Jollibee: Continues Aggressive U.S. Expansion

Manila / PH. (jfc) Popular fast-food restaurant Jollibee USA is dialing up its U.S. expansion with two new stores opening across Northern and Southern California this Fall. The Hayward store, which is located within the Bay Area in Northern California, opened on September 21, 2019, while the Artesia store in Los Angeles County, Southern California is scheduled to open next month.

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), one of the largest and fastest growing Asian restaurant companies in the world with more than 4,600 store branches across 21 countries, has identified North America as a key growth market. The aggressive expansion strategy of its flagship brand Jollibee in the United States is part of its pursuit to be among the top five restaurant companies in the world.

The Hayward and Artesia stores in California mark the brand’s 38th and 39th stores in the United States and the 45th and 46th stores in North America, respectively. With the brand’s commitment to grow to 150 stores in the U.S. by 2023, California continues to be a pivotal region for growth. It’s where Jollibee opened its first store in the country more than 20 years ago because of its ethnic diversity and thriving food scene that remains the same today.

«Knowing that accessibility is important to our customers, we’re so excited to be able to expand our reach across the state and bring additional Jollibee locations to the communities that have already shown us support and expressed their love for the brand,» said Maribeth Dela Cruz, President JFC North America Philippine Brands.

Now, more locals in and around Hayward and Artesia can have easier access to Jollibee’s signature offerings. Delicately hand-breaded to be crispylicious on the outside, with a secret marinade that makes it juicylicious on the inside, the brand’s world-famous Chickenjoy is a fan-favorite often enjoyed with a side of hot, flavorful gravy and complemented by the chain’s signature sweet-style Jolly Spaghetti loaded with chunky slices of savory ham and hotdog. The Peach Mango Pie, beloved for its delicious, gooey filling made with real Philippine mangoes enclosed in a light, crispy crust is the perfect ending to any meal.

Jollibee store openings in the U.S. and across the globe have been known to draw crowds as fans camp out hours beforehand to get their turn for the much-awaited Jollibee experience.

At the opening of the new Hayward store this past Saturday, over 100 people were lined up even before doors officially opened at 8 AM. Friends Jomil Dela Cruz and Ray Espiritu headed up the front of the line after arriving at 9 PM on September 20 – one day before the official opening. Following the entry of the first customers in line, long-time fans and curious newcomers alike continued to stream into the store until closing.

To celebrate each store opening, Jollibee hosts exclusive giveaways for customers. For the upcoming Jollibee Artesia opening, Jollibee will:

• Award the first 25 customers who make a purchase of USD 25 or more with ‘One Year of Joy,’ which includes a year’s supply of Chickenjoy – that’s a six-piece bucket every month for a year!
• Award the coveted Jollibee in Special Barong Tagalog (the national formal attire of the Philippines) Funko Pop! figures to the first 50 customers in line holding unique banners or posters that read, «#ItsOurTurn».
• Lastly, for the first three days the store is open, the first 100 customers who arrive at the store or first 50 who use the drive-thru and make a purchase of USD 25 or more get a special Jollibee collectible.

About Jollibee

Jollibee is the largest fast food chain brand in the Philippines, operating a Philippine network of more than 1,300 stores. A dominant market leader in the Philippines, Jollibee has embarked on an aggressive international expansion plan.
 
Jollibee has more than 200 international branches including in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Italy, and in the United Kingdom.
 
In North America, Jollibee opened its first store in 1998 in Daly City, California. It now operates 42 stores across the region, in the states of California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington, and Virginia of the United States, and in Manitoba and Ontario in Canada.
 
Technomic has consistently cited Jollibee among its Top 500 ranking restaurants in the United States. It was also awarded as Multinational Corporation of the Year by the Asian Business League of Southern California in 2017.

About Jollibee Foods Corporation

Jollibee Foods Corporation is one of the largest and fastest growing Asian restaurant companies in the world.
 
It operates in 21 countries, with over 4,600 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), United Kingdom, Italy, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, El Salvador, Panama, and now Malaysia. It has 8 wholly-owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan and Smashburger), 2 franchised brands (Burger King in the Philippines and Dunkin’ Donuts in certain territories in China), a 60 percent ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highland Coffee and PHO24 brands.
 
JFC has investments in Titan Dining LP, the ultimate holding entity of Tim Ho Wan Pte. Ltd. (the Master Franchisee of Tim Ho Wan in the Asia Pacific region excluding Hong Kong); and a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless to build a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States. JFC has also recently entered into a joint venture agreement to open Panda Express in the Philippines.