Dive Brief:

• Jollibee will open its first double drive-thru restaurant in the U.S. on Jan. 18, the company said Thursday. 
• The Orlando, Florida unit will be its fourth location in the Sunshine State.
• This new restaurant marks the company’s 87th unit in North America, where the chain is aiming to reach 500 restaurants by about 2028. 

Dive Insight:

Jollibee has had time to perfect the design of its double drive-thru. The company debuted a dual drive-thru unit in the Philippines three years ago. That store, which was located at a gas station, included an automated food conveyor system, kiosks and wireless charging pads. The company didn’t indicate if any of these features will be included at the Orlando location. 

The chain joins a growing cohort of restaurants, including Panera, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Taco Bell, that are opening double drive-thrus. These types of restaurants can help boost off-premise sales, improve speed of service and minimize the impact of drive-thru traffic on city streets.

Jollibee has also been growing its brand awareness through big store openings over the last few months, including the opening of a flagship store in Times Square last August. The company said it will continue to open in new U.S. markets this year as it works toward its goal of becoming one of the top-five restaurant chains in the world, according to the press release. The opening of Jollibee’s Orlando location is a key milestone for the brand’s growth in North America, the company wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive. The restaurant plans to open more double drive-thru locations in the region as it grows, but designs will vary depending on site size and market demand. 

The Orlando drive-thru is expected to drive a lot of foot traffic for several reasons. The unit is a five-minute drive from the University of Central Florida, which is the largest college by enrollment in the state with 70,000 students, and is located within a large shopping center, Jollibee said. The city also has a growing Filipino-American community and features many popular tourist attractions, including Disney World. Over 59 million people visited Orlando in 2021, the company said. 

The Filipino fast food chain operates in 34 countries and has over 6,300 locations globally. Outside of traditional growth, Jollibee has increased its stake in North America by purchasing Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in 2019 and Smashburger in 2018.