Beloved Filipino chicken chain to open second-ever WA restaurant in Tacoma
Jollibee, the celebrated fried chicken chain with humble roots in the Philippines, will open a restaurant at the Tacoma Mall, according to permits filed with the city.
It will be only the second location in Washington state for the Manila-based brand, which operates just shy of 100 stores in the United States and Canada. The first opened in Tukwila in 2010.
A spokesperson for Jollibee told The News Tribune by email the restaurant was in the “early stages of store development there, so all I can share is that we are working to open towards the end of 2023/early 2024.”
Known for its “next level crispy” fried chicken, Filipino spaghetti and Yumburgers, Jollibee (pronounced “jolly-bee”) has an ardent following in its home country — even McDonald’s plays second-fiddle in popularity contests. With more than 5,800 stores in 34 countries, it’s also become synonymous with “Chickenjoy” around the world. Debuts draw long lines — some fans dress in costume as the mascot, a bee in a chef’s hat.
As Jollibee expanded to North America in 1998, it concentrated new stores in areas with dense Asian communities. There are now 31 in California, with a handful each in New York state, New Jersey, Texas and Hawaii.
By 2018, the company had charted a path to bring 150 more stores to the United States and 100 to Canada over five years, reported NBC News. In August, national food site Eater declared Jollibee the king of chain fried chicken, out-tasting the likes of KFC, Popeye’s and Church’s.
Unlike most fast-food chains, Jollibee’s founding family continues to lead the company today. Created by Tony Tan Caktiong in 1975 first as an ice cream parlor in Manila, the menu grew to incorporate burgers and fried chicken served with a Filipino twist: Dip fries into banana ketchup, and enjoy the poultry with gravy. It includes Filipino spaghetti and the fan-favorite Palabok Fiesta, a classic pancit served with a tomato-garlic sauce, pork, shrimp and hard-boiled egg.
Most individual meals run under $10. A 10-piece bucket of chicken is $24, while family combo packs start at $27.
At Tacoma Mall, construction should begin Jan. 2 on the $255,000 renovations to the former Chipotle, which moved in March to a new building with a drive-thru near the recently opened Kohl’s and Sephora. Improvements involve installing new walls, lighting, decor and equipment, notably specialized grease hoods, per the City of Tacoma permit.
The exterior, next to L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, will be painted, and an awning will highlight the affable chef bee.
A spokesperson for Tacoma Mall said by email, “We will be able to share more details closer to the opening [date] … next year.”
Jollibee owns majority stakes in Burger King’s footprint in the Philippines as well as Panda Express and other quick-service names. Other recent additions to the chicken chain’s North America portfolio include Vancouver, B.C., Philadelphia and Times Square.
JOLLIBEE - TACOMA
▪ 4520 S Steele St. (next to L&L Barbecue), Tacoma, jollibeefoods.com
▪ Target Opening: late 2023
The News Tribune’s Debbie Cockrell contributed to this report.
