Tag Archives: Jollibee

STARBUCKS TO MERGE WITH DUNKIN’ DONUTS, PEET’S COFFEE WITH KRISPY KREME

December 22, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Seattle, Washington (The Adobo Chronicles) – There is so much competition in the food and beverage industry that it has come down to the survival of the fittest. And smartest.

First there was news of McDonald’s phasing out 8 menu items beginning in January, including the Big Mac and apple pie. The Chicago-based international food chain has seen a decline of its revenue ever since the introduction of the popular Filipino fast food company Jollibee into the U.S. and international markets. Jollibee sells burgers and chicken, along with other Filipino delicacies like sweet spaghetti and breakfast rice plates.

Now, with stiff competition posed by its competitors, Seattle-based Starbucks has agreed to a merger with Dunkin’ Donuts, the American global doughnut company and coffeehouse chain based in Canton, Massachusetts. Like McDonald’s, Starbucks has experienced declining sales with the growing popularity of Peet’s Coffee, Tully’s and Seattle’s Best.

Who eats donuts without coffee? Capitalizing on this inseparable combination, Starbucks took the bold move of merging with Dunkin’ Donuts as a way to boost its coffee sales.

Not to be outdone, Peet’s Coffee followed suit and has announced that it has signed an agreement to sell Krispy Kreme Doughnuts at all its locations.

It’s turning out to be a one-stop shop for coffee and doughnuts.

Business, Food, International

JOLLIBEE TOPS LIST OF CHAIN RESTAURANTS AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF

October 28, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Oak Brook, Illinois (The Adobo Chronicles) – A good number of Americans are quite familiar with adobo, lumpia and pancit, but most have not heard of Jollibee. Is it a bird? Is it an insect? Is it a clown?

The answer is: none of the above. It is the fast food chain restaurant that continues to be the greatest threat to McDonald’s in the Philippines, and who knows, perhaps even in the international fast food market. Its menu includes favorites like chicken joy, (sweet) spaghetti, and burgers cooked Filipino-style. It also serves traditional Pinoy breakfasts like tapsilog, longsilog, and bangsilog.

A recent survey conducted by thrillist.com put Jollibee in the number one spot among international chain restaurants that Americans haven’t seen or heard of before. It ranked the best among food chains that originated in countries like Russia, Singapore, Germany, France, the U.K., Brazil and Japan.

Capture Upon hearing of the survey, top executives at the McDonald’s headquarters in Illinois convened an emergency meeting to strategize on how to counter what they expect to be a sudden surge in the popularity of Jollibee in the U.S.

“We’ve pretty much given up trying to beat that fat, stupid, happy bee in the Philippines, but for it to threaten our business here in America is just not acceptable,” a spokesperson for McDonald’s said.

Gird up your loins. Jollibee may soon be coming to a mall or street corner near you.

International, Politics, Travel

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT AQUINO CAUSES TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE IN SAN FRANCISCO’S HAIGHT-ASHBURY

September 25, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Aquino at the Haight, left, with his entourage of SFPD motorcycle cops

San Francisco, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino, on his last U.S. stop before returning to Manila after attending the U.N. Summit on Climate Change, decided he wanted a hamburger. Not a Jollibee burger. A McDonald’s burger.

He chose the McDonald’s store in San Francisco’s famous Haight-Ashbury district, home to beads, bangles, psychedelic t-shirts, flower power and weed.

Because he is a head of state, the San Francisco Police Department provided a whole battalion of motorcycle cops to escort Aquino as he and his entourage navigated the narrow streets of the Haight. Streets and alleys surrounding McDonald’s were blocked causing a nightmarish traffic jam and lots of frayed nerves among motorists.

The Adobo Chronicles caught up with Aquino as he went into the nearby Amoeba bookstore to browse some jazz CDs. Informed about the traffic mess he had created, Aquino dismissed the criticism, saying that much worse traffic is a daily occurrence in his country, especially in Metro Manila. “San Franciscans should just shut the f**k up when they experience a little standstill in the streets,” he said.

Asked why he chose to eat at McDonald’s instead of the Filipino fast food joint Jollibee, Aquino said he already eats Jollibee chicken joy and sweet spaghetti every day in Manila. “I wanted to try an authentic American burger.” When told there are McDonald’s stores in the Philippines, Aquino said, “Really? I had no clue!”