inasal03:23:35 The Insight That Made Mang Inasal Work03:48:21 Jollibee’s Overseas Acquisitions Strategy Explained03:49:00 Coffee Bean, Tim Ho Wan, Smashburger, And Premium Positioning04:01:51 Outro About Made in Asia Made in Asia is a video podcast about the rise of major Asian companies. From food giants to tech platforms to legacy brands, each episode unpacks how these businesses were built, why they worked, and what they reveal about Asia’s place in the global economy. Subscribe for future episodes on companies such as Tencent, Grab, Titan, and more. About the speakers Guang Jin Yeo is the founder of 1UpMedia, a media company focused on building thoughtful, engaging content for modern audiences. His background in storytelling, content, and audience-building brings a sharp lens to how brands connect with people and stay culturally relevant. LinkedIn Chuan Hoe Teo works in strategy at Google APAC and previously worked as a consultant at Bain & Company. His experience across strategy, business growth, and large-scale market thinking adds a grounded perspective to how major companies expand and compete. LinkedIn
