Jollibee, the Filipino fried chicken chain, is set to open in Tacoma with giveaways
The highly anticipated Tacoma Jollibee, only the second Washington state restaurant for the Filipino fried chicken chain, opens this weekend at Tacoma Mall.
In honor of the grand opening on Sunday, Oct. 29, the first 100 dine-in and to-go customers at 9 a.m. who spend at least $30 will snag a year of free Jollibee chicken sandwiches (one a month).
On Monday, Oct. 30, the first 100 diners will receive a Jollibee-branded beanie, and on Oct. 31 the same initial cohort will get a tote bag.
Jollibee has been planning the Tacoma store since late last year. It was anticipated to open “towards the end of 2023/early 2024,” a spokesperson confirmed at the time.
Founded in 1975 as an ice cream shop in Manila, Tony Tan Caktiong and his wife Grace expanded the concept to burgers and fried chicken crafted with Filipino flavors, from banana ketchup with fries to Palabok Fiesta, a pancit in a tomato-garlic sauce with pork, shrimp and a hard-boiled egg. Beloved in its home country, Jollibee has more than 1,500 stores in 17 countries. The parent company — still led by members of the founding family — also operates more than 5,000 locations of other restaurant brands around the world.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Jollibee’s entry to the North American market. In 2018, the “next-level crispy” chicken pros began a journey to open 150-some stores in the U.S. and another 100 in Canada over five years. In addition to the Tacoma store, Jollibee has new locations in Fairfield and Brentwood, California, as well as Bloomingdale, Illinois, with others in Brooklyn, Dallas and Virginia to join in coming months.
The company shared the Tacoma opening news on Facebook Monday afternoon and in a press release sent on Tuesday said the restaurant was “prepared to serve the patrons of this major retail hub.” Maria Lee, spokesperson for City of Tacoma, confirmed Monday that the former Chipotle at 4502 South Steele Street, nestled between L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and Panera Bread near JcPenney on the mall’s east side, had passed its final building inspections.
Guests can order in-person for on-site dining and takeaway, and online ordering will be ready to go, according to the post. Prices start under $10 for individual meals, rising to $24 for a 10-piece bucket of chicken — thighs, breasts and wings.
Among fast-food chains that specialize in fried chicken, Jollibee is often considered to be among the best, out-competing big names including KFC, Popeye’s and Raising Cane’s, the latter of which will soon enter the Seattle market.
The Tukwila Jollibee at Westfield Southcenter Mall opened in 2010. At Tacoma Mall, signage went up late this summer, with a colorful geometric mural and the iconic chef in a bee’s hat.
JOLLIBEE TACOMA
▪ 4502 S. Steele St., Tacoma, 253-342-7984, locations.jollibeefoods.com/usa/wa/tacoma
▪ Daily 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
▪ Details: Filipino fried chicken restaurant, opening Oct. 29 — order in-person or online
The News Tribune’s Debbie Cockrell contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 24, 2023 at 1:30 PM.
