Remember the stories of huge lines outside the first McDonald’s in Jeddah?  You had to wait for hours to get your food.  There was quite a buzz around the city that this gigantic international brand had arrived. 

Well, a similar thing took place recently: Jollibee, a well-known name from the Philippines, opened a store in Jeddah International Market.  Thousands went in the restaurant’s first few weeks of business.  One thing was certain – they LOVED this place.  Kids and families were taking photos with Jollibee’s iconic mascot: a big red and white smiling bee named Jollibee wearing a blazer and a chef’s hat. People were talking about it on their blogs and to everyone around them - they simply loved this place! 

So what’s the fuss about?    
Well, it all started with ice cream… in 1975, a young man by the name of Tony Tan and his family opened a small ice cream parlor in the old streets of Cubao, Philippines.  Sometime in 1978, Tan and his family engaged the services of a management consultant, named Manuel C. Lumba, who convinced them to shift their business focus from ice cream to burgers.

Fast-forward three and a half decades, and now Jollibee is an American-style fast-food restaurant with close to 700 outlets in the Philippines alone!  Jollibee has also gone global, opening up stores in several countries, including the U.S.  So how did Jollibee beat the Americans at their own game?

I’m sure the taste had something to do with it…

Locations:
- Khalideya Souq Tel: +966-2-6984043
- Jeddah Intl. Mall Tel: +966-2- 6693010
- Al-Balad Tel: +966-2-290 7995.