Jollibee's Long-Awaited Unveiling Brings the Philippines to Chicagoland

Folks are waiting hours on opening day

by Ashok Selvam@Shokdiesel Jul 29, 2016, 11:07am CDT

Photography by Nick Fochtman | Via All Jollibee Chicago Coverage [ECHI]

Lines with four to five hours waits were reported this morning at the Jollibee opening in Skokie.

Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.

Jollibee has arrived, Chicagoland. The restaurant officially swung open its doors at 7 a.m. today, introducing suburban Skokie to fried chicken, burgers and Filipino spaghetti. The first customer lined up at 9 p.m. the day before on Thursday, staying overnight to ensure they'd dine at the fast-food restaurant on opening day.

The interiors are typical of a fast-food restaurant. There's padded stools, high tables and flatscreen menus hang above the cashiers' counter. This Jollibee has outdoor seating in the front and rear, as well as a drive-thru. It's the first Jollibee in the Midwest and the 34th in America for the chain that ranks No. 1 in the Philippines and ninth-largest in the world.

The restaurant is injecting a bit of excitement this weekend in the middle of a bunch of suburban strip malls on Touhy. Opening weekend should be busy, as many Filipino-Americans want to be part of this cultural event. Check out the photos below.

Jollibee, 3534 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie, hours not posted yet.