In This Section:
Brinker Expands Into India
Ruby Tuesday Ramps Up In Abu Dhabi
Smashburger Signs Multiunit Midwest Deal
FER Has A New
Address
This issue's Economic Report Sponsor:
FER E&S Market Forecast Meetings
Regulatory ReportSponsor:
Manitowoc Foodservice
 |
 |
|
|
Brinker Expands Into India
Brinker Int’l. has been busy abroad in
recent weeks. The firm recently opened a
new Chili’s Grill & Bar location in
Bangalore, India—its first in that
country. The location is part of a
15-restaurant, five-year agreement with
Jawad Business Group that will expand
Brinker's presence throughout the
nation.
Jawad has been a Brinker partner for
several years, franchising Chili’s in
Bahrain and Maggiano's in Saudi Arabia.
The menu at the Bangalore store was
developed specifically for the region,
blending Chili's American-Southwest
cuisine with familiar, local fare. More
than 80% of the menu offerings can be
prepared vegetarian.
Elsewhere, meanwhile, the chain also has
expanded into Canada’s largest market,
opening the first Chili's location in
the greater Toronto area. Developed by
Top Down Enterprises, it’s the first of
a five-restaurant, five-year agreement
that will expand the Brinker presence
throughout Canada’s capital city.
Brinker now owns, operates and
franchises 205 restaurants outside the
United States, with locations in 28
countries and two territories. The firm
plans to have 500 restaurants open
outside the United States by 2014.
|
|
Ruby Tuesday Ramps Up In Abu Dhabi
Ruby Tuesday and partners are
picking up the pace in the Middle East. After
opening three Ruby Tuesday restaurants in Dubai
in the past 12 months, franchisee Bin Hendi
Hospitality plans to open six new restaurants in
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab
Emirates. With this expanded agreement, Bin
Hendi now has a total of 18 Ruby Tuesdays slated
for development in the UAE.
Last year the franchisee added
five Emirate territories to its then-current
agreement for restaurant openings in Dubai. The
agreement makes Bin Hendi the single franchisee
for the entire UAE.
The Persian Gulf region is one of
the fastest growing areas for all casual dining
brands.
Ruby Tuesday has six franchisees in the Middle
East, including locations in Kuwait, Egypt,
Saudi Arabia and Dubai. Other Ruby Tuesday
restaurants are being developed in Qatar,
Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon and Oman by other
franchisees.
The Abu Dhabi restaurants will be
developed and opened over the coming five years
and will feature menu choices, service standards
and decor that are consistent with the brand in
the United States.
Maryville, Tenn.-based Ruby Tuesday has been
expanding its franchise presence around the
world during the past several years. The
35-year-old chain is comprised of more than 900
company-owned and franchised restaurants in 45
states, the District of Columbia, 14 foreign
countries, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
Smashburger Signs Multiunit Midwest Deal
Smashburger continues
to move ahead with plans for nationwide
coverage. The Denver chain recently
signed a 10-unit franchise agreement
with Reload LLC to open the Nebraska
market.
Reload owner Jim Stevens owns and
operates more than 30 popular
fast-casual and casual-dining franchise
units in the Midwest. The 10
Smashburgers that Reload plans to open
will cover markets in Lincoln and Omaha.
The company is on schedule to open its
first restaurant by the end of the year,
with the remaining nine locations
scheduled during the next few years.
Smashburger began its franchise
expansion in the fall of 2008 and has
signed 10 deals with established, proven
multiunit operators to open up to 187
locations. Smashburger currently has 14
units, including 10 in Colorado, one
each in Texas and Minnesota, and two in
Kansas. Eight more stores are slated to
open in those states this summer;
another 10 restaurants are planned for
the fall and winter including debut
units in Idaho, Oklahoma and Utah.
Smashburger said it plans to have 500
restaurants opened during the next
several years, with 30 to 60 opening in
2009. In May, Smashburger announced a
franchise deal for 16 new locations in
Iowa. It also has signed deals in recent
months that it says will lead to
locations in Missouri, New Jersey, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah.
FER
Has A New Address
Always something
happening at our sister magazine
Foodservice Equipment Reports,
FER Fortnightly and the rest of the
Gill Ashton Foodservice Media Group. And
now Gill Ashton has a new street
address. All mailed correspondence can
now be sent to:
Foodservice
Equipment Reports
Gill Ashton Publishing LLC
2906 Central St., Suite 175
Evanston, IL 60201
Our phone numbers
remain the same. Phones are 847/673-8675
and 800/986-9616; fax is 847/673-8679.
In addition to FER and FER
Fortnightly, Gill Ashton also
operates
www.fermag.com, the biennial
Multiunit Foodservice Equipment
Symposium (best known as MUFES), annual
E&S President’s Preview Market Forecast
meetings, and a Facebook social network
at
http://tinyurl.com/FoodserviceEquipmentReports
as well as a LinkedIn network at
http://tinyurl.com/FERonLinkedIn.
|
www.fermag.com
