Jollibee's First Vancouver Store Opens to 5,000 People Waiting in Line
The bustling Filipino population of Vancouver, B.C. in Canada now has easy access to a Jollibee right in their city. Jollibee officially opened its first store there with over 5,000 customers waiting in line. The store is located on Granville Street in the center of the downtown entertainment district, giving Fil-Canadians, OFWs, and everyone else a chance to dine at the fast-growing international fast-food brand.
The Vancouver branch is Jollibee’s first in the Province of British Columbia and its 23rd in Canada overall, arriving just as the country grows its immigrants and foreign workers population.
The store opened on Friday, February 25 at 9 a.m., but eager customers had started lining up as early as 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evening. Some were even willing to camp out in the cold for over 12 hours just to be among the first to get a taste of Jollibee in their hometown. On opening day, 5,000 people were lining up, with the queue wrapping around the corner of Robson and Howe Streets by lunch time, and then spanning more than three blocks by the afternoon.
The store stayed open until 10 p.m. with staff working nonstop as customers kept flooding into the store. The best-sellers of the day were the fried chicken, known as Jolly Crispy Chicken in North America, Jolly Spaghetti, and Peach Mango Pie. It’s been almost a week since the opening, but long lines can still be seen outside the store.
Vancouver resident Keisuke Kondo camped out at 833 Granville Street for over 12 hours to be the Jollibee’s first official customer on opening day.
“Jollibee’s entry into the Vancouver market is a milestone for the Jollibee Group as we continue to expand in North America in line with our vision of becoming one of the top 5 restaurant companies in the world,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group President & CEO.
“We are so fortunate to have such a devoted fan base here in Vancouver, and I was personally humbled by how many first-timers to our brand came out to experience our delicious food and cheerful service for themselves,” said Maribeth Dela Cruz, Business Group Head, Jollibee North America.
This won’t be the last Vancouver branch in Canada. Jollibee, which is currently in the middle of its global expansion initiative, plans to open two more stores in Vancouver’s metro area, particularly Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre in Surrey and Cambie Street near Downtown’s Vancouver City Hall. The two additional stores should be open by the end of the year.
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