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By Jennifer Jiggetts The Virginian-Pilot May 29, 2012 VIRGINIA BEACH Whenever Roy Estaris is working in the Philippines, he likes toindulge in burgers, mango milkshakes and ice cream made from ube, abright purple yam, at a chain called Jollibee. He never visits thecountry without eating there. "It's like going to a hometown restaurant," said Estaris,a second-generation Filipino American who owns a travel agency withoffices in Kempsville and the Philippines. "Instead of saying'Let's go to Mickey D's,' we'd say, 'Let's go to Jolli-bee.' " This fall, local Filipinos will get a taste of home right here whenthe restaurant - a cultural icon in the Philippines - opens in theBrenneman Farm Marketplace at South Plaza Trail and Princess AnneRoad. This will be the first Jollibee in the mid-Atlantic region and onlythe third on the East Coast. (The others are in Queens, N.Y., andJersey City, N.J.) And it will be the Beach's first Filipino chainrestaurant, competing against nearly a dozen mom-and-pop eateries. The chain, considered the Filipino equivalent of McDonald's, gotits start in Quezon City in 1975 as an ice-cream parlor that alsoserved hot meals and sandwiches. Now it has hundreds of outletsworldwide, including 27 in the United States and others in Vietnam,Brunei, Qatar and Hong Kong. Jollibee is part of the chain that owns the Red Ribbon Bakeshop,which opened a Filipino bakery in Kempsville in 2010. The restaurant's mascot is a red and yellow bee sporting a chef'shat, shirt and blazer. Jollibee made his debut in 1980 and hassince starred in his own children's television show,"Jollitown," in the Philippines. Jollibee's menu features the usual fast-food fare - burgers, hotdogs, fried chicken - alongside more traditional Filipino dishestweaked for a larger audience. There's spaghetti topped with asweet ham and hot dog tomato sauce, a dish The New York Timescalled "frighteningly addictive" in a 2009 review.Milkfish, the national fish of the Philippines, is fried up crispyand salty. And for dessert, there are treats such as banana langkapie. Spam's on the menu, too. Estaris said it's long been popular inFilipino culture because other meat was expensive and scarce. Estaris said there are key differences between traditional Filipinofood and Jollibee's dishes. Jollibee's food is usually sweeter,which many Filipinos favor. Traditional pancit, for example, a slender noodle dish withcabbage, carrots and meat, is seasoned with more spices thanJollibee's version, which is made for the masses, Estaris said. Andhe said Jollibee's Shanghai Rolls are a skinnier take on thetraditional meat- and vegetable-filled lumpia. The company hopes to start construction by mid-June, said IyohVillamayor, the chain's regional representative. The eatery willhave a kids' party room and a drive-thru. She expects it will haveas many as 70 employees. The company has not announced an opening date. Prices will be typical for fast food. Eventually, the Beachrestaurant will serve breakfast. Villamayor said the company would eventually like to appeal to thegeneral population, but it will focus initially on those who knowJollibee best. "As we expand, the primary target market is the Filipino whois very familiar with our brand." Virginia Beach is home to an estimated 26,078 Asians - about 6percent of its residents and the largest Asian population inHampton Roads. Of those, about 16,000 are Filipinos. That stems from a strong historical U.S. Navy presence in thePhilippines. Many Filipinos immigrated to Virginia Beach afterenlisting in the Navy. The beaches here reminded them of the watersin their homeland. The buzz about Jollibee's arrival is already building. A Facebook page for the Virginia Beach location has about 1,500fans. Michelle B. Chapleau, business development manager for thecity and half Filipino, said she called her cousin when she firstgot wind that Jollibee was coming. Chad Hugo, a hip-hop musician who grew up in Virginia Beach, saidgoing to Jollibee is a ritual anytime he visits Los Angeles. Heheard stories about it from his parents, who are from thePhilippines. He likes the Amazing Aloha burger, which is toppedwith a slice of pineapple. Even the competition is excited. Elmer Galang has owned Susan's Kitchenette on Diamond Springs Roadwith his wife since 2001. Galang, a native of Angeles City,Philippines, said Jollibee had just started to spread around thecountry when he left to join the Navy in the early 1980s. He said he thinks the restaurant will help younger Filipinos learnabout their heritage and remind Jol-libee fans of their motherland. Galang said he's not worried about Jollibee cutting into hiscustomer base because he and his wife have built up a strongclientele serving their more traditional cuisine. "I want to be one of the first customers in line when itopens," he said. Jennifer Jiggetts, 757-222-5150, jennifer.jiggetts@pilotonline.com. I am an expert from chinadiagnostictools.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Mercedes Diagnostic Tool Manufacturer , Automotive Diagnostic Tools Manufacturer, Mercedes Diagnostic Tool,and more.
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