Compose Tops 3,000 Stores, Highlands Nears 1,000 as App Usage Surges

Compose Coffee has crossed the 3,000-store mark, and Highlands Coffee is closing in on 1,000 outlets, as mobile app engagement for the brands jumps dramatically. The developments mark a clear acceleration in franchise-led expansion and digital customer acquisition that will reshape access and competition across regional coffee scenes.

Jollibee Group highlighted the gains in a Jan. 22 media release that framed the numbers as evidence of disciplined, franchise-led growth and successful international scaling. Compose Coffee, the South Korea brand in the Group’s portfolio, reported 3,000 gross stores and a cumulative 17.59 million app users. That total was aided by a single collaboration that added 8.3 million users to the app ecosystem after a high-profile BTS tie-in. Highlands Coffee, based in Vietnam, is approaching 1,000 stores and serves more than 100 million customers annually.

For coffee drinkers, the immediate takeaway is expanded access and more reasons to use brand apps. More stores mean shorter travel times to favorite drinks, broader menu availability, and heavier local advertising and promotions. The surge in app users signals heavier use of mobile ordering, digital loyalty programs, and in-app promotions that can change where people choose their daily cup. For indie cafes and local roasters, accelerated rollouts by Compose and Highlands mean intensified competition in key urban neighborhoods where new outlets open.

For franchisees and prospective investors, these figures underline the Group’s strategy: grow quickly through franchising while leveraging digital partnerships and pop culture collaborations to scale the customer base. The 8.3 million bump from the BTS collaboration shows how music and brand tie-ins can drive dramatic spikes in app adoption, a lesson for operators planning marketing campaigns or looking to boost lifetime value through loyalty programs.

The release also noted developments across the Group’s Chinese-cuisine brands, including Yonghe King and Tim Ho Wan, pointing to broader operational focus beyond coffee. That wider footprint can create supply-chain efficiencies and cross-brand promotional opportunities, affecting everything from bean sourcing to shared delivery partnerships.

What this means for readers is practical and immediate: expect more outlets and more app-driven incentives in markets where these brands operate; check individual apps for limited-time offers tied to partnerships or store openings; and watch local neighborhoods for new Compose or Highlands locations that could alter the day-to-day coffee landscape. The rise in app users and rapid store growth suggests the next moves will be more openings, more digital features, and tighter competition, a groundswell that will keep coffee fans and café operators watching where these brands open next.