Bringers of Joy

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Being away from home, from loved ones and from the familiar can be unsettling, daunting, and bring feelings of homesickness. This is something that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) know all too well. Though this can be the hardest choice that one has to make, to leave their families and their homes, OFWs make this enormous sacrifice in order to support and create a better life for the ones they’ve left behind. Whatever job they do, it never gets easy, and the longing to find a sense of belonging to a community or “second family” is something that can bring some form of comfort during these times.

This is what the crew members of Jollibee Abu Dhabi strive to bring their customers and fellow OFWs. As they themselves know the feeling of being distant from home, they help ease their fellow kababayan’s homesickness by bringing them the familiar Taste of Home of Jollibee, the flagship brand of the largest Asian restaurant company, Jollibee Foods Corporation.

Elle Leyco, a team manager for Jollibee UAE, has opened four new stores in the past year. “It is an amazing feeling to feel the warmth of hunger for the Jollibee brand, and being able to bring a part of the Philippines to the hearts of Filipinos who are away from home,” she said when asked about what makes opening Jollibee stores in other countries special.

Cocoy, a Jollibee employee from the Philippines was chosen to be one of the members of the Abu Dhabi opening team, shared how exciting it was to be able to serve not only his fellow kababayans, but every nationality he meets in the store as well. “I always look forward to seeing the happy faces of customers who enter the store, and keep coming back for the Jollibee experience. It is the opportunity that Jollibee gives me to be able to welcome Filipinos and other fans of Jollibee that makes me happy working here.”

Saldy Mailong, who has been employed at Jollibee since 1993, shared that the welcoming feeling provided by the Jollibee family is the same today as it was 24 years ago. “There is always that feeling of warmth, family, and support when being embraced into the fold”. Now that he’s part of the Abu Dhabi team, the feeling of homesickness fades away as he is working amongst like-minded people who share the same passion, values, and commitment to serve.  “The joy that Jollibee brings into my life, and the feeling of being part of a home away from home is what we at Jollibee wish to share to our fellow kababayans here in Abu Dhabi, and even to the bigger community of Filipinos in the UAE.”

As OFWs themselves, these Jollibee Abu Dhabi crew members know exactly how important being closer to home means to their fellowmen. As such, they make it a point to make each Jollibee experience a special and memorable one for everyone who walks through the store doors.

Jollibee’s mission has always been to serve great tasting food and to spread the joy of eating to everyone. As it continues its commitment to this mission, its international expansion plans continue to unfold in many locations in the UAE and other countries across Asia, Middle East, North America, and Europe—all to bring more and more Filipinos in these places a Taste of Home.

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About the Jollibee Brand 
Jollibee is the largest fast food chain brand in the Philippines, operating a Philippine network of more than 950 stores. A dominant market leader in the Philippines, Jollibee has embarked on an aggressive international expansion plan, now with more than 150 international stores. 

Technomic has consistently cited Jollibee among its Top 500 ranking restaurants in the United States. 

About Jollibee Foods Corporation 
Jollibee Foods Corporation is the largest Asian restaurant company and the largest restaurant company in the Philippines. It operates over 3,000 stores globally with store branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, China, Brunei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The brands under its portfolio are Jollibee, Greenwich, Chowking, Red Ribbon, MangInasal, Burger King Philippines, Yonghe King, and HongZhuang Yuan. 

JFC also has considerable investments with the brands Highlands Coffee, Pho 24, 12 Hotpot, Dunkin Donuts in China and U.S. based burger chain Smashburger. 

Jollibee Foods Corporation has grown brands that bring delightful dining experience to its customers worldwide, in line with its mission of serving great tasting food and spreading the joy of eating to everyone. 

Jollibee Foods Corporation has been named the Philippines’ most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for eight years in a row, and was honored as one of the ‘200 Best Under a Billion Companies in Asia’ and one of ‘Asia’s Fab 50 Companies’ by Forbes Asia Magazine. 





***Article was supplied by Jollibee***