Jamaica’s largest fast-food chain, Juici Patties, is planning a U.S. expansion, with 57 franchise agreements signed and locations set to open by 2027, Black Enterprise reports.
Founded in 1980 by Jukie Chin in May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica, according to its website, Juici Patties began with one standout product: the Jamaican beef patty, a flaky pastry filled with spiced beef. What started as a teenage side hustle in his mother’s kitchen has become a household name with more than 60 locations across the island today and exports throughout the Caribbean.
The chain had already begun branching out into the U.S. market, launching locations in South Florida in 2024 and more recently in Brooklyn and the Bronx, according to Eater. The strong response to these locations shows that the appeal of Jamaican cuisine reaches far beyond diaspora communities.
“This is more than just a business. This is an opportunity for a Jamaican company and brand to expand on the global stage and show the world that Jamaica has a lot of potential,” said Asian-Jamaican entrepreneur Daniel Chin, CEO of Juici Patties USA and the founder’s son, per Black Enterprise. “Being from Jamaica, being in the Caribbean, it gave me that extra motivation to do something that has never been done before.”
The younger Chin, who studied hospitality and business at the University of Guelph in Canada, joined the company 12 years ago and helped lead a transformation in operations, the outlet states. Juici Patties overhauled its customer service model from the ground up by improving hiring, training, and compensation practices.
Within two years, the brand ranked No. 1 in Jamaica for customer service, and employee satisfaction soared, with 96% of employees saying they’d recommend Juici Patties as a workplace, according to Black Enterprise.
This operational strength is the foundation of its U.S. strategy while building on the founder’s philosophy centering relationships. Rather than relying on outside capital, Juici Patties employs a franchise model that enables it to grow while maintaining control and preserving product quality. Most franchisees are Jamaican Americans who understand the culture and the food.
“Franchising helps to share in some of the returns,” Chin said. “The franchisees build the store out, put in the equipment, and handle construction. I like this model because it helps us make other people wealthy.”
As Juici Patties continues to expand across the U.S., with plans to open 3,000 locations, it proves that Caribbean brands can scale globally without losing their authenticity.
