End of an era: Singapore's first-ever Jollibee at Lucky Plaza to move out after 10 years

A decade ago, Jollibee opened its first-ever outlet on level six of Lucky Plaza. 

This was much to the joy of fans of their food, as well as Filipinos who wanted a taste of home. 

Today, they've expanded to more than 1,500 branches globally, with 10 scattered across Singapore. 

However, their original branch at Lucky Plaza will soon be no more. 

In a Facebook post on Thursday (Nov 30), the Filipino fast-food chain announced that the outlet's last day will be on the same day. 

Jollibee did not share more details about the closure. 

However, they did assure consumers that their stall at Lucky Plaza's B1 food court, as well as their other branches across Singapore, will continue to operate. 

To thank their customers for all the support over the past few years, they will be hosting a party with a special experience from the iconic Jollibee mascot. 

Those who also visit the restaurant on the day itself will stand a chance to win attractive prizes with a minimum spend of $18. 

In the comments, devastated fans of the fast-food chain expressed sadness over the bad news, while several remembered that it was the first-ever outlet in Singapore. 

One also jokingly said that previously, diners would have to queue 45 minutes to an hour at the sixth-level outlet.

And now that it's gone, the wait time at the Lucky Plaza B1 outlet would likely be doubled. 

For Filipinos, Jollibee is like home 

Jollibee was first founded 45 years ago in 1978 by Tony Tan Caktiong, reported Forbes in 2013, and grew to become one of Asia's largest home-grown restaurant companies. 

Since then, the brand has become a household name, and its mascot — the iconic red-and-white bumblebee — is a familiar sight in the Philippines. 

Previously, the billionaire businessman and investor had said that he would continue to open outlets in places with large Filipino communities. 

He was also confident in the brand loyalty of the then-10 million Filipinos working overseas. 

"We don't have to advertise when we open in these places," he said. "The longing for home is there. It's just packed. They come here because it's the taste of comfort food."

One domestic helper in Hong Kong had told Forbes that on her days off, she would go to the Jollibee outlet at Central. "All Filipinos love Jollibee because we feel like we are at home."

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melissateo@asiaone.com