Jollibee Just Marked an Impressive Milestone This Month

Jollibee is continuing its aggressive expansion overseas with back-to-back store openings this month in North America. The flagship brand of Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) conquered Michigan when it opened its first branch in the so-called Wolverine State on Friday, January 12, 2024. This is Jollibee's 71st store in the United States.

Located in the Sterling Heights area of the city of Detroit, Jollibee’s Michigan store opening attracted thousands of locals all eager to get a taste of menu staples like its bestselling Chickenjoy, peach-mango pie, and burgers and sandwiches. A news release from Jollibee said excited customers started lining up outside the store the previous evening, hoping to be the first to walk through its doors. One diner was even there as early as 9 p.m. Thursday night, a full 12 hours before the actual store opening.

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“I am so excited to be here—my Filipino friends have spoken so much about the brand, and as soon as I found out they were coming to Michigan, I had to go out and try it,” Jollibee quoted Faiz Marro, the customer who waited 12 hours for the store opening, as saying. “I am probably most excited to try the Chickenjoy because I have heard it's amazing, but I also want to get my hands on all of the other favorites, like the Adobo Rice and Peach Mango Pie."

The line just before the opening of the first Jollibee store in Michigan

Photo by Jollibee Foods Corp.

The customers’ dedication was doubly impressive considering the less-than-ideal weather conditions. It’s the middle of winter in North America and there were reports of a snowstorm ahead of the opening. But even that couldn’t keep the brand’s fans away. Even Jollibee’s drive-thru had a long line that snaked around the store and spilled over into the street. 

Meanwhile, store no. 29 in Canada opened at the Strawberry Hills Shopping Center in Surrey, British Columbia on Thursday (January 25). It is also the second Jollibee store in the city. 

“The support we received when we opened our first Surrey location in 2023 was incredible to witness,” said Maribeth Dela Cruz, President, Jollibee North America. “The fans here in British Columbia are amazing, and we're thrilled to be celebrating our 100th store location in such a vibrant and welcoming community. Even better, the Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre could not be more convenient for residents to satisfy their cravings and relish in a bit of joy.”

Excited customers lined up for hours at the first Jollibee store in Michigan

Photo by Jollibee Foods Corp.

That makes the new Surrey store Jollibee's 100 branch in North America—a significant milestone in the history of the proudly Filipino food brand founded by Tony Tancaktiong as a simple ice cream parlor in the mid-1970s.

Jollibee now has a total of over 1,500 branches in 17 countries, making JFC not just the largest fast-food company in the Philippines, but also one of the largest quick-service food companies in the world. JFC has not made secret its ambition of becoming one of the top five biggest food companies in the world, and the opening of these two new locations is yet another step forward in the pursuit of this goal.

Jollibee's second store in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada is also its 100th store in North America 

Photo by Jollibee Foods Corp.

In addition to Jollibee, JFC has 17 other food brands across 34 countries worldwide. The company has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); four franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60 percent ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee; and 51 percent ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand. JFC also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.