UCC Ueshima Coffee Philippines, Inc. chief executive officer Hubert Young is bringing Japan’s second biggest fast food chain, Mos Burger, to the Philippines with the goal of opening the first store by the end of 2019.

The exact location of the first Mos Burger store in the country is still under deliberation, but Young confirms that it will be in Manila. “We’re targeting the business communities,” he says. Bonifacio Global City, Makati Central Business District, and Ortigas Center are some locations that are being considered.

Young adds that by 2027, they hope to have 50 Mos Burger stores up and running.

Tokyo Coffee Holdings is not a subsidiary of General Milling Corporation

Other news reports have identified Tokyo Coffee Holdings as a subsidiary of General Milling Corporation, adding that the holding company is also responsible for bringing Mos Burger to the country.

However, Young clarifies that, “Tokyo Coffee Holdings is not a subsidiary of General Millings,” which is a flour manufacturing company. According to Young, “It just so happens that the three siblings who are now majority owners of General Millings are myself, my younger brother, and my older brother. And we formed Tokyo Coffee Holdings as our holding company to do other ventures of non-flour manufacturing business.”

Such ventures include a joint venture with Mos Food Services, Inc. to bring the fast food chain to the country. Tokyo Coffee Holdings will hold 65 percent of shares on the joint venture, with the remaining shares held by Mos Food Services, Inc.

Beyond Mos Burger, a number of other Japanese brands have also entered the Philippine market under Young’s leadership. These include curry house Coco Ichibanya, ramen shop Mitsuyado Sei-men, and bakery shop Yamato. The most popular F&B endeavors of Young are the UCC-franchised coffee shops, which he first began 20 years ago.

20 years in the making

After tasting a Japanese rice burger for the first time, opening a Mos Burger store in the Philippines has been on Young’s agenda for 20 years. “That was my wish in 1999, but it never happened (until now).” In the meantime, he pursued other projects such as franchising UCC, Coco Ichibanya, and Yamato—making for notable credentials that invited Mos Burger to approach Young with the idea of opening its first store in the Philippines.

The local market has seen a rise in burger franchises that offer traditional American burgers, however Mos Burger’s unique offerings will make for a worthy competitor in the market.

Known for its signature freshness, Mos Burger will introduce Filipinos to its rice burger and teriyaki chicken burger, which redefine what makes a delicious burger. Mos stands for “Mountains, Oceans, Sun,” highlighting the brand’s focus on fresh (but fast) food that’s only made upon order.

The Philippines marks the 10th country to open Mos Burger stores after Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia, and Korea.