Filipino Fried Chicken Icon Jollibee’s First Michigan Location Is So Very Close to Opening

After years of anticipation, the wildly popular Filipino fast-food chain Jollibee finally has an opening date set for its first Michigan location. An opening day celebration is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. January 12 at 44945 Woodridge Drive in Sterling Heights, where, according to a social media post published this week, the first 100 customers who spend at least $20 will receive free Chickenjoy — the chain’s signature fried chicken — every month for a year. Folks looking to get their spaghetti and peach mango pie fixes on that day should expect huge crowds. The metro Detroit location was a long time in the making. Plans for the spot, situated in a former Denny’s adjacent to Lakeside Mall, were first announced in late 2021, but delays kept the opening in limbo until recently, when the company began promoting job postings eluding that it would come online soon. The Dearborn food truck ordinance vote is upon us The Dearborn City Council is expected to vote on proposed amendments to its food truck ordinance on Tuesday, January 9, that could force operators to change the way they do business in the city. Council members introduced the changes last month, which at the time, included restrictions on operating on private parking lots (as is common practice in metro Detroit) alongside other businesses, raising concerns among food truckers that the revised ordinance could make lawfully operating a food truck business much more difficult citywide. That controversial language has since been removed, but city leaders are expected to revisit such restrictions at a later date. Other changes being considered in the vote include noise regulations to account for loud generators, restrictions on hours of operation on city property, and rules surrounding how trucks impact hazardous traffic conditions, among other updates. On top of bringing up concerns over food trucks operating on private parking lots, residents (and apparently the state of Michigan) have also complained to officials about the improper disposal of cooking oil and waste from some trucks. The proposed amendments comes as cities across metro Detroit and beyond are contending with the influx of food truck operators in recent years. If approved, the changes would go into effect shortly thereafter.