[8] In 1975, Tony Tan Caktiong and his family opened a Magnolia ice cream parlor in Cubao, Quezon City.

[18] The first overseas Jollibee opened in Singapore in 1985 at the Katong Shopping Centre;[19][20] that location closed only a year later[21] (since returned in 2013[22]).

Among the establishment's best sellers are the Yumburger, the house hamburger first introduced during their early days of operation;[29] the Chickenjoy, a fried chicken meal, introduced in the 1980s, with regular and spicy versions;[30] and Jolly Spaghetti, a sweet Filipino spaghetti that includes a beef sauce with pieces of hot dog and ham.

[31] At its international locations, Jollibee also offers localized products, such as chili chicken in Vietnam and nasi lemak in Brunei.

[29][35][36][37][38] In The Daily Telegraph, Michael Deacon described the Yumburger as "a slim, floppy, somewhat damp hamburger slathered with a strangely sweet mayo" in his three-star review of a Jollibee location in London.

JFC also owns other fast food brands in the Philippines, including Chowking, Greenwich Pizza, Red Ribbon Bakeshop, and Mang Inasal, and it operates Burger King franchises.

[50] Countries and territories with previous presence of Jollibee outlets include Taiwan,[51] mainland China,[52] Indonesia,[53] Northern Mariana Islands[54][55][56] and Papua New Guinea.

In the Middle East, Jollibee's primary market are overseas Filipino workers, while in Vietnam it is the local population.

[12] Introduced in 1980, Jollibee is a large anthropomorphic bee mascot dressed in a red blazer, shirt, and chef's hat.

Tony Tan, Jollibee's founder, has compared the mascot's character to the Filipino working class, stating that the bee "hops around and produces sweet things for life, and is happy even though it is busy".

The show featured several characters, including Jollibee, Yum the scientist, Twirlie the star performer, Hetty the cheerleader, and Popo the gym coach.