Fans of the beloved Filipino fast-food chain, Jollibee, will soon have a new spot to visit. However, this time, it’s not in San Francisco but across the bay in Alameda.
Starting this month, Jollibee’s famous Chickenjoy fried chicken will make its way to the East Bay, delighting locals who’ve been eagerly anticipating the chain’s arrival. Unfortunately, San Francisco residents will have to keep waiting.
Jollibee, renowned for its Filipino-inspired dishes and popular fried chicken, has been working on opening a location in downtown San Francisco for years. Despite the excitement, no concrete opening date has been set for the city.
Meanwhile, Alameda is celebrating. Just 14 months after the announcement, the city will soon welcome Jollibee. The new 3,191-square-foot restaurant will open in the second half of September at Alameda Landing, a popular shopping center near the Webster Street Tube. It will join other well-known chains such as In-N-Out, Chipotle, and Panda Express.
This marks the 11th Jollibee in the Bay Area. Other locations are spread across cities like Brentwood, Concord, Daly City, Hayward, Milpitas, San Jose, South San Francisco, Union City, and Vallejo.
But for San Francisco, the wait continues. Plans for a Jollibee in the city have been in development since 2020. The chain is expected to take over a former Payless ShoeSource at Market and Fifth streets, near Powell Street BART Station. City records show the conversion project is projected to cost over $1 million. As of December 2023, construction was still ongoing, and a job posting for a supervisor has been active for almost a year.
When contacted for updates about the San Francisco location, Jollibee did not respond. San Francisco did once have a Jollibee, but it closed in 2011.
Jollibee has earned its reputation as a fan favorite in the U.S., with 76 locations across the country. The menu features unique offerings like Chickenjoy fried chicken, Jolly Spaghetti with a sweet banana ketchup sauce, Palabok Fiesta (a Filipino noodle dish with garlic sauce, pork, shrimp, and eggs), and the famous peach mango pie, a crispy, deep-fried dessert that has become a cult favorite. Often referred to as “the McDonald’s of the Philippines,” Jollibee has captured the hearts of its fans with its fusion of Filipino and American flavors.