People queued for three hours.
The Philippines’ largest fast-food chain Jollibee opened its third UK restaurant in Leicester today.
New to Leicester, Jollibee is located in Humberstone Gate and is open 10am-10pm daily. It's created 50 new jobs and is the first Jollibee in the UK to sell all Halal meat.
Around 120 people queued from 7am for three hours before the doors were opened. The socially distanced queue stretched right down Charles Street to Lower Free Lane.
The brand has a cult following amongst the Filipino diaspora around the globe, from Hong Kong to New York and now here in the UK. Previous launches have witnessed people queuing as early as 72 hours prior to the store opening and traveling for hundreds of miles.
Adam Parkinson, Head of Jollibee Europe, officially cut the ribbon in the Leicester opening ceremony alongside the Leicester team and Jollibee's iconic mascot this morning.
Adam commented: “Community spirit is one of our main values here at Jollibee. When we decided on Leicester, we understood that to be part of this multi-cultural city, we had to adapt our supply chain to ensure we can offer all of our Jollibee favourites as Halal. I hope Jollibee will become a much-loved part of Leicester’s community."
The restaurant chain is famous across the world for bringing an Asian twist to a traditional western menu, with unique food combinations including crispy fried chicken with a side of sweet spaghetti.
Jollibee serves up crispy, juicy and tasty fried chicken, with a diverse menu including chicken burgers, hotdogs, fries, desserts and refreshing drinks.
Leicester customers can try some of the latest menu items, including the Tropical Chicken Burger, Asian Slaw, Mango Coconut Sundae, Pineapple Juice and Asian Chicken Tender Rice Bowl.
Adam added: “I am excited to be launching our third Jollibee in the UK, and the second in only the last two months. With its rich history as one of the oldest cities in England, and better known today for its cultural diversity, Premier League winning football team and great universities, Leicester was an obvious choice for us for our first Midlands store.
"When people take the first bite of our signature Chickenjoy, they’ll understand what all the hype is about."
