Jollibee grows North America footprint to 109 stores with new Midtown Manhattan opening

Jollibee has expanded its North American footprint to 109 stores following the opening of its newest outlet in Midtown Manhattan, as the Filipino fast-food giant continues to test the scalability of its brand in a competitive restaurant market.

Located at 14 East 42nd Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues, the new site marks Jollibee’s third location in Manhattan and places the brand near Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City’s busiest transport hubs.

The outlet officially opened on 31 March and drew long queues before launch, with the company estimating that 95% of customers during opening were mainstream consumers rather than Filipino or Filipino American diners. The mix signals how the brand is increasingly positioning itself beyond diaspora audiences in the US.

Don't miss: Jollibee rolls out cost containment plan as margins come under pressure

According to the company, demand has remained steady since launch, driven largely by its flagship Chickenjoy fried chicken and Chicken Sandwich offerings, including both original and spicy variants. The continued foot traffic is being viewed internally as an indicator of repeat customer behaviour and longer-term store sustainability.

Beth Dela Cruz, president of Jollibee North America, said the sustained momentum in Manhattan reflects the brand’s growing resonance with a broader customer base.

“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,” she said.

The Manhattan East 42nd Street branch forms part of a wider urban expansion strategy focused on dense, high-traffic locations capable of driving both discovery and repeat visits. The site complements Jollibee’s existing Times Square location, reinforcing New York City as a key visibility market for the brand’s North American ambitions.

With the latest opening, the company’s North America network now comprises 81 stores in the US and 28 in Canada.

The expansion also comes as the brand continues to gain international recognition. Brand Finance recently ranked Jollibee among the Top 5 Strongest Restaurant Brands Globally in 2026, awarding it an AAA brand strength rating. Meanwhile, Euromonitor International recognised the company as the number one chicken quick service restaurant in Southeast Asia.

In the US market, Chickenjoy was also ranked first in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Fast Food Fried Chicken for a second consecutive year, further supporting the brand’s efforts to appeal to mainstream American consumers.

Ernesto Tanmantiong, global president and CEO of the Jollibee Group, said the Manhattan opening demonstrates the effectiveness of the company’s disciplined growth model.

“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,” he said.

Founded in the Philippines more than four decades ago, Jollibee has evolved into the flagship brand of the Jollibee Foods Corporation, which now operates more than 10,000 stores and cafés across 33 countries through a portfolio of 19 brands.

Step into PR Asia Philippines 2026 on 9 September in Manila, where communications leaders will unpack the realities of trust, nationalism, misinformation, and polarisation shaping the country’s evolving narrative landscape.

Related articles:
Jollibee tops Southeast Asia chicken QSR rankings as regional expansion accelerates
Belle Mariano headlines Jollibee's new affordability-focused Chickenjoy campaign
MLBB, Jollibee team up to bring Filipino culture into gameplay with in-game emote