Jollibee officially opened its doors in Vancouver, B.C. on February 25, 2022, with close to 5,000 customers queuing to welcome the first Jollibee in Vancouver, Canada. Primely situated on Granville Street in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown entertainment district, the new flagship store marks Jollibee’s premier first location in the Province of British Columbia and its 23rd store in Canada.
“Jollibee’s entry into the Vancouver market is a milestone for the Jollibee Group as we continue to expand in North America in line with our vision of becoming one of the top 5 restaurant companies in the world,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group President & CEO. “We are extremely delighted by the enthusiastic reception to our first Jollibee store, and we look forward to serving our great-tasting food to more Vancouverites.”
The new Granville Street store is not only the first Jollibee to open in Canada’s western region, but it also means the brand now has a presence in four of the five most populous Canadian Provinces – Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba.
Jollibee’s biggest fans began showing up around 8:30 PM Thursday evening, where they camped out over 12 hours to be among the first in line for Friday’s 9 AM opening. Among them was Vancouver resident and long-time Jollibee fan Kei Kondo who secured the coveted spot of being the store’s first official customer.
By lunchtime, the line was wrapped around the corner of Robson and Howe Streets, and it grew even longer, spanning more than three blocks by the afternoon. By the time the doors closed at 10PM, Jollibee had served up thousands of its signature menu items to hungry fans that came in droves – with the hands-down favorites being its famous fried chicken known as Jolly Crispy Chicken in North America, its uniquely delicious, sweet style Jolly Spaghetti, and its best-selling dessert Peach Mango Pie.
The excitement from Vancouverites remained high, as the long line of customers could still be seen even on the 4th day from store opening.
“We are so fortunate to have such a devoted fan base here in Vancouver, and I was personally humbled by how many first-timers to our brand came out to experience our delicious food and cheerful service for themselves,” said Maribeth Dela Cruz, Business Group Head, Jollibee North America.
Jollibee will be bringing even more joy to Vancouverites in the coming months, as it plans to open two more locations in the metro area by the end of this year: Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre in Surrey and Cambie Street near Downtown’s Vancouver City Hall.