Top 9 Shocking Jollibee Secrets That The Philippines Won’t Tell Us!

Top 9 Shocking Jollibee Secrets That The Philippines Won’t Tell Us!

You’ve been to McDonald’s, you’re familiar with Wendy’s, and you obsess over In-N-Out Burger. But if you’re like most Americans, you’ve never been to Jollibee, the Filipino fast food chain that is rapidly expanding across the globe. Here’s everything you need to know about Jollibee.

In 1975, Tony Tan Caktiong was a recent civil engineering graduate who invested his family’s life savings to get into the ice cream business. After a tour of a Magnolia Ice Cream factory, Tan Caktiong was inspired to change careers, and he set up a franchise deal with Magnolia Dairy.

Tan Caktiong opened two ice cream stands. He added sandwiches and hot items to the menu to respond to customer demand. The non-ice cream items quickly became the most popular items on the menu. In 1978, Tan Caktiong decided to get out of the ice cream franchise business, and Jollibee was born.

While Jollibee has been able to expand worldwide, Magnolia Ice Cream, one of the most recognizable brands in the Philippines and the oldest Asian ice cream company, is not able to sell its products in the United States due to a legal dispute with a copycat company also called Magnolia Ice Cream. So In the United States, the Magnolia Ice Cream spots you see aren’t the same as the one with ties to Jollibee.

In 1981, just a few years after the first Jollibee opened, McDonald’s arrived in the Philippines. Tony Tan Caktiong was told that he had two choices: sell Jollibee to McDonald’s, or become a McDonald’s franchise. Tan Caktiong decided that he would rather fight McDonald’s.

Watch the full video to see the truth about Jollibee finally revealed!