Reading: Jollibee opens new restaurant and creates up to 50 jobs

Global fast-food chain Jollibee is set to open its first Reading restaurant on Thursday, 9 September 2021. The restaurant will create up to 50 new jobs and is located on Broad Street, one of the town’s main shopping streets and pedestrianised areas.

Following on from opening in cities like London, Leeds and Cardiff, this will be the chain's first restaurant in the South outside the capital. Jollibee hopes to attract workers and students who commute into Reading from the surrounding areas, as people return to offices, universities and colleges in September following the pandemic.

Adam Parkinson, Business Head of Jollibee Europe, said: "Reading was top of our list as the Thames Valley’s regional centre for shopping and an incredibly well-connected town in the South East’s thriving economy. (...) The university is also a big pull for us." 

Jollibee's menu features fast-food classics with a tropical twist. The chain has a strong fanbase and has recently opened locations in New York, Hong Kong, Rome, London and, most recently, Cardiff.

Jollibee intends to open over 50 stores in the UK by 2025, with further expansion plans in Italy and Spain.    

Founded in the Philippines in 1978, Jollibee now operates 1,478 locations around the world as of December 31, 2020.

Parent company Jollibee Group is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. and has over 5,800 locations in 33 countries.