Pada tahun 1975, [[Tony Tan Caktiong]] dan keluarganya membuka [[Magnoliakedai (merekes SMC)krim]] [[kedaiMagnolia es krim(merek SMC)|Magnolia]] di Cubao, [[Kota Quezon]].<ref name=Marketing>{{Cite book|last=Go |first=Josiah |title=Fundamentals of Marketing: In The Philippine Setting |year=2001 |publisher=Design Plus |location=Quezon road, [[Philippines]] |isbn=971-91860-5-4| pages =1–2 }}</ref><ref name=JollibeeMilestonesHistory>{{cite news|url=http://www.jollibee.com.ph/about-us#milestones-history|title=About Us|website=Jollibee.com.ph|access-date=August 11, 2018}}</ref> TheGerai outletini laterkemudian beganmulai offeringmenawarkan hotmakanan mealspanas anddan [[sandwichroti lapis]]es. WhenKetika themakanan foodmenjadi itemslebih becamepopuler moredaripada populares than ice creamkrim, thekeluarga familyini decidedmemutuskan tountuk convertmengubah thekedai icees cream parlorkrim into amenjadi [[fastrestoran foodcepat restaurantsaji]], whichyang becamemenjadi thegerai firstJollibee Jollibeepertama outletpada intahun 1978.<ref name="wipo">{{cite news |title=From Ice Cream Parlor to Fast Food Empire: Tony Tan Caktiong's Story |url=http://www.wipo.int/ipadvantage/en/details.jsp?id=2531 |access-date=November 2, 2017 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization}}</ref> Management consultant Manuel C. Lumba advised the family on the change in strategy.<ref name=Marketing/> Jollibee was initially named "Jolibe", but changed its name to "Jollibee".<ref name=scmphow>{{cite news |last1=Lord |first1=Richard |title=The Jollibee story: how a Philippine fast food franchise took on the world |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3019240/story-jollibee-how-philippine-fast-food-franchise-took-world |access-date=March 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727100046/https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3019240/story-jollibee-how-philippine-fast-food-franchise-took-world|archive-date=July 27, 2019|work=South China Morning Post |date=July 21, 2019}}</ref>
[[Jollibee Foods Corporation]] (JFC) was incorporated in January 1978.{{refn|The JFC states that its date of incorporation was on January 28, 1978,<ref name="jfc2012">{{cite journal|title=2012 Annual Report|url=http://www.jollibee.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2012-Annual-Report.pdf|publisher=Jollibee Foods Corporation|page=3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626054747/http://www.jollibee.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/2012-Annual-Report.pdf|archive-date=June 26, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> while the [[Philippine Stock Exchange]] lists the date of incorporation as January 11, 1978.<ref>{{cite web|title=Company Information – Jollibee Foods Corporation|url=http://edge.pse.com.ph/companyInformation/form.do?cmpy_id=86|website=Philippine Stock Exchange|publisher=Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc.|access-date=November 1, 2017}}</ref>|group="note"|name="incorporation"}} By the end of that year, there were seven Jollibee branches in [[Metro Manila]]. The first franchised outlet of Jollibee opened in [[Santa Cruz, Manila]] in 1979.<ref name=milestonesasof2017>{{cite web|title=Milestones & History|url=http://www.jollibee.com.ph/about-us/milestones-history/|website=Jollibee.com.ph|access-date=October 19, 2017}}</ref>
