Jollibee facts for kids
Logo since 2011
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Jollibee in Rizal, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
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| Owner | Jollibee Foods Corporation |
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| Introduced | 1978 |
| Markets | Southeast Asia, East Asia (Hong Kong, Macau), Middle East, Western Europe, Australia, United States, Canada. |
| Tagline | Langhap-Sarap Bida ang sarap/saya! No. 1 Sa Saya |
Jollibee is a very popular fast food restaurant chain from the Philippines. It's owned by a company called Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC). Jollibee started in 1978 thanks to Tony Tan Caktiong. It's now the top fast food spot in the Philippines and one of the fastest-growing restaurants worldwide!
By 2024, Jollibee had more than 1,668 restaurants in 17 countries. You can find them in places like Southeast Asia, East Asia (like Hong Kong and Macau), the Middle East, North America, and Europe (including Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom). Jollibee is super famous for its delicious Chickenjoy, which is their special fried chicken.
Contents
The Story of Jollibee
In 1975, Tony Tan Caktiong and his family opened an ice cream parlor in Quezon City, Philippines. They started selling hot meals and sandwiches alongside the ice cream. People loved the hot food so much that it became more popular than the ice cream!
Because of this, the family decided to change their ice cream shop into a fast food restaurant. This new restaurant became the very first Jollibee in 1978. A business expert named Manuel C. Lumba helped the family with this big change. The restaurant was first called "Jolibe" but soon changed its name to "Jollibee."
The company, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), officially started in January 1978. By the end of that year, there were seven Jollibee restaurants in Metro Manila. The first Jollibee restaurant that was owned by someone else (a franchise) opened in Santa Cruz, Manila, in 1979.
Growing Big and Strong
Jollibee grew very quickly. It even managed to do well when McDonald's came to the Philippines in 1981. Jollibee succeeded by focusing on the special tastes that Filipino people love. The first Jollibee outside of Metro Manila opened in Mabalacat.
Jollibee started opening restaurants in other countries too. The first international Jollibee opened in Singapore in 1985. Later that same year, Jollibee also opened branches in the Middle East and Guam. Jollibee kept expanding both inside the Philippines and around the world.
In 1998, Jollibee came to North America, opening its first United States location in Daly City, California. Jollibee first entered Europe in 2018 with a restaurant in Milan, Italy.
What's on the Menu?
Jollibee offers fast food items that are inspired by both American and Filipino cooking. Some of their most popular items are:
- Yumburger: This is their classic hamburger, which was one of the first items they sold.
- Chickenjoy: This is their famous fried chicken, which comes in regular and spicy versions. It was added to the menu in the 1980s.
- Jolly Spaghetti: This is a unique sweet Filipino spaghetti with a beef sauce, hot dog pieces, and ham.
In 1995, Jollibee also added the Burger Steak to its menu. In other countries, Jollibee sometimes offers special local dishes. For example, they have chili chicken in Vietnam and nasi lemak in Brunei.
Chickenjoy: The Star Dish
The Chickenjoy is Jollibee's most famous and crispy fried chicken meal. You can order it with different sides like rice and gravy, fries, buttered corn, or spaghetti.
Yumburger: A Classic Burger
The Yumburger is one of the first items Jollibee ever sold. It's a hamburger with a beef patty and mayonnaise. In 2017, Jollibee also introduced the Aloha Yumburger.
Jollibee has even made popular online videos about the Yumburger. In 2017, an advertisement for the Yumburger became very popular in the Philippines. Another Yumburger commercial in 2019, which was about love for Father's Day, became a funny Internet meme. You could even get Yumburger toys with the Jolly Kiddie Meal in 2018!
Who Owns Jollibee?
Jollibee is owned by the Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), which is based in Pasig, Philippines. JFC started allowing other people to open Jollibee restaurants (franchising) in 1979. JFC also owns other popular fast food brands in the Philippines, like Chowking, Greenwich Pizza, Red Ribbon Bakeshop, and Mang Inasal. They also run Burger King restaurants in the Philippines.
Jollibee Around the World
As of May 2019, Jollibee had over 1,300 restaurants. About 1,150 of these were in the Philippines, and 234 were in other countries. Jollibee has restaurants in Southeast Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, North America, Europe, and Oceania.
Outside of the Philippines, Vietnam and the United States are the biggest markets for Jollibee. As of 2024, Vietnam had 200 Jollibee restaurants, and North America (including Canada) had 100.
Some countries and places where Jollibee used to have restaurants include Taiwan, mainland China, Indonesia, Northern Mariana Islands, and Papua New Guinea.
Marketing and Fun Stuff
Who Loves Jollibee?
Outside of the Philippines, different groups of people enjoy Jollibee. In the Middle East, many Filipino workers living there are big fans. But in Vietnam, Jollibee is very popular with the local people. Vietnam has the most Jollibee restaurants outside of the Philippines, with over 100 locations.
Jollibee Mascots
The main mascot, Jollibee, was introduced in 1980. He is a big, friendly bee wearing a red blazer, shirt, and a chef's hat. Jollibee's look was inspired by Mickey Mouse. The mascot was created to show the happy and positive spirit of Filipinos. Tony Tan, the founder of Jollibee, said that the bee "hops around and produces sweet things for life, and is happy even though it is busy."
Jollibee also has other mascots, and some of them were even in a children's TV show called Jollitown.
| Name | Year Introduced | What They Represent |
|---|---|---|
| Jollibee | 1980 | Main mascot and chef, representing Filipino dishes |
| Champ | 1984 (first) 2020 (second) |
Champ premium hamburger |
| Mr. Yum / Yum | circa 1980–1983 (as Mr. Yum) 2008 (as Yum) |
Burgers |
| Twirlie | 1988 | Sundaes |
| Popo | circa 1980–1984 | French fries |
| Hetty | 1984 | Spaghetti |
Jollibee on TV and Online
Jollitown TV Show
On April 13, 2008, Jollibee started its own children's television show called Jollitown. This show came out just in time for Jollibee's 30th birthday! The show featured Jollibee and his friends like Yum the scientist, Twirlie the star performer, Hetty the cheerleader, and Popo the gym coach. The show aired on different TV channels in the Philippines over the years.
Online Videos
Jollibee also creates popular videos for the internet. In November 2018, 23 of their original "Kwentong Jollibee" (Jollibee Stories) videos on YouTube had been watched a total of 64 million times! By July 2020, these videos had reached an amazing 405 million views, and their YouTube channel had 567,000 subscribers.
Images for kids
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Jollibee food truck in Baliwag, Bulacan, Philippines
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The 100th Jollibee store in North America, located in Surrey, BC, Canada
See also
In Spanish: Jollibee para niños
