Jose Magsaysay, Jr.

Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Jose Magsaysay, Jr. is best known for being Mr. Potato Corner,
having established the flavored fries franchise and shepherding its
phenomenal growth from the onset: Potato Corner went from one
small food cart in 1992 to 70 stores in 1994, up to 120 in 1997, and
currently at 1,100 in the Philippines, with 200 stores overseas.
Potato Corner earned a record PhP 1 billion in sales in 2015 and
with its presence in 11 countries, is now considered an international
brand.

Mr. Magsaysay’s success story started at the bottom of the

proverbial ladder. His entry into the food industry began when, as a
part-time working student, he was hired as a janitor at Wendy’s in
1983. He rose through the ranks, moving from management trainee
to its Board of Directors within the space of a decade. He credits his
success to the mentorship of Wendy’s Philippines president, former
Finance Secretary Jose T. Pardo, who encouraged him to push
through with his flavored fries food concept even as he was working
at Wendy’s. Mr. Magsaysay also served as General Manager of
Mister Donut in 1999, growing its stores from 250 to 800 by the
time he left in 2001.

Given his entrepreneurial savvy, Mr. Magsaysay has been the

recipient of numerous awards, namely: the Franchise Excellence
Hall of Fame in 2003; the MVP Bossing Award in 2011; the
Entrepreneur Award of the Year in 2016; and the 2019 AIM Triple
A Distinguished Alumni achievement award.
Mr. Magsaysay earned his Master of Entrepreneurship degree from
the Asian Institute of Management in 2001 and completed the
Owner/President Management Program at the Harvard Business
School in 2016. Mr. Magsaysay is a founding member of the
Association of Filipino Franchisors, Inc., serves on the board of the
Philippines Franchise Association, is a member of the Management
Association of the Philippines (MAP), and the Philippine Chamber
of Commerce and Industry.