While most of the top 100 restaurants with fewer than 100 locations have grown organically from emerging to mid-sized growth, Jollibee is uniquely positioned. Dubbed the “McDonald’s of the Philippines,” Jollibee achieved international success when it entered North America in 1998. As a result, it did not need to build its U.S. operations from scratch.
At first, very few Americans had heard of the fast-food chain with the happy bee logo and menu featuring sweet spaghetti and fried chicken. In fact, Nick Bedell, Jollibee’s chief marketing officer, said that for many years, the chain primarily targeted Filipino expats, immigrants and Filipino-Americans who missed the fast-food options in their hometowns. But recently, Jollibee’s awareness among other American demographics has grown alongside its number of locations (more than 70 stores to date).
“For the first few decades of our presence in North America, our focus was on bringing the Jollibee experience to Filipinos here in the U.S., whereas today we’re becoming a more mainstream brand,” Bedell said. “That’s really strengthened our ability to grow further because we’re not just going to places where there are a lot of Filipinos, we’re going to places where there are a lot of people who want delicious fried chicken.”
Jollibee’s menu is a mix of American favorites, like burgers and fried chicken, with Filipino twists on fast food, like the brand’s famous peach mango pie and signature spaghetti topped with sweet sauce, hot dogs, and shredded cheese. As Jollibee continues to expand in the U.S., the company is looking to add more traditional American sides to fried chicken, like biscuits and macaroni and cheese. A perfect example of this marriage of cultures is the new Aloha Chicken Sandwich, which tops a chicken sandwich with bacon (an American favorite) and pineapple (the Filipino twist).
“Items like this create curiosity and intrigue on a very familiar platform (and) are a great way for us to get people to come and try Jollibee for the first time,” Bedell said. “We hope that someone who enjoyed a chicken sandwich will come back and try the Chicken Joy. … We’re trying to create a lot of opportunities for people to come in for all kinds of different dishes.”
As Jollibee continues to build brand awareness and strengthen its portfolio, the next step is franchising. Bedell said the company just announced franchise opportunities in North America in June and will look to expand in new and existing markets, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, in cities like Seattle and Portland.
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