It's like magnet. It pulls you in without you knowing; that even physical limitation will not stop you from being drawn to it. It sucks you in and the next thing you know, you're there being smothered by a crowd of other "iron" not willing to let go.
Yes, JOLLIBEE is like magnet. It attracts you with an invisible force. No matter how long the lines are, you will still go and you wait your turn for a taste of what you grew up with... the Chickenjoy. Or maybe the Yum Burger. Or the Burger Steak. Or the Jolly Spaghetti. We will not even attempt to explain Jollibee's charm and legacy to Filipinos here because if you are a Filipino, you already know. (For other nationalities, Jollibee is like the Philippines' McDonald's. It's one of the biggest fast-food chains in the Philippines, if not the biggest.)
The girls learned that Jollibee is opening in Riyadh from random friends in Facebook. We were excited for a taste of the familiar Chickenjoy but truth be told, no matter how we were salivating, we are not that hell-bent in going because of the crowd. We imagined the crowd on opening week and we said, "Forget it!" The Filipino community in Riyadh has been waiting for Jollibee for quite a while now after the branch in Batha closed a few years ago. Some troop to Al-Khobar or Jeddah and get their Jabi fix there. Sometimes even bringing the
And then we wonder no more. Jollibee is now open in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia! The first branch, located in Batha, opened last February 6 and the crowd is, as we guessed, crazy! Crazy in numbers as lines snaked its way to nearby establishments. We shunned the opening day but we can't wait a little longer for the crowd to disperse into the following months so we thought of almost impossible ways to cut in (including conjuring spells like Harry Potter's "Evanesco!" to make the crowd disappear ). We sighed and wished and hoped. Until, an invitation came! (This is one of those times we really felt super proud writing The Pink Tarha!) The Pink Tarha ladies were invited by Joliibee KSA's marketing officer Mr. Billy Junn Tabares to visit the newly-opened branch in Batha, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia! We were overwhelmed with gratitude!
Scratch that, we were not only overwhelmed. We were beyond joy! We were shouting
We were overwhelmed with the hospitality of Billy and his assistant, Cesar. We also got to meet the managers and staff of Jollibee Batha. We skipped the long and many lines in the counter (Sorry kids, but you should blame those who ordered 20 pieces of Spaghetti and 10 buckets of Chicken Joy... they are prolly having a Jabi party, hehe), we ate for free (but we insisted in paying, promise! Er, did we? :P) and we got take-out too! And the most important part of all, we met Jollibee (the mascot)... and took pictures with him too! (Again children, we apologize for tearing Jollibee away from you but you see, we're still kids. Kids at heart. No, really. :) We are so honored to be graced by Jollibee's presence. Okay, you might be thinking we're such lucky ladies. Indeed, we are! :)
Guess what we ate!
Lugi si Jollibee sa'min! :P
(L-R: Sundrenched | Eyecandy | Maryhadalittlehump | Shoegarfreeruby)
Lugi si Jollibee sa'min! :P
(L-R: Sundrenched | Eyecandy | Maryhadalittlehump | Shoegarfreeruby)
JOLLIBEE!!! Can he dance too?!
(Our friend G's coat served as our signal that we are The PINK Tarha. Lol!)
(Our friend G's coat served as our signal that we are The PINK Tarha. Lol!)
With our wonderful hosts Billy and Cesar... a huge thank you!!!
(Spot Cesar on this entry whom R unwittingly took a photo of in her visit to Jollibee Jeddah two years ago.)
Anyway, we enjoyed our dining experience in Jollibee and we get to interview Billy. We're not publishing the interview transcript, of course. So the next entry will answer almost all questions you have about Jollibee in Riyadh. (We can't cram it in this entry because it'll get longer than the line in Jollibee... or maybe not.)(Spot Cesar on this entry whom R unwittingly took a photo of in her visit to Jollibee Jeddah two years ago.)
6 had something to say:
Finally. By your story, I can only guess that it's going to be more popular in Riyadh than in Alkhobar (although Jollibee opened there first).
I remembered the long queue we had to experience just to get the first taste of chickenjoy when JB opened in Khobar, pero 's' talaga kayo because you got invited pa to their opening.
And yes, I agree na mas papatok sila sa Batha area and outside a mall (nabasa ko n rin ung 2nd story ng JB sa PT).
I so miss visiting you. We're on a short vacay here in Kuwait kaya nakakapagblog hop ako ngayon. Hope to do it more often.
Nice post about Jollibee. and nice to know that there are also Pinay bloggers here in Riyadh.
@Nebz: Long time no see! :) Thanks for visiting our blog again. And we do miss your updates on your blog too.
@Dexter: Hi! Glad to know you too.
JAAAAABI!. Nuff said. ^.^ When E comes home I can only imagine the amount of food that would be consumed. ^.^
It might be another milestone when the time Jolibee invades Brits' territory in the near future! When I was in the US last year, I was amazed how Filipino foodchains like Red Ribbons, ChowKing penetrated the American market thru SeaFood Supermarket franchise, and rumored that it is owned/managed by the late president Estrada's wife family. Kaya nga, di na rin nakakamiss umuwi ng Pinas dahil anywhere in the world, may lutong Pinoy!
i have the same pink jacket!!!! i screamed when i saw you wearing it>>>>oh she is wearing the someone as me....it almost felt a celebrity had something that i have
Post a Comment