NJ chicken franchise has lines out to the road

While taking a drive north Route One during the middle of the week in the mid-afternoon I noticed traffic spilling out onto the highway.

Cars were backed up going into the drive-thru line of a place I had never heard of. The logo and name looked very unfamiliar, and I had no idea what they served.

It's Jollibee!

Come to find out they're most famous for their fried chicken.

It's a Filipino fast-food franchise with 3 New Jersey locations. One in Edison, two in Jersey City and one in East Rutherford at the American Dream complex.

Jollibee has a total of 70 stores in North America and 1500 stores across the globe with many more being planned worldwide.

The fast-growing Filipino population of New Jersey is only part of the reason for its growing popularity. Filipinos are the third largest Asian group in New Jersey behind Indians and Chinese.

Unlike many fast-food chains, their menu is varied. While they specialize in their brand of fried chicken called Chickenjoy. You can get it in buckets or a sandwich. You can also get burgers and even their version of pasta called Jolly Spaghetti. 

They also offer mashed potatoes and gravy. Plus, you can get steamed rice and Adobo rice.

They must be doing something right if the line is spilling out onto the road in mid-afternoon on a weekday. I think it might be time to get me some Chickenjoy soon.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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