Jollibee is a unique fast food chain that has gained a cult following in the Philippines and beyond. It has become a Philippine success story, thanks to its focus on the palette of its audience, its friendly bee mascot, and its branded ideologies. The main feature of Jollibee is the way its food menu focuses on the Filipino flavor, providing spaghetti with tomato and banana sauce with hot dogs and fried rice with garlic to take with breakfast meals. It has also acquired other restaurant chains, such as Greenwich Pizza, and opened branches in Taiwan, the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Jollibee didn't invent Filipino spaghetti, but its version set the standard for cheap and widely available Filipino spaghetti. The company has also diversified into markets in North America, Southeast Asia and Europe. It has become a place where food has a soul; it thrives because it continues to serve its consumer base genuine Filipino recipes, as well as smiles. Jollibee executives say the company hopes to offer foreign Filipinos a familiar taste of their childhood.
When Jollibee realized that they would need to compete with large international corporations with an ingenious brand and marketing, they gave the company a very intelligent makeover, starting with the name. The show followed the bee (whose name is — of course — Jollibee) and her fellow pet friends, each of whom represented a different food on the menu, be it desserts, spaghetti or fries. Jollibee has also become popular for its breakfast options which include some familiar fast-food items served with a touch of Pinoy. Its pancake sandwich is his slightly healthier response to KFC's double bet, which used strips of boneless fried chicken instead of a muffin.
The Yumburger was Jollibee's first distinctive product, and for a time, the Jollibee locations were called Jollibee Yumburger. Justin Callan from the New York neighborhood of Coney Island said that, as a non-Filipino, he has always felt welcome in Jollibee. Felix, an 18-year-old from Hoboken, New Jersey, finds himself in Midtown Jollibee eating Chickenjoy for the first time. Sam began making more frequent trips to the Philippines as his career increased, and then became involved with charitable donations, partnering with Jollibee to provide meals for underserved children. Pacadaljen, who now has a daughter, takes her to Jollibee to share this portion of familiarity—and his Philippine heritage—with her. 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.
It is no wonder that Jollibee has amassed a cult following in the Philippines and beyond, and continues to acquire new fans.
