Hundreds of Winnipeggers braved -27 C temperatures for the early-morning opening of Canada’s first Jollibee restaurant in mid-December 2016.
The Filipino food service franchise said 500 people were lined up by the time the restaurant opened at 7:30 a.m.
Jollibee is the ninth-largest fast-food company in the world with more than 3,000 stores, and is considered the McDonald’s of the Phillipines. It is best known for its pineapple-topped hamburgers, Chickenjoy fried chicken and Jolly spaghetti.
Winnipeg was chosen as the first Canada location because it has the largest population of Filipinos, per capita, in the country.
“We are very encouraged by the turnout at the grand opening of Canada’s first Jollibee,” said Jose Miñana, president of Jollibee Foods for North America and foreign food brands. “It brings us great joy to bring a taste of home to Filipinos and a new culinary experience to Canadians.”
Jollibee currently operates in 12 markets globally. With further expansion in Canada and the U.S., it hopes to become one of the top five restaurant companies in the world by 2020.
The franchise fee for a Jollibee franchise ranges from approximately $300,000 to $550,000, depending on store size and available facilities.
