#ThrowbackThursdays: I Miss Jollibee Ice Craze

Scrolldrop Philippines

I think I might do a bit of a throwback post for Thursdays every now and then. Since it's summer--I could remember taking summer classes nearly non-stop. It was summertime and I was taking summer classes at the University of San Carlos-Main Campus where it would be considerably hot in contrast to Talamban. Jollibee was right next near to it. Jollibee served as a quick, affordable meal for a student. If there was one thing that I ordered after summer classes were over--it was the ice craze. The heat of the summer makes me think of this now-extinct product line.

It was that time when Jollibee Foods didn't buy Mang Inasal's 70% shares ownership. I remembered how every time it was hot--ice craze felt like the solution to it. Being a coffee drinker, I would take coffee jelly the most. Although, I also enjoyed mais con hielo. Taking a coffee jelly after classes gave me some energy to study for my summer exams. It was going on for some time so I felt it was a product line that will last a long time. Except I was wrong--the product line ceased to be and I could no longer enjoy it when I was taking my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) classes

As an entrepreneur, I wonder what exactly caused the product extinction. Jollibee Foods bought Mang Inasal by owning 70% of its shares. It was a cheap way to get refreshed from the heat downtown. Every summer class meant I would take a cup of Ice Craze. Suddenly, it was dropped from the product line. Was it really caused by the product is no longer feasible? After all, after summer classes, the product line was no longer side. Or was it because Jollibee Foods decided to focus on the year-long ice treats of Mang Inasal? I feel the corporation felt making the summer-only product may no longer be feasible. Maybe, it's because Jollibee was better off selling ice floats and ice cream making the Ice Craze an added extra cost. Maybe, Ice Craze was no longer as profitable as Mang Inasal's year-long ice treats.

Regardless, I still feel I have good memories with it. I miss it every now and then. Fortunately, Mang Inasal still sells good icy desserts. I would enjoy some of that milky crema de yema halo-halo at Mang Inasal. Though, having a little more money from before made me think that I'd buy some iced coffee from Bo's Coffee Club as if it was nothing. As a student, Bo's Coffee Club was a luxury. As a middle-class earner--Bo's Coffee Club is anything but expensive. I think I'll still miss the cheap treats. Though, I think Jollibee Foods decision to drop it off was probably due to extra costs associated with it. Hopefully, Jollibee will one day be able to revive the product so new generation of students can experience it too.

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