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Jollibee disrupts UAE’s QSR market

The global brand, which entered the domestic market in 2015, is growing at an exponential rate. Diners are lapping up the fried chicken’s crispy, spicy, juicy taste coupled with an incredible price point that beats competition hands down

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Jollibee, a relatively new entrant in the competitive quick service restaurant (QSR) sector in the UAE, which made its debut in 2015, has taken the market by storm, as diners are relishing its customised and affordable offerings.

So, what makes Jollibee such a rage?

The brand’s pièce de résistance is Chickenjoy that is delicately hand-breaded for a crispy exterior, cooked hotter and faster for maximum juiciness and marinated to the bone for next-level flavour. The signature dish tickles diners’ palate, encouraging them to make a beeline for the nearest outlet for an encore.

The UAE, a melting pot of over 200 nationalities, is known for expatriates and Emiratis alike, who love a fiery kick to their fried chicken and are looking no further than Jollibee’s Spicy Chickenjoy.

The brand is disrupting the QSR sector because of unparalleled quality and affordable price point, such as two-piece Chickenjoy and fries at Dh15.

Data shows that Jollibee’s products are at least 40 per cent more affordable than its immediate rivals while maintaining superior quality and service — the hallmarks of a trusted QSR brand.

Besides, diners can’t seem to get enough of the mouthwatering gravy, a sauce, which complements Chickenjoy like no other condiments. Hands down, it’s the crispiest and juiciest fried chicken that we have ever tasted.

As the UAE heads into “the coolest winter in the Arabian Gulf”, make a dash for the nearest Jollibee outlet — there are 19 spread across the country — to lap up your favourite items in an eclectic QSR menu, available only for the domestic market such as curry flavoured chicken rice bowl that is inspired by the diverse variants of South Asian biriyani.

The brand story

Tony Tan Caktiong, a Filipino billionaire businessman of Chinese descent, is the founder and chairman of Jollibee Foods Corporation. Jollibee, the popular restaurant chain, was founded in 1978 and has since emerged as the market leader in Caktiong’s native Philippines’s QSR category.

The brand, which made its debut in the UAE in 2015, runs over 1,500 outlets across 17 countries, including the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Spain.

In the UAE alone, Jollibee — a joint venture between Seed Group and Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) — runs 19 stores, including Dubai (9), Abu Dhabi (6), Sharjah (2), Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, one each, respectively.

Jollibee has been making rapid strides since its inception. And its popularity found endorsement from none other than the late celebrity chef and thrill-seeker, Anthony Bourdain, who referred to Jollibee as the “wackiest, jolliest place on Earth” in his hit CNN food and travel documentary show, ‘Parts Unknown’.

For the uninitiated, the parent company of JFC, the Jollibee Group, which is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange, operates over 5,900 stores globally across 18 brands and is present in 34 countries.

Amazing deal

Two-piece Chickenjoy with fries: Dh15

Curry flavoured chicken rice bowl: Dh12

Peach mango pie (sourced from

the Philippines): Dh7

For more details

call 600587000

or visit: www.jollibeeuae.com

—joydeep@khaleejtimes.com