Shakey’s-Acquired Potato Corner Hits "2K Store Milestone"

Kiosk-based food brand Potato Corner (PC), acquired by Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, Inc. (SPAVI) in 2022, has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 2,000th store worldwide, located at SM Cebu.

Potato Corner, known for its signature flavored fries brand, began as a humble food kiosk in 1990 and is now available in 15 markets globally, becoming a top-of-mind franchise for budding entrepreneurs. I Photo: Potato Corner Facebook

The new outlet is a PC XP store, owned by franchisee Por Fin Trading Corporation. PC is the latest acquisition by Shakey’s, a leading full-service chain restaurant and food service group in the Philippines.

Since its acquisition, PC has served as a robust growth driver for SPAVI.

Widely known today for its signature flavored fries, the PC brand began as a humble food kiosk in 1990. It is now available in 15 markets globally and has become a top-of-mind franchise for budding entrepreneurs, according to SPAVI.

The brand has partnered with over 800 franchisees worldwide.

Por Fin Trading Corporation, the PC XP franchisee in Cebu, remarked, "Reaching our 2,000th store is a testament to the hard work behind our brand and the love our guests have for Potato Corner. We are excited about the journey ahead and remain committed to delivering the world’s best-flavored fries in every store we open!"

The new PC XP store format features an expanded menu and branded merchandising.

The menu includes Friescream, exclusive flavors, signature beverages, and special cuts. The store utilizes a larger footprint with dedicated retail space for PC-branded merchandise.

PC inaugurated its first XP store, which is a company-owned outlet, at Glorietta in Makati City in July 2024. The 2,000th store in Cebu is the second to feature this format.

Joey Alvero, PC Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, emphasized, “Potato Corner is one of the most well-loved brands in the country. It’s a pleasure to bring the PC XP store format to life, creating a more immersive brand experience for our guests. We are thankful for the continued patronage of our ‘PotCor’ fans, and we hope these new stores inspire more to visit and enjoy our offerings.”

He added that PC’s strong brand equity and profitable business model have made it a top franchise choice among entrepreneurs. The brand has also expanded its international presence, recently establishing itself in Malaysia and building its presence in China.

Since SPAVI’s acquisition of PC in 2022, the brand has grown its network by more than 700 stores worldwide. In 2023 alone, the group opened 359 outlets—approximately one every day.

Vicente Gregorio, President and CEO of SPAVI, highlighted, “Apart from being an accretive acquisition, Potato Corner provides us with a platform to advocate entrepreneurship. We strive to build on the legacy of this brand in growing franchisees. Por Fin is one of our earliest franchisees. Seeing our partner franchisees thrive with SPAVI gives us a deep sense of accomplishment and purpose. This further strengthens our commitment to growing Potato Corner, supporting all our partner franchisees, and creating iconic guest experiences as we move forward.”

For the past 40 years, Shakey’s Pizza has maintained market leadership in both the chained pizza full-service and chained full-service restaurant categories. In addition to the pizza chain, SPAVI’s prime brands include Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken and Sauce Bar, the R&B Milk Tea master franchise, and Project Pie.