British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce on Friday congratulated Filipino fast-food giant Jollibee on the opening of its new restaurant at Leicester Square, a good 20-minute walk from Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom.
“Congratulation to @Jollibee on the opening of your latest restaurant in the United Kingdom bring #chickenjoy to Leicester Square!” Pruce said in a tweet.
It was reported that the opening of Jollibee at the Leicester Square drew hundreds of people, many of them formed a queue as early as 3 a.m.
#Jollibee’s #UK flagship store on Leicester Squre in the heart of #London is officially open! #iamDTIph #bidaangsaya #chickenjoy @Jollibee pic.twitter.com/ema2CsQvCL
— DTI London (@DTILondon) May 20, 2021
Philippine Ambassador to London Antonio Lagdameo and his wife, Linda Floirendo Lagdameo were among the VIP guests who led in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at exactly 9:30 a.m. (London time) on Thursday, May 20, 2021.
Known for its Chickenjoy, ‘Jolly’ spaghetti, and Filipino-style burgers, Jollibee is reportedly eyeing to open a total of 10 new restaurants in the UK this year as part of a £30 million (roughly P2 billion) expansion program.
https://twitter.com/DTILondon/status/1395320747422363650?s=20
Founded by Tony Tan Caktiong in 1978, Jollibee has now more than 1,400 locations around the world and operates in about 33 countries.
Its first store in the UK opened in the latter part of 2018 and branched out to Liverpool and Leicester last year.
The opening of the Jollibee restaurant in the central part of London came a few days after the British government relaxed its dining out protocols due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.