Jollibee set for first Chicago area store opening with giant Chicken Joy bucket

A giant bucket of joy highlighted Jollibee's the final preparations for the opening of its first United States midwest location on Friday (US time) in at Skokie in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Chicago Eater featured a photo of executives of the Philippines' top fast-food purveyor gathering around a giant bucket of Chicken Joy, Jollibee's signature fried chicken, to lead a ceremonial toast with pieces from the bucket.

It also linked a video of the eponymous mascot dancing with its red and white tux to the strains of the fast-food joint's iconic theme song.

Locals can enjoy their own buckets of Chicken Joy, albeit in smaller portions, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday.

Skokie's Jollibee is the restaurant's 34th location in the US and precedes the giant bee's next stop in Manhattan.

There are about 1,081 locations worldwide for the Filipino restaurant owned by parent company JFC, the owner of the Smashburger chain.

JFC-owned bakery chain Red Ribbon will also open its own Chicago location later this year at Seafood City. —Rie Takumi/JST, GMA News