The name may not be on the building yet, but Jollibee is set to open its new North American headquarters in West Covina.

Jollibee Foods Corporation, which owns and operates Filipino fast food chain Jollibee, previously ran its North American operations out of its Red Ribbon Bakeshop manufacturing facility in the City of Industry.

Its new home as of Tuesday is the Eastland Tower, the 13-story building off the 10 Freeway at Barranca Street formerly known for housing Wells Fargo offices.

“This new headquarters is extremely rewarding because it shows how far we have come as a company,” Beth Dela Cruz, president of Jollibee Foods Corporation North America–Philippine Brands, said at the opening celebration.

While Jollibee Foods owns Red Ribbon, Chow King, Smashburger, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and exclusive franchise rights for Burger King and Dunkin in Asia, the main focus in North America will be expanding the flagship brand, Dela Cruz said. There are 46 Jollibee restaurants in North America at the moment, and four more will open before year’s end to bring the number to an even 50.

When the city Planning Commission approved signage for the building in September, Jollibee representatives had been told they would only be able to place the company’s name and iconic bee logo on one side of the building and that they had chosen the west-facing side. However, immediately after the meeting, Jollibee got the go-ahead to put its name on the east side as well, Dela Cruz said.

Despite the fact that the 100 Jollibee Foods employees will be all moved in by Wednesday, the signage won’t be hung until February.

Mayor Lloyd Johnson thanked Dela Cruz and Jollibee for establishing its North American headquarters in West Covina.

“We’re looking forward to telling people, ‘We’re the home of Jollibee,’” Johnson said.

For Dela Cruz, who moved to the United States in 2005 to save what was then a sinking ship of nine Jollibee restaurants in the U.S., the new headquarters is representative of both the hard work put into growing the brand as well as people’s love for the food.

“For our fans, it’s their safe harbor, their second home,” Dela Cruz said. “It’s like bringing them back to the Philippines.”

“For us, it’s really just spreading the joy of eating to our kababayans (countrymen) in North American.”