Here was my initial pre-review... First off the store looks amazing! This is 3rd location that Jollibee has opened here in Oahu, Hawaii and finally they have come into town in the heart of Kalihi. I thought they would open one in Kalihi before Ala Moana due to the heavyily concentrated Filipino population but hey they finally did it. I was there for a little pre-opening blessing and ceremony that they had going on where they had all of the Politicians, investors, endorsers, management, staff, etc. The store took over the former KFC location and what a better replacement than the almighty Jollibee huh? It is conveniently located on the intersection of North King St. and Dilingham right across from the car dealership and Jack in the Box. It is a highly visible location and everybody upon everybody is gonna know what Jollibee is all about whether you driving, bussing, cycling, walking, etc. Parking will be a little tough as there really is not that much in the little plaza that it is located in. I do know there is a small underground garage parking area though. The restaurant is right next to a bus stop going town side and there is also several other bus stops in the area so bussing it to the location will be pretty convenient. By looking at the drive through menu, it is pretty much the same thing as the other Jollibees here in Oahu (yumburgers, chickenjoy, spaghetti, palabok, peach mango pie, halo-halo, kids meals, etc.) As I was looking at the drive thru menu where you order, one new thing that I observed was a cream macaroni soup big bowl which sounds pretty interesting. There business store hours are 7AM to 10PM daily. Those are pretty good hours I would say. One thing that I am looking forward to is the drive thru experience. I am really hyped and excited on the success and future fun experiences at this location. Time for Diary of a Jollibee Kid 3! Cheee!
So I came on the first day of grand opening (Wednesday, April 16). It was pretty thrilling and exciting. I came at around 6am. I thought I was going to bee the first customer but I came to find out that it was Lola who was the first legit customer. As I was talking story to her she said that she came at 5:30am. They don't open until 7am. They were in the process of still setting everything up from banners to signage. At about 6:30 am, more people started to show up and wait in line. I remember the long line days in Waipahu when Jollibee first arrived in Hawaii. I don't think Kalihi would generate as much hype just because Jollibee has already been established not only in Waipahu but in Ala Moana as well so people already kinda know what to expect from Jollibee. Anyways, so at 7am right they opened and welcomed everyone with open arms! The store inside looks amazing. If you have ever been to the Jollibee in the Philippines, the interior design definitely radiates the same vibe! My first order was burger steak meal with drink. It was hot, warm, and ready to eat! I was sad that they didn't have the breakfastjoys (yet) but they are going to have them soon. They gave out Jollibee pillows to the first opening day customers which was awesome! The store looks clean as heck! Just like the Waipahu location. I am definitely impressed. There is a decent amount of table and seating areas. I can imagine this to be a great meeting and study area. They don't have Wi-Fi yet but I think they are going to work on that. The staff and customer service is great. Management came around and checking up on everybody on how they like the food and stuff. The restrooms are clean as heck! I felt very comfortable using it... just sayin. After having a really pleasant dining experience, eating my meal, talking story with management about myself as the Jollibeekid, and stuff I went outside and decided to see how the drive thru experience was. The drive thru exprience was awesome as well! Customer service went pretty smooth and great as they were very welcoming. I took a selfie with them afterwards haha. Overall, congratulations to Jollibee Hawaii for opening up a trilogy in Kalihi. I anticipate much success here just like all the other locations. I especially look forward to the Jolli fun times, bonds, and prospective experiences that Jollibee Kalihi will bring out of the joy of eating at a unique place to reminds us of home. read more