Jolibee opens North American HQ as Filipino fast food chain continues expansion

Philippines fast food giant Jolibee opened its store in Artesia, California in October.

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Filipino fast food chain Jollibee plans to open 250 North American stores by 2023, reports Daily Hive.

Along with this expansion news, Jollibee also announced the opening of new North American headquarters in West Covina, California.

The red-and-white bee logo on the new headquarters off the I-10 will be visible as people enter and exit the city. According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, West Covina mayor Lloyd Johnson said the city is looking forward to telling people it is the home of Jollibee.

In the Philippines, Jollibee is a dominant leader that beats out McDonald’s and Burger King in popularity and market shares, according to CNBC Make It. Its parent company, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), is one of the world’s fastest growing Asian restaurant companies and has over 230 international branches, CultureMap Dallas reports.

“North America is a key growth market for us at Jollibee to achieve our goal of becoming one of the top 5 restaurant companies in the world,” said Jollibee Foods Corporation’s chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong.

There are currently 46 Jollibee restaurants in the United States and Canada, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports. Jollibee’s first America store was in California and opened in 1998.

According to CNBC Make It, Jollibee said it had “record-setting, double-digit sales growth” in the U.S. in 2017. Store openings in America have attracted crowds, and social media influencers have contributed a role in increasing interest through videos trying Jollibee’s menu.

Jollibee credited its worldwide appeal to its flagship product, Chickenjoy. The hand-breaded fried chicken made with a secret marinade has been praised for being crispy and juicy.

″[Jollibee] is going to be up there when we talk about Chick-fil-A and KFC, who’s got the best chicken?” Kara Nielsen, vice president of trends and marketing of the food and beverage consulting firm CCD Helmsman told CNBC Make It. “That I could see happening.”

Jollibee’s menu also includes Jolly Spaghetti, served with the Filipino staple banana ketchup as well as cheese and hot dog slices. The company also lists its Peach Mango Pie, which combines peaches and Philippine mangoes, as a fan favorite. 

Two Jolibee favorites: Spaghetti and fried chicken.

“One of the key things really is that it’s popular food — fried chicken, pasta, pies — but it’s twisted in a different way that’s very true to Jollibee in its uniqueness,” Jose Minana, Jollibee’s North America group president, told CNBC Make It. “It’s almost like a mosaic of different flavors, it’s not just that one blanket that fits all.”

Minana added that Jollibee was encouraged by the US reception at the October opening of a Manhattan location where there is not necessarily a large population of Filipino Americans.

“It’s very humbling when [people] share their gratitude for us coming here, saying, ‘Thanks for giving us a new way of eating,’” Minana said.

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Canadian waits in line 70 hours to get a taste of Filipino fast food

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John Haworth, right, was the first customer to place his order at Jolibee's in Edmonton, Canada.

The grand opening of Edmonton, Canada's first Jolibee, the Filipino fast-food franchise challenging McDonald's and KFC in the US and Canada, became a bicultural celebration of fried chicken and sweet spaghetti.

After 70 hours of waiting outside in Edmonton, Canada's cold and rain, Jordan Haworth finally was able to get a bite of his first Jollibee chicken. He got in line Tuesday and placed a lawn chair near the entrance so he'd be first in line when the doors opened Friday (Aug. 16).

He wasn't disappointed. “It’s so good,”Haworth said, adding it was worth the wait. “You bite into it and it is crispy, it’s good. You got the salt and it’s juicy as you chew it. Remains in there a little bit, keeps the flavor the entire time.”

Jolibee, which attracts recent immigrants from the Philippines is developing a loyal following in the US and Canadian markets.

Unlike the hundreds of Filipino canadians who flocked to the opening, Haworth had never tasted Jolibee's offerings before Friday. He had heard about Jolibee from his mother who had visited the Philippines. 

By the time the outlet opened its doors at 7 am, The line waiting behind Haworth was 300 people long.

The first 50 customers had the chance to get one year’s worth of chicken if they purchased $25 worth of food. This is not only the first Jollibee to open in Edmonton but Alberta as well. Haworth, who is an event organizer in Edmonton, took advantage of the offer and ordered $50 worth of food.

This fanfare for Jollibee — home of crispy fried chicken, sweet spaghetti, mango pies  and the ever-present hamburger — is not a new phenomenon. When the popular franchise arrived in Scarborough, Ont., last year, the grand opening attracted thousands. The previous record for waiting for a Jolibee opening was in Manhattan where its first customer waited 20 hours.

The 36th person in line was Jonald Alfafara, who had worked at a Jolibee franchise when he was in collge. He got in line Wednesday to make sure he was among the first 50 customers.

“We’ve been waiting for this to come,” he said. “Try it, try everything. My favourite is the burger steak, the spaghetti, the chicken, of course. And the Jolly hotdog and yum burger.”

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Filipino Canadians couldn't wait to get a taste of the Philippines.
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Jolibee opens first outlet in the Big Apple

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A Philippine favorite is rapidly expanding its reach in the United States.

For the first time, Jollibee has opened in the Big Apple and given many Filipinos in New York a connection to their former homeland.

The popular Filipino fast-food chain opened its first location in Manhattan, New York Saturday, giving away a year-supply of Chickenjoy—the restaurant’s signature fried chicken served with gravy and rice—to its first 40 customers.

With 38 stores already in the United States, including 1,300 locations worldwide, the company is not expecting to stop growing anytime soon. 

Akin to “McDonald’s of the Philippines,” Jollibee plans to be as prevalent as—or even more than—its competitors.

While JFC North America’s Vice President Maribeth Dela Cruz declined to share the number of locations the company plans to open, Cruz told Business Insider that they are executing an “aggressive” expansion strategy in the United States. They are determined to become the top five restaurant company in the world.

The opening of this Jollibee symbolizes the growing prominence of this Filipino-based restaurant and Americans’ excitement for a new indulgent fast-food craving. For Filipinos, it also gives them a taste of home while bringing their culture into the American spotlight.

Rochelle Novilla, 26, told The New York Post, “It’s memories.” She said, “Here [in America], on your birthday, your mom might bring in cupcakes to your class,” she says. “In the Philippines, your mom would bring Jollibee spaghetti.”

Other Jollibee fans Javier, 33, and Callan, 28, waited 20 hours in line to be first patrons at Times Square location that Saturday, according to Eater New York. Javier echoed a similar sentiment to Novilla. He told Eater, “I grew up in the Philippines, so its a nostalgia thing for me.” He added, “Jollibee feels like home.”

Even the group president of the restaurant company acknowledges how Jollibee is more than just a product. From a Forbes article, Jose Miñana, Jollibee Foods Corporation’s (JFC) head of Foreign Franchised Brands and Country in North America, said, “For our fans, Jollibee is so much more than just another fast food, fried chicken restaurant. Jollibee is about spreading joy by sharing great-tasting food with friends and family.”

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