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The Middle East continues to be a hot spot for franchise brands seeking international expansion opportunities - especially U.S. food and beverage (F&B) brands trading in on not only being from the States, but also as having established successful overseas locations over the years in many countries.
According to the World Franchise Centre, 130 franchise brands are actively recruiting master franchisees, area developers, or multi-unit operators in the UAE; 79 in Bahrain, 75 in Saudi Arabia, 94 in Kuwait, and 96 in Qatar.
One of the U.S. F&B brands finding success in the region is Russo's New York Pizzeria, which is set to open its seventh location in Dubai in October.
"There is a huge appetite for our brand, and together with our talented franchise partners we are accelerating our global growth," said founder and CEO Anthony Russo in a prepared statement announcing the new location. "The franchise opportunity is proving to be lucrative for our current international franchisees and we are excited for their continued success."
Located in the Springs Souk shopping center, the new restaurant will feature the brand's updated casual dining layout that includes an open-kitchen concept and pizza chef station for guests to watch chefs prepare their hand-tossed pizzas and homemade meals from scratch. The new design also allows guests to choose take-out or delivery.
According to media reports, Russo's has adapted the brand's menu to offer Middle Eastern favorites and tastes and will feature fresh local seafood, Halal meats, risotto and saffron, truffle mushroom soup, eggplant pizza, gnocchi pasta, and Mediterranean-influenced dips and spreads.
Russo says the brand is looking to expand further not only in the Middle East, but also in Europe and Asia. To adapt to local real estate, Russo's is offering a smaller footprint of 120 to 350 square meters. For select markets, the cost of entry starts at US$395,000.