Negros Occidental — Negrenses now have more spots to experience feel-good moments with three more McDonald’s stores in Negros Occidental.
All owned and operated by Golden Arches Development Corporation (McDonald’s Philippines), the three new stores in the province are located in La Carlota City, Bago City, and Bacolod City (GM Cordova) opened in 2024.
And just last April 26, 2025 another McDonald’s store opened in the City of Victorias, bringing the total number of McDonald’s stores in the Negros Island Region, both company-owned and franchise to 15.
The opening of more new stores in Negros Occidental is part of McDonald’s Philippines’ strategy to grow its footprint in areas outside of the National Capital Region (NCR), and to bring the McDonald’s brand closer to more Filipinos.
Aggressive Expansion
The company is gearing up for another year of growth, with plans to open around 65-70 new stores this 2025—mirroring the previous year’s expansion.
According to Kenneth Yang, President and CEO of McDonald’s Philippines, the upcoming expansion will largely take place outside NCR, targeting fast-developing areas across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. “Most likely, we should grow about the same as what we did last year… Hopefully, we surpass it,” Yang said, underscoring the brand’s aim to match or exceed last year’s performance.
The Visayas region is expected to play a pivotal role in this push, as McDonald’s eyes key cities and emerging economic hubs for its new locations. With increased infrastructure development and rising consumer demand in areas such as Bacolod, Cebu, and Iloilo the company sees strong potential for sustained growth. Yang emphasized that McDonald’s is committed to being present wherever communities are thriving, adding, “As the country is growing and progressing in these areas, we will also be going there.” The move supports the brand’s long-term vision of nationwide accessibility and reflects its confidence in the continued economic uplift outside Metro Manila.
New 20-Year Franchise Term
Recently, Chicago-based McDonald’s Corporation has renewed its long-standing partnership with Golden Arches Development Corporation (GADC, also McDonald’s Philippines), granting a new 20-year master franchise for the Philippines. The agreement, which extends through 2045, reaffirms the leadership of McDonald’s Philippines Chairman and Founder George T. Yang and President and CEO Kenneth in driving the brand’s continued growth in the country.
Under the renewed multi-unit franchise agreement, GADC retains the exclusive rights to own, develop, operate, and sub-franchise McDonald’s restaurants across the country. The deal underscores the trust and confidence McDonald’s Corporation places in the Yangs and the Philippine market, which remains one of the brand’s fastest-growing globally.
George Yang has held the master franchise since 1981, when the first McDonald’s store opened in Manila. Over the past four decades, McDonald’s Philippines has grown to nearly 800 locations nationwide. The extension of the license marks a new chapter of expansion, with the company poised to bring the iconic Golden Arches to more communities in the years ahead.
Today, the McDonald’s Philippines store network is present in all the regions in the country. As many as 70 percent of the stores are free-standing stores with drive-thru. In 2024, McDonald’s opened 65 new stores, and is gearing up to open more in 2025.
