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Shaein Agcaoili
English 114B
Prof. Lawson
19 February 2014
Project Space: Final Draft
1204
Jollibee: Home Sweet Home
Here in the U.S. fast food restaurants are constantly seen in every corner of the streets.
Most are burger joints such as McDonalds, Burger King, In N Out, etc. Fast food chains play a
big part in American culture, even those that are not considered "American". Jollibee is a
Filipino fast food restaurant located in Panorama City. It is not a popular or well known
restaurant here in the states since there is hardly any of them here in Southern California. But in
the Philippines, Jollibee is one of the biggest fast food chain restaurants. It is so popular that
some would consider it as the "McDonalds of the Philippines". Jollibee is a great place to
experience a Filipino culture and gives Filipinos a taste of their homeland.
Jollibee is Philippines leading fast food brand. It was founded on January 28, 1978 in
Quezon City. The restaurant became so successful that the franchise expanded to the states in
1998. There are currently only 29 restaurants opened here in America and most of them are in
California. As shown on Wikipedia, "Today, from 5 branches in 1978, Jollibee grew to a strong
network of 801 stores in the country, and 95 stores internationally. In total, Jollibee has 896
stores worldwide as of November 2013." Also, Jollibee is currently the largest fast food chain in
the Philippines. Jollibee is the perfect restaurant for chicken lovers because they have one of the
best tasting chicken in the world. Personally Jollibee is one of my favorite fast food restaurant.
As a Filipina myself, I spent most of my childhood eating at Jollibee. My grandma would always
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bring me Jollibee for lunch during first grade. Back in the Philippines I remember having a
Jollibee in the corner of my neighborhood. But when I moved to California, when I was 7 years
old, I found out that there was no Jollibee here because it was not popular nor was it an
American restaurant. It all changed in 2006, when a Jollibee restaurant was opened in Panorama
City. Since then my family and I have always visited there. When entering the restaurant one will
notice that most furniture and wall are decorated in colors of red and yellow because those are
the colors of the mascot. The scent of the restaurant is the smell of freshly cooked chicken and
gravy. Overall, the restaurant is a warm comfortable but yet normal place.
Moreover, Jollibee is a Filipino restaurant, so obviously it attracts customers who has a
Filipino background and is living in or by Panorama City. The restaurant has this whole idea of
having their customers feel like they are back in the Philippines. Jollibee is famous for their
Chicken Joy, Jollibee Spaghetti, Peach Mango Pie, Big Yum, Amazing Aloha, and not to forget
the famous Burger Steak. The menu is set up similarly as how it would be in the Philippines. The
only difference is that some food in the menu has become "Americanized". Meaning that some
food that you would find in McDonalds or In N out, you might find in Jollibee as well. The menu
consist of mainly chicken, burger steaks, pies, etc., but most often served with rice. Rice is
essential to Asian people, as it is considered to be a main dish. Lately, the menu has become a bit
"Americanized" by giving customers the choice of having fries, mash potatoes, and corn as their
side dishes instead. I clearly remember how back in 2006 the only side dish they would serve
with their famous Chicken Joy is rice, but now there is a variety of choices to choose from.
Though it may seem that Jollibee is pulling away from its native roots, the owners and workers
are just trying to mix both American and Filipino culture together by serving food that
compliments each other.
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Furthermore, Jollibee is a comfort place for those who are "home sick". Customers
gather to Jollibee to have that feeling of being home and reminisce about the past they had back
in the Philippines. Some parents would bring their kids that were born here to eat at this
restaurant to have their kids experience something close to their homeland. My family and I
usually eat at Jollibee once a month. We recently ate there about two weeks ago and I remember
my dad telling me how the chicken and gravy taste way better back in the Philippines. As he
went on, my siblings and I noticed from the tone of his voice that he was reminiscing as well as
getting homesick. This place has overwhelmed him a bit because it made him miss his homeland
but Jollibee gave him that feeling of comfort as if he were back in the Philippines. My father was
not the only person who felt that way, there are a lot of customers who turn to Jollibee when their
in need of feeling "home". For example, Christina P. from Yelp has mentioned that "Being in
L.A. and Beverly Hills you will not find any Jollibee. I came here to the U.S. three years ago I
got sad because I know I won't be able to eat some mango peach pie and chicken joy anymore.
Until my cousin brought me to this one in Panorama. I can not explain how much I missed the
taste of these chicken. It is so sarap, it makes me feel home!" In essence, Jollibee food barely
fails to bring comfort and joy to their customers.
Lastly, Jollibee is a great place for outsiders to experience Filipino culture. The restaurant
is located in a city where majority of the people are Asians and Hispanics, so it is kind of
surprising how other ethnic groups have not heard of or seen Jollibee. Most of the time I eat
there, I only see Filipino customers. Jollibee is a bit Americanized so I am very sure that any
other ethnic group who eats at the restaurant would not feel uncomfortable. People should visit
the restaurant more often because it is a family friendly place and it kind of plays a big part to the
Filipino community. It is a place where people can connect and eat great Filipino food, like the
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dish "palabok" which is one of the main noodle dish of the Philippines. Customers could also
take pictures with the giant bee mascot, it is a way to capture the moment of being in Jollibee. It
is very interesting seeing other ethnic groups experiencing and enjoying the food of the
Philippines.
There are countless of fast food restaurants across the country but there are also a handful
that are focused more towards a certain ethnic group. Jollibee is a place to taste something new
and to others it is a place where it reminds them of their sweet home. You do not have to be
Filipino to enjoy or eat at this place. It is an appetizing experience and highly recommended
place for those who love chicken and wants a taste of some Filipino food. Overall, outsider or
not this restaurant would bring anyone comfort.