Restaurant chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. said Wednesday it opened its first store in Rome, Italy.
Jollibee said in a statement the new Jollibee store is located at Via Ottaviano, a stone’s throw away from St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
The Rome location marks the fourth Jollibee branch in Europe.
It said that on the first day of opening, the store served more than 4,000 pieces of Chickenjoy, with Yumburger and Jolly Spaghetti also selling in thousands.
Jollibee said the opening in Rome drew long lines of customers while following physical distancing safety measures.
“Opening our first Jollibee store in the historical city of Rome, especially in a location that is just an 8-minute walk from the Vatican City, is a milestone for us in the Jollibee family. Ever since our opening in Milan, we saw that there was a huge demand for Jollibee here in Italy and our succeeding openings in the United Kingdom show the appeal of Jollibee in other parts of Europe as well. We are excited to bring Jollibee’s Chickenjoy, other flavorful bestsellers, and the Jollibee experience to more people as we expand in this region,” said Jollibee Group chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong.
The fast-food chain said the entry of Jollibee in Rome gives the brand an opportunity to cater not only to thousands of Filipinos living in the city and but also to introduce its menu to the local Italian community.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank our customers for giving us such a jolly welcome here in Rome. The reception we got in Milan, which was our first Jollibee in Europe, then Earl’s Court in London, last month in Liverpool, and now in Rome has been amazing,” said Jollibee president for Europe, Middle East and Asia Dennis Flores.
“Even the locals who have never heard about Jollibee are trying it and are coming back for more. We are a step closer to making Jollibee as well-loved in other countries as it is back here” he said.
Jollibee, the fast-food chain’s flagship brand, has over 1,400 stores across the globe, with more stores scheduled to open this year as part of the group’s strategy to selectively open 338 new stores in strategic locations.