Jollibee opens in Michigan

MANILA, Philippines — Jollibee Food Corp. has opened its first branch in Detroit, Michigan.

The latest expansion forms part of Jollibee’s overall vision to be one of the top five restaurant companies in the world.

“We are thrilled to be opening our first store in the state of Michigan, an important milestone in Jollibee’s accelerated North America growth strategy,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, president and CEO of Jollibee Group.

He said there is a huge market for Jollibee in Michigan which is the 10th largest US state in terms of population.

“There is a huge opportunity for Jollibee to grow and thrive with the local communities in Michigan. We’re excited to introduce the residents of Michigan to Chickenjoy and the Jollibee experience,” Tanmantiong said.

The new Jollibee branch is located at 44935 Woodridge Drive, in front of the Lakeside Mall in the city of Detroit–Michigan’s first capital city.

While it had to cease dine-in services earlier than expected due to the bad weather, Jollibee Sterling Heights still exceeded its opening-day sales target, boosted by hundreds of hungry Detroiters who ordered through the store’s double-lane drive-thru, the company said in a statement.

Maribeth Dela Cruz,  president of Jollibee North America, said that despite the intense cold on the day of opening, local Detroiters still flocked to the new branch.

“We look forward to seeing both familiar faces and first-time customers at our first Michigan location in the close-knit Sterling Heights community, where we can’t wait to create many new joyful moments for those who call the Detroit area home,” she said.

The Great Lakes State is officially the 14th US state that Jollibee has reached in the market since it started its aggressive expansion effort in the region.