Jollibee: The Filipino Chicken Chain Winning Over America


Photo courtesy of Jollibee

Jollibee is the second-fastest-growing restaurant brand in the world, according to the 2024 Brand Finance Awards. This ranking is no small feat in today’s highly competitive world, considering the massive popularity of leading chains like Chipotle, Starbucks, and McDonald’s.

Indeed, Jollibee has enjoyed a stellar run of success of late. In July of 2024, the editors of USA TODAY 10Best, along with a panel of experts and readers, selected the best fast-food fried chicken. Jollibee was the top pick, with editors calling out specifically to Jollibee’s signature Chickenjoy. The chain’s annual revenue now tops pre-pandemic levels and profits are back, up 16% year-over-year, to 8.8 billion pesos in 2023, according to Forbes.

Jollibee’s menu offers additional creative and inspired items, like Peach Mango Pie, Fiesta Noodles, Aloha Yumburger, and Banana Langka Pie.

In June 2024, a press release noted the store opening of Jollibee in Seattle. On the day of the opening, Maribeth Dela Cruz, President of Jollibee North America expressed excitement: “.. We cannot wait to be part of such a diverse yet close-knit community that has also become a culinary destination in its own right.”

Jollibee’s celebration of diversity and community values is a key focus for the restaurant chain. The Filipino-inspired menu appeals to a large and diverse array of diners around the globe, a quality that its leadership takes to heart.

In a February 2024 statement, Richard Shin, CFO of Jollibee Group, spoke to the importance of the brand connecting with its diners: “Jollibee’s ability to resonate with consumers across diverse markets and cultures opens opportunities for further expansion and growth, enhancing the potential for better shareholder value to investors and franchisees.”

The diverse menu offerings at Jollibee are a key reason for the store’s growing popularity, but not the only strength. With a firm set of core values, Jollibee expresses a warm message to its consumers. Its corporate values include Customer Focus, Spirit of Family and Fun, Humility to Listen and Learn, Integrity, and Speed with Excellence.

It is this commitment to creating a diverse, affordable, and consumer-minded menu that puts Jollibee in a position of extreme growth today.

While the chain has around 100 stores combined in North America, it boasts more than 1,500 stores around the world – and counting. Other recent Jollibee storefront openings in the U.S.  include Arlington, Texas, Manhattan, New York, and Brooklyn Kings Highway, New York.


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