Jollibee, the 'McDonald's of the Philippines,' Opens First Outpost in Manhattan

There is a McDonald's of the Philippines that you didn't know you needed, and its first location in Manhattan is opening this fall for sober and drunken consumption.

The beloved fast food restaurant Jollibee boasts a multifaceted menu complete with burger steaks, spam sandwiches, "fiesta noodles," fried "chicken dippers," and its answer to the Big Mac, called "Big Yum!"

Manhattan's first Jollibee will be near the Port Authority Bus Terminal on the ground floor of 609 Eighth Avenue between West 39th and West 40th Streets, according to Commercial Observer.

"There is a large Filipino population in New Jersey, many of whom commute through Port Authority every day," Harrison Abramowitz from commercial Real Estate agency Newark Grub Knight Frank told Commercial Observer. "This will be a tremendous help in introducing the chain to Manhattan."

Jollibee's unusual food selection is celebrated genuinely and ironically on social media. Some Americans prefer Jollibee over McDonald's. Many profess their love for Jollibee in solidarity with Filipino culture.

Jollibee has 890 locations around the world, 33 in the United States. There are just two Jollibees in the northeast: one in Woodside, Queens and another in Danforth, New Jersey.

Jollibee, the restaurant's mascot who is literally a bee wearing a blazer and chef's hat, sometimes makes appearances at franchises. The chain's creator Tony Tan told The Economist in 2002 that Jollibee is a symbol of a type of optimism unique to the Philippines.

"The bee hops around and produces sweet things for life, and is happy even though it is busy," he said.

How long will it be before we see a Jollibee taking selfies with tourists in Times Square?

Photo credit: Jollibee Facebook page