Jollibee

Jollibeeis aFilipinochain offast food restaurantsowned byJollibee Foods Corporation(JFC) which serves as its flagship brand. Established in 1978 byTony Tan Caktiong, it is the Philippines' top fast food restaurantand is among the world's fastest growing restaurants,expanding its international presence from 2014 to 2024 almost sixfold.As of January 2024, there were over 1,668 Jollibee fast-food branches across 17 countries,with restaurants inSoutheast Asia,East Asia(Hong KongandMacau), theMiddle East,North America, andEurope(includingSpain,Italy,and theUnited Kingdom).Jollibee is best known for its bestselling item, the Chickenjoy.
In 1975,Tony Tan Caktiongand his family opened aMagnoliaice cream parlorin Cubao,Quezon City.The outlet later began offering hot meals andsandwiches. When the food items became more popular than ice cream, the family decided to convert the ice cream parlor into afast food restaurant, which became the first Jollibee outlet in 1978.Management consultant Manuel C. Lumba advised the family on the change in strategy.Jollibee was initially named "Jolibe", but changed its name to "Jollibee".
Jollibee Foods Corporation(JFC) was incorporated in January 1978.By the end of that year, there were seven Jollibee branches inMetro Manila. The first franchised outlet of Jollibee opened inSanta Cruz, Manilain 1979.
Jollibee experienced rapid growth.The chain was able to withstand theentryofMcDonald'sinto the Philippines in 1981 by focusing on the specific tastes of the Filipino market.The first provincial Jollibee outlet opened inMabalacat.
The first overseas Jollibee opened in Singapore in 1985 at theKatong Shopping Centre;that location closed only a year later(since returned in 2013). In the same year, Jollibee opened branches in theMiddle EastandGuam.Jollibee continued to expand and set up outlets both within the country and abroad.
Jollibee would expand toNorth Americawith its first United States location inDaly City, California.
Jollibee first entered Europe in 2018 with the opening of a branch inMilan, Italy.
Jollibee offers American-influenced fast food items and casual Filipino fare. Among the establishment's best sellers are the Yumburger, the house hamburger first introduced during their early days of operation;the Chickenjoy, a fried chicken meal, introduced in the 1980s, with regular and spicy versions;and Jolly Spaghetti, a sweetFilipino spaghettithat includes a beef sauce with pieces of hot dog and ham.In 1995, Jollibee introduced the Burger Steak to its menu.At its international locations, Jollibee also offers localized products, such aschili chickenin Vietnam andnasi lemakinBrunei.Jollibee servesCoca-Colaproducts in Luzon and Visayas andPepsiproducts in Mindanao and its overseas markets.
The Chickenjoy is a crispy fried chicken meal.The meal can be ordered with several sides, including rice and gravy, fries, buttered corn, and spaghetti.
The Yumburger (also spelled as Yum Burger, or Yum!), one of the first products sold by Jollibee, is a hamburger containing a beef patty topped with mayonnaise.InThe Daily Telegraph,Michael Deacondescribed the Yumburger as "a slim, floppy, somewhat damp hamburger slathered with a strangely sweet mayo" in his three-star review of a Jollibee location in London.
In 2017, Jollibee introduced the Aloha Yumburger.That same year, an advertising video onYouTubeabout the Yumburger wentviralin the Philippines.A 2019 Yumburger commercial about love onFather's Daywas the subject ofmemes.Merchandise depicting the Yumburger was released in 2018 as a collectible toy set with the Jolly Kiddie Meal.
Jollibee is owned by theJollibee Foods Corporation, which is based inPasig,Philippines. JFC has operated as a franchisor since 1979. JFC also owns other fast food brands in the Philippines, includingChowking,Greenwich Pizza,Red Ribbon Bakeshop, andMang Inasal, and it operatesBurger Kingfranchises.
As of May 2019, Jollibee operated over 1,300 stores, with 1,150 in the Philippines and 234 in foreign markets.Jollibee has locations in Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, North America, Europe, andOceania.Outside of the Philippines,Vietnamand the United States are the biggest markets for Jollibee; with 200 outlets in the former as of 2024and 100 outlets in North America (plus Canada) as of 2024.
Countries and territories with previous presence of Jollibee outlets includeTaiwan,mainlandChina,Indonesia,Northern Mariana IslandsandPapua New Guinea.
Outside of the Philippines, Jollibee's customer base varies by region. In the Middle East, Jollibee's primary market are overseas Filipino workers, while in Vietnam it is the local population. Vietnam has the most franchises outside of the Philippines, with over 100 locations.
Introduced in 1980, Jollibee is a largeanthropomorphicbeemascot dressed in a red blazer, shirt, and chef's hat.Jollibee's design is based onMickey Mouse.The mascot was designed to epitomize Filipino optimism. Tony Tan, Jollibee's founder, has compared the mascot's character to the Filipino working class, stating that the bee "hops around and produces sweet things for life, and is happy even though it is busy".Jollibee developed additional mascots, some of which were featured inJollitown, a children's show aired in the Philippines.
On April 13, 2008, Jollibee premieredJollitown, a children's television show. The premiere was timed to coincide with Jollibee's 30th anniversary. The show featured several characters, including Jollibee, Yum the scientist, Twirlie the star performer, Hetty the cheerleader, and Popo the gym coach. The show aired aired Sundays at 9:30 a.m. onGMA Network.On July 17, 2011,Jollitownmoved toABS-CBNfor its fourth and fifth seasons, airing Sundays at 9:00 a.m. On July 20, 2013, the show moved back toGMA Networkfor its sixth season until it ended on October 12.
In November 2018, the 23 originalKwentong Jollibeevideos on itsYouTubechannel reached a total of 64 million views.After nearly two years the total views had risen to 405 million, with 567,000 subscribers, in July 2020.