Tim Ho Wan has evolved from a hole-in-the-wall dimsum shop in Hong Kong to a global brand since its acquisition by the Jollibee Group in 2025. Global CEO Yeong Sheng Lee states that joining the group has strengthened operations and enabled global expansion without compromising quality and authenticity of Cantonese cuisine. The chain now operates 85 stores across 11 markets, including the Philippines, China, and the United States.
Tim Ho Wan was founded in 2009 in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po by Mak Kwai Pui and Leung Fai Keung, former chefs at the Four Seasons Hotel. It earned multiple Michelin stars for serving high-quality dimsum fresh and hot, making it accessible to everyone. Unlike the Jollibee Group's quick-service brands, its full acquisition in 2025 for S$20.2 million (P892.29 million) prepared the chain for global growth.
Within a year, it doubled its Hong Kong stores from five to 10. Global CEO Yeong Sheng Lee told Rappler that integration into the Jollibee Group sharpened brand identity, including defining the brand's purpose, product range, and restaurant experience. “Being part of the Jollibee Group allowed us to actually put a lot more focus, to ask ourselves what does the brand stand for, what is the product range that we need to actually deliver, what is the restaurant experience that we need to actually deliver,” he said.
Initiatives included product upgrades, staff retraining, standard operating procedures, and closer collaboration with franchisees for consistent quality. Core principles of delivering quality and authentic Cantonese cuisine remained unchanged, but internal operations strengthened for sustainable scaling.
The menu is now consistent across 11 markets, emphasizing Hong Kong flavors like iconic barbecue pork buns, rice rolls, dumplings, and sponge cake. Seasonal items include black truffle and baked chicken buns and roselle red rice rolls. System-wide sales rose 5.2% in the third quarter compared to the first half, with EBITDA growing four-fold quarterly. Lee noted, “This is a good example of how we’ve actually been able to move a lot faster and making sure that all our stores around the world are able to execute similarly, thanks to the systems and processes that we’ve actually built.”
Jollibee Group CFO Richard Shin stated that Tim Ho Wan will play a key role in becoming one of the world's top five food companies and leading the dimsum category globally. “Currently, there is no restaurant company that has successfully built a brand that leads in this particular category with authenticity, scale, and consistent quality. Tim Ho Wan to us is our answer to address this opportunity,” Shin said. The chain aims for 20 North American outlets by 2028, starting with the Irvine store, the first company-operated US location under Jollibee management. The Jollibee Group is segmenting domestic and international businesses for sharper focus, though Lee declined to comment on its impact on Tim Ho Wan.
