Has the Filipino diaspora fuelled Jollibee’s international growth?
- Started by a Filipino-Chinese entrepreneur in 1978, fast food restaurant Jollibee can today be found in 34 territories
- Its recipe for growth has included foreign brand acquisitions and homesick overseas Filipinos longing for a taste of national pride and Chickenjoy
When Ireland-based Philippine migrant Ramon Borje and his daughter were on holiday in Italy in 2018, they broke away from their tour group in Rome to make a side trip to Milan, three hours away.
The draw? A meal at Jollibee, a giant Philippine fast food chain known for its burgers, fried chicken and spaghetti.
So beloved is the brand, time and distance are minor inconveniences to homesick overseas Filipinos.
California worker Cristina de Leon said she often made a beeline for the nearest Jollibee outlet despite an abundance of food choices in the US state, while hotelier Rhyan Santos queued for hours for “a taste of home” when Jollibee opened its first branch in the United Arab Emirates.
“The feeling is different the moment you enter Jollibee in a foreign land,” said Borje, who lives in Galway. “In Milan, the staff is so friendly. They were so happy. I feel like I’m back in the Philippines.”
Dishing out joy and happiness was exactly what Tony Tan Caktiong had in mind when he formed Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) in 1978 with his wife Grace, brothers Ernesto, William and Joseph, and other relatives.
“In JFC, we made the strategic and disciplined choice of creating joy and happiness through great-tasting food,” the Filipino-Chinese founder told graduates of the Philippine-based Asian Institute of Management in 2019.