Jollibee is a fast-growing fast-food restaurant chain that has become a cult favorite in the Philippines and beyond. With its unique menu focused on the Filipino flavor, its friendly bee mascot, and its community-driven heart, it's no wonder that Jollibee has become so popular. While the vast majority of Jollibee franchises are located in the Philippines, the company has diversified into markets in North America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. When Jollibee realized that they would need to compete with large international corporations, they gave the company a very intelligent makeover, starting with the name.
And despite owning other chains such as Greenwich Pizza, Chowking, Red Ribbon, and Mang Inasal, Jollibee has only 900 stores compared to McDonald's nearly 40,000 stores. The ice cream used by Jollibee and found in most halo-halos is bright purple, and that color comes from the ube, a purple sweet potato. But so it was in 1978 when Caktiong opened the institution that is Jollibee in the bustling former capital of the Philippines, Quezon City, forever changing his country's fast-food landscape and capturing the hearts and taste buds of generations. Prices are similar to other fast foods, and Jollibee has stores in the states of California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington. In the Middle East, Jollibee's main market is Filipino workers abroad, while in Vietnam it is the local population.
Jollibee brought its best game to compete with McDonald's, and the Philippine chain now controls the Manila market more than its international competitors. The newcomer is Jollibee, a fast-food chain that some call McDonald's from the Philippines. Today, Jollibee has more than 1000 locations around the world with dozens spread across the United States and plans to expand to triple digits in the next 5 years. The most obvious American equivalent of Jollibee's peach and mango pie is McDonald's apple pie but unlike McDonald's, Jollibee still fries its delicious hand pies. When food became more popular than ice cream, the family decided to turn the ice cream parlor into a fast-food restaurant which became Jollibee's first establishment in 1978. For millions of Filipinos abroad what Jollibee offers is a nostalgic taste of home at a price that most of us can swallow.
Jollibee is also known for its high-quality fast-food spaghetti which is a Filipino variant of the famous spaghetti and meatballs. Jollibee has proven to be more than just a fast food chain. It is a place where food has a soul; it thrives because it continues to serve its consumer base genuine Filipino recipes as well as smiles with its friendly bee mascot and brand ideologies. It's no wonder that Jollibee has amassed a cult following in the Philippines and beyond and continues to acquire new fans both of Filipino descent and not with its richly Filipino dishes and community-driven heart.
