Filipino chicken chain Jollibee continued its expansion into the U.S. market in January by opening two new restaurants in Florida and Hawaii. The brand plans to set up an additional 25 stores in the U.S. and Canada this year – the company’s biggest in a single year.
The Tampa Bay, Florida store opened January 17, while a second restaurant launched on the island of Maui on January 24. The two locations were picked because they rank among the top 10 states in the U.S. with the highest concentrations of Filipinos.
"We cannot wait to welcome Jollibee fans who have long waited for their turn to finally have Jollibee in their area, in addition to welcoming new foodies intrigued by our unique menu, which we fondly describe as a joyous mash-up of Western comfort food and Asian flavors," Beth Dela Cruz, President of Jollibee Foods Corporation North America, Philippine Brands Group, said in a press release.
From the Philippines to the U.S.
The new stores in Florida and Hawaii are the 40th and 41st restaurants the Filipino-based chicken chain has opened in the U.S. The chain also has restaurants located in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Washington and Virginia.
The brand is best-known for the Chickenjoy, a hand-breaded piece of marinated chicken described as “crispylicious on the outside and juicylicious on the inside.” In the U.S. market exclusively, the brand sells a chicken sandwich, featuring a 100% hand-breaded chicken breast fillet, a brioche bun, garlic aioli sauce, lettuce and tomatoes.
Jollibee – which opened a North American headquarters in 2019 – recently announced a plan to grow to 150 stores in this market by the year 2023. The brand is the largest fast food chain in the Philippines with more than 1,400 stores.
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