DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 1 July) — McDonald’s 800th store in the Philippines just opened at the Davao Global Township (DGT) here Monday morning.
Meryl Adiel Hernandez, assistant vice president for corporate relations and impact at McDonald’s Philippines, said that the company had long wanted to celebrate a major milestone in the region, especially with the growing number of McDonald’s stores now opening outside Metro Manila.
“Our 100th store is actually in Marikina. Our 200th store is in Tomas Morato [in Quezon City]. Our 300th store us in Ortigas [in Metro Manila], and so on. Then we decided to really branch out and we are expanding beyond Luzon, so it all just aligned for our milestone mark,” she added.
Hernandez said that their location in Davao Global Township is a “perfect match” as the area is slowly becoming a hub of development.
Located along the commercial center of DGT in Matina, the new branch features a one-story layout, drive-thru, self-ordering kiosks, and a dedicated bike and dine area.
This location is the 22nd branch opened in Davao City and is open 24/7 as well.
Despite tough competition in the fast-food industry, Hernandez said that McDonald’s is confident in its direction, especially in Mindanao.
“Our president is already here, looking for the next sites,” she said. “We won’t stop and this definitely won’t be the last store we’ll open in Davao or the region.”
McDonald’s aims to open at least 75 new stores across the Philippines this year after completing 65 new branches in 2024.
Operated by Golden Arches Development Corporation (GADC), the chain currently has a roughly even mix of company-owned and franchised stores, with GADC owning 51% of the stores.
Asked what has sustained McDonald’s growth through the years, Hernandez pointed to consistency, innovation, and responsiveness.
“We stay focused on what customers need—and we evolve with them,” she said. “That’s how we’ve lasted 40 years, and that’s how we’ll grow into the future.”
To celebrate the 800th branch, McDonald’s distributed 800 free meals to communities in Davao City in partnership with local organizations under the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). (Allizah Keziah Manulat / MindaNews intern)