Franchise Brands Continue To Expand Internationally in November

November 2022… Approaching 3 years into a business world forever changed by Covid, global businesses have learned to adapt and continue to expand into new countries. This month our international deals roundup reports on expansion by U.S. brands offering pizza, subs, wings, barbecue, burgers, and boxing across the globe.

• California Pizza Kitchen has announced the opening of a new franchise location in Costa Rica. The new, two-story restaurant will be located at the Multiplaza mall in Escazu, outside of San Jose. The brand had already opened new restaurants in Canada, India, and Chile this year. The Costa Rica location will be owned and operated by Byron Mora Porras, Chairman of Conceptos Gastronomicos, part of a larger company that currently operates restaurants and retail stores in 11 countries throughout Central and South America.
• Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Wing Zone announced the signing of a 50-unit master franchise agreement with Village Food Courts (VFC), a Village Groupe company, to expand the brand in India. The agreement, spearheaded by VFC principals Deepak Kumar Sharma and Suraj Arora, gives the company the opportunity to launch both brands exclusively within VFC’s food court venues and select delivery kitchens throughout the India over the next 5 years. The deal marks the first international agreement in Capriotti’s history and will further grow Wing Zone’s international presence from its current 30 non-U.S. locations.
• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is continuing its development across Canada with its newest franchisee agreements in Ontario. The barbecue concept signed two letters of intent on November 1 with separate entities to develop more than 65 locations across the Greater Toronto and Niagara areas. The first location is scheduled to open at 472 Yonge St. in late December this year. Then, throughout 2023, Dickey’s will open locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Leduc and Ft. Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ottawa, Ontario, Sherbrook, and Quebec. Dickey’s currently has more than 550 barbecue restaurants including overseas in Brazil, Egypt, Japan, Pakistan, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Jack in the Box Seattle franchisee PARS Group has bought 28 stores in Hawaii and 2 in Guam from Blue Pacific Management. “Jack in the Box Hawaii’s involvement in the local community was one of the things that really attracted us to this opportunity, and we look forward to building on those relationships,” said Paul Urbina, co-founder of PARS Group. Blue Pacific Management, which acquired the Hawaii Jack in the Box stores from Jack in the Box in 2006, continues to own and operate the Jamba Juice franchise in Hawaii, which has 28 locations on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, and Kauai.
• Krystal has opened its first Puerto Rico restaurant at the Outlet 66 Mall (18400 State Road #3, Suite 205, Canovanas, Puerto Rico). The 900 s.f. restaurants incorporates the latest design and service format for the brand and is its first one in a mall location. The Canovanas Krystal is owned by franchise partner Caribbean Cattle, which also owns Pizza @, Golden Corral, and Golden Chick locations. Caribbean Cattle plans on opening other Krystal locations. The hamburger chain was founded in 1932 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• Title Boxing Club has signed its first international deal, which will bring the brand into nine countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. The master franchise representative is Hurst Kopp, a military veteran whose passion for boxing was founded during his time managing professional boxers and mixed martial artists. “Having worked in international business development for the last decade, I really understand how these countries perceive fitness,” he said. With more than 130 clubs nationwide and a digital subscription service, Title Boxing Club On Demand, members can work out anytime, anywhere.