Jollibee Expands North America Footprint to 109 Stores with New Manhattan Location

Strong customer turnout fills the Jollibee Manhattan East 42nd Street store on opening day, with steady foot traffic underscoring sustained demand in one of New York City’s busiest districts.

Key Highlights:

Strong opening and sustained demand in a prime location: a long queue of customers pre-opening at the Midtown Manhattan site near Grand Central; steady daily traffic maintained post-launch

Mainstream customer base: 95% mainstream population, signaling broad U.S. market relevance, with Chickenjoy and Chicken Sandwich driving repeat visits

Disciplined North America expansion: Network now at 109 stores (81 U.S., 28 Canada), signaling capability to scale in mature, competitive markets with a repeatable model

MANILA, Philippines. May 13, 2026 –The Jollibee Group marked another milestone in its North America expansion with the opening of Jollibee Manhattan East 42nd Street, the brand’s newest store in New York City and its third Manhattan outpost.

Located at 14 East 42nd Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues, the store sits in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, steps from Grand Central Station—one of the city’s busiest transit hubs. It opened to the public on March 31, 2026, serving residents, commuters, office workers, and tourists.

The opening drew strong patronage, with customers lining up hours before opening. Notably, the customer mix was estimated at 95% mainstream population and 5% Filipino or Filipino American, underscoring Jollibee’s growing mainstream appeal in the U.S.

Customers line up outside Jollibee Manhattan East, 42nd Street, ahead of the opening, reflecting strong consumer patronage in the brand’s latest New York City location.

Sustained demand and repeat visits

Following its launch, the store has maintained a steady flow of customers, with demand led by core products such as Chickenjoy and the Chicken Sandwich – Original and Spicy variants. The continued traffic beyond opening day highlights the brand’s ability to drive repeat visits, which is an important indicator of store-level sustainability.

The store offers dine-in, take-out, online ordering, and catering, and operates from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight, seven days a week.

Beth Dela Cruz, President of Jollibee North America, said:

“The response to our East 42nd Street opening is very encouraging—not just the strong turnout on day one, but the steady demand we continue to see. Manhattan brings together a highly diverse customer base, and we are grateful for the opportunity to introduce Jollibee to new customers while making it more accessible to longtime fans in New York.”

Building presence in high-traffic urban markets

The East 42nd Street store strengthens Jollibee’s footprint in New York City, complementing its Times Square location and reinforces broader expansion strategy focused on high-traffic urban centers. These locations enable the brand to capture a wide customer base—from first-time trial to repeat patronage—within dense, high-visibility trade areas.

With this opening, Jollibee’s North America network now stands at 109 stores—81 in the United States and 28 in Canada.

Momentum supported by brand strength and product leadership

Jollibee’s continued traction in North America is supported by strong global brand fundamentals and product recognition. The brand was recently named among the Top 5 Strongest Restaurant Brands Globally by Brand Finance (2026), earning an AAA rating for brand strength. It was also recognized by Euromonitor International as the No. 1 Chicken Quick Service Restaurant in Southeast Asia.

In the United States, Jollibee’s signature Chickenjoy fried chicken has also been recognized for its taste, ranking No. 1 in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Fast Food Fried Chicken for two consecutive years, reinforcing its appeal among mainstream consumers.

A disciplined and scalable growth model

For the Jollibee Group, the Manhattan opening reinforces a growth model anchored on disciplined site selection, a focused core menu, and consistent in-store execution—elements that enable the brand to scale in competitive markets.

Ernesto Tanmantiong, Global President and CEO of the Jollibee Group, said:

“The opening of Jollibee Manhattan East 42nd Street demonstrates that our brand can connect with a broad customer base in one of the most competitive restaurant markets in the world. Supported by products that customers come back for and a disciplined approach to expansion, we remain focused on growing Jollibee in a way that is sustainable, repeatable, and built for long-term success.”

Jollibee is the flagship brand of the Jollibee Group. Founded in the Philippines over four decades ago, it has grown into a global brand known for its signature taste and warm, joyful service. Its expansion in North America supports the Group’s vision to become one of the top restaurant companies in the world.