Ruby Tuesday Announces Plans For 25 Restaurants In The Middle East

By: Ruby Tuesday | 1,014 Shares 138 Reads

(Thursday, March 22, 2007) - Ruby Tuesday, Inc. (NYSE: RI), one of the nation's leading casual dining restaurant companies, announced plans for the development of 25 restaurants in Middle Eastern countries that include Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. The restaurants will be developed and operated by the National Arabic Company for Restaurant Management of Kuwait City (NAC) and will open over the next seven years.

"We are extremely excited about expanding our relationship with Ruby Tuesday in the Middle East," said Emad Bu Khamseen, owner and Chairman of NAC. "We are committed to bring the Ruby Tuesday experience to people throughout the Middle East," he added.

Bu Khamseen said that NAC will also establish a training center in Kuwait City for Ruby Tuesday employees. This marks the first franchisee-operated training facility, and it will be modeled after the Ruby Tuesday training complex that is located at the Tennessee-based company's Restaurant Support Center.

Mark Ingram, President of Franchising, said that Ruby Tuesday is extremely proud to partner with NAC in the Middle East. "The Bu Khamseen family is an ideal partner, and because they represent the Ruby Tuesday brand so well, we are confident that their creation of the first satellite training facility for our international team members will be a tremendous resource for NAC and other franchisees and support more successful growth in the region," he said.

This is the second time the franchise development agreement has been expanded since 2001, an indication of the popularity of the Ruby Tuesday brand in the Middle East and the development and operating performance of NAC. Ruby Tuesday has been expanding its franchise presence in the area for the past six years and continues to franchise additional restaurants worldwide. Currently, there are four Ruby Tuesday restaurants in the Middle East, including locations in Kuwait City and Abu Hlaifa, Kuwait and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Additional restaurants are scheduled to open soon in Dubai City, United Arab Emirates, and in Cairo, Egypt.

About Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday was founded more than 30 years ago, when current Chairman and CEO Sandy Beall opened the first restaurant near the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1972. Since then, the company has grown to over 900 company-owned and franchised restaurants in 43 states and 15 countries around the world. Ruby Tuesday is aggressively franchising territories in the western United States and in international locations. Ruby Tuesday, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RI). More information about the company can be found at www.rubytuesday.com.

###