International Franchise Deals Continue Across Asia, Middle East, and Europe

By: Eddy Goldberg
Published: December 17th, 2021

As the world approaches 2 years of on-again, off-again Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, business activity and the economies of many countries are picking up worldwide, though unevenly. And the appearance of the Omicron variant has thrown another spanner in the works, as the Brits say. Nevertheless, here are 10 recent deals global franchise brands have announced recently.

• 9Round has finalized an expansion deal in South Korea and renewed its agreement in the Middle East. The master franchise agreement calls for 9Round to open 160 locations throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) and 40 locations in South Korea over the next several years. There are currently 43 locations operating in the area, and 9Round projects 200 locations to be open by 2034. 
• Church’s Texas Chicken is on track to open 20 new restaurants in Canada in 2021. For 2022, the brand is looking to open 40 more locations in the country.
• Crepe Delicious has signed a master franchise agreement in Jordan for 10 locations in the next 5 years. The franchisee, Anabtawi sweets, is set to begin development by Q1 2022.
• Island Poké has announced plans to open 4 new restaurants in Edinburgh in the next 2 years. The brand now has 15 locations in London, 8 in France and 4 dark kitchens across the English capital.
• Legendary Restaurant Brands (Bennigan’s, Steak & Ale) has partnered with Franklin Junction to accelerate its growth in the Asia/Pacific region. Menu items for the two brands, adapted for local preferences, will be available throughout Southeast Asia in the next 10 to 12 months.
• Nathan’s Famous has expanded into Saudi Arabia with the opening of seven kiosks across the country, with plans for three more. The kiosks will offer halal hot dogs and toppings, crinkle-cut fries, and Nathan’s halal New York Cheesesteak.
• School of Rock has entered Taiwan with a location in Taichung City. John Caraccio, the master franchisee in Taiwan, is set to open at least 19 additional schools in the market in the coming years.
• Subway and Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co, the leading franchise retailer in Saudi Arabia, have signed a new master franchise agreement for the country. The new agreement kicks off a growth plan to nearly double Subway’s footprint of 210 restaurants in Saudi Arabia over the next 6 years by adding a minimum of 145 new locations.
• Wayback Burgers has inked a deal with Japan’s WB Burgers Asia (WBBA) to open 60 locations within 20 years. WBBA also acquired the right of first refusal to become the master franchisee for Eastern Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, India, Korea, Thailand and Singapore.
• Xponential Fitness has signed a master franchise agreement in New Zealand for CycleBar, StretchLab, and Rumble. The agreement provides the master franchisee with the opportunity to license at least 30 studios across the three brands to franchisees in New Zealand over the next 10 years.

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