When the Jollibee cravings hit hard, Winnipegers don’t have to travel that far anymore as the first Jollibee in Canada opened last month in Winnipeg. Well before they opened their doors, eager customers were camped out as early as 10:30pm under frigid -27C winter temperatures. By the time the doors opened at 7:00am on Thursday, December 15, there were over 500 people in line waiting in two warming trailers and a line snaking around the building.
“We are very encouraged by the turnout and excitement at the grand opening of Canada’s first Jollibee,” said Jose Minana, Jollibee Foods Corporation’s Group president for North America and Foreign Franchise Brands.
The first day saw over 1,200 customers with the first 300 lucky enough to get a rare singing and dancing Jollibee doll.
Before the ceremonial ribbon cutting, the biggest surprise was the official arrival of Jollibee mascot in a Jeepney.
Since it’s opening, Jollibee implemented a daily ticketing system to control the eager customers hoping to satisfy their Jolly Crispy Chicken cravings. Even with the severe winter conditions, the restaurant has been serving customers non-stop throughout the holidays. It wasn’t until the new year when customers no longer needed tickets to hold a spot in line.
