MANILA - Jollibee Foods Corp said Wednesday it opened its first Jollibee store in Rome near the Vatican City, bringing its total branches in Europe to 4.

Located in Via Ottaviano 81/83 or about an 8-minute walk to St. Peter's Square, the first store will bring the brand to the thousands of Filipinos in the city and introduce the famous Chickenjoy to the Italian community, JFC said in a statement.

“Opening our first Jollibee store in the historical city of Rome, especially in a location that is just an 8-minute walk from the Vatican City, is a milestone for us in the Jollibee family. Ever since our opening in Milan, we saw that there was a huge demand for Jollibee here in Italy and our succeeding openings in the United Kingdom show the appeal of Jollibee," said Jollibee Group CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong.

Over 4,000 pieces of Chickenjoy were served on its first day as well as thousands of Yumburger and Jolly Spaghetti, the Philippines' largest restaurant operator said.

Jollibee Foods Corporation president for Europe, Middle East, and Asia Dennis Flores said the reception the brand has received from its Milan store, and recently during the opening of Jollibee in Earl's Court, Liverpool and Rome "has been amazing."

The group recently brought the Filipino brand in Liverpool, UK, known for being the birthplace of The Beatles.

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Jollibee currently has 1,400 stores globally with more stores slated to open this year.