A Successful Story Of A Hard Working Red Bee

Jollibee is considered by many Filipinos as the top fast-food chain in the Philippines, serving some of the most popular collections of burgers, fries, and other popular Filipino favorites. Although McDonald's is known as the top fast-food restaurant not only in the US, but across the world, the chain have had difficulties attaining the larger market that Jollibee currently has in the Philippines. The reason why Jollibee is very popular in the Philippines is because the fast-food chain is wholly own by a Filipino named Tony Tan Caktiong.

A Successful Story Of A Hard Working Red Bee
After graduating from the University of Sto. Tomas in 1975 with a degree in Chemical Engineering, Tan Caktiong set up the Cubao Ice Cream House in the Coronet Theater and the Quiapo Ice Cream House with money borrowed from his parents. He was newly married to his wife Grace then, and he needed a business in order to start a family. According to its Jollibee website, Tan Caktiong had initially planned just a parlor solely selling ice cream, but when he noticed that customers were looking for more than just ice cream, he decided to start serving sandwiches as well. Additional dishes such as hamburgers, french fries, and fried chicken soon followed.

With the suprising success of the new business, Tan Caktiong's idea of a simple ice cream parlor has evolved into a hamburger store venture, a move in which was supported by a business consultant named Manuel Lumba. Lumba became Tony Tan's first business and management mentor. It was Lumba that suggested to shift the business from an ice cream parlor to hamburgers, after his studies showed that a much larger market was waiting to be tapped.

And while in search of a name and a mascot for his first store, Tan Caktiong came across his trove of Disney memories and found a character that somehow embodied his philosophy of 'spreading happiness and being productive' - a bee. And so Tan Caktiong's hamburger store came to be known as Jolly Bee, then to the one-word name Jollibee. To make the restaurant more focused on the joys and laughter of every Filipino children, they have also created the product name "Yumburger" as well as "Chickenjoy" for their hamburgers and deep fried chickens.

Success and Growth
According to its own Jollibee website, the fast food chain has expanded its operations internationally, having branches in different countries around the world. As of March 2006, it has 1287 stores in the Philippines and 161 in other countries. Other than its own name, Jollibee also owns other fast-food chains. According to its Jollibee website, these expansions include Chowking, Greenwich Pizza, Red Ribbon Bakeshop, Délifrance, and Manong Pepe's.