California-based Swensen’s is eyeing a bigger slice of the Philippines’ premium ice cream market as it plans further expansion.

Swensen’s Philippines owner and GM Lizzie Guerrero said three to five new stores are planned annually. The chain opened its first store in the country in 2011 at SM Mall of Asia; it was followed by a second store at Eastwood Mall.

“Knowing that most Filipinos are born with a sweet tooth, as well as a discriminating taste in ice cream that is also value for money, we felt Swensen’s would be a craze in Manila,” said Guerrero.

She wants to replicate the success of Swensen’s in Thailand and Singapore in the Philippines. In Thailand, the ice cream chain has more than 230 stores, more than the number of McDonalds stores in the country.

Swensen’s products sold in the Philippines are imported from Thailand, where the brand’s only Asian factory is located.

“The ice cream formulation is from the US which is passed to Thailand. Eventually, in the future, if we have enough stores, we may come up with a factory of our own,” said Ace Azarraga, Swensen’s Philippines marketing manager.

Azarraga said expansions plans are not confined in Metro Manila only – they’re also planning to expand in Visayas and Mindanao.

“But we need to saturate the market here in the Metro Manila area first and then eventually we will go to Metro Cebu and Metro Davao,” he said.