Blimpie, America's Sub Shop, Makes Kuwait Debut

By: Blimpie | 4 Shares 211 Reads

Blimpie Enters into Agreement for Middle East Expansion

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Serving Americans the highest quality, deli-sliced subs for more than 45 years, Blimpie announces plans for its first location in Kuwait. In partnership with International Famous Franchises Co. (IFF), Blimpie's parent company, Kahala, has announced it has entered into a licensee agreement aimed at opening 18 stores in Kuwait by 2014.

The first location in Kuwait is slated to open in the spring of 2010 and is expected to enjoy tremendous success as a trend towards fast, healthier food options is on the rise amongst Kuwaitis. Blimpie offers a number of sandwiches and salads that are low in calories, made to order quickly while offering the freshest ingredients. While only minor changes have been made to the Blimpie menu for the Kuwait debut, it's expected regional flair will eventually be added to the concept in the coming year based upon customer feedback and market research. Blimpie's strong brand heritage combined with IFF's expertise in the Middle East market is the ideal recipe for the concept's international success.

IFF was formed to provide a solid platform for catering a leading diversified group of companies with a strategic objective for growth and expansion locally, and within the MENA region. IFF has assembled a team that embraces different disciplines, accomplished professionals with expertise in all areas of the business. IFF's management team has over 35 years of combined experience in the foodservice industry, over 30 years of combined business approach and tactics experience in the region, involvement in over 50 restaurant openings, and deep involvement with all cross-functional aspects of the foodservice business.

"IFF is a fantastic fit for overseeing Blimpie's expansion into the Middle East," said Dan Beem, Kahala's president of international. "The IFF team, supported by Kahala's international team, is committed to the brand's success. There's a detailed approach in everything IFF does from operations, marketing and customer relationship management and that's extremely important to maintaining the brand image abroad."

The recent agreement with IFF is the first international agreement for the Blimpie brand overseen by parent company Kahala. Continued international growth is a key business factor in developing the Blimpie brand in the coming years. Development efforts for the brand overseas include targeted markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council, focused on countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar, as well as other major regions of the world.

About Blimpie:

Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Blimpie serves fresh, contemporary, deli-style subs, soups and salads. Founded in 1964, Blimpie has grown to nearly 1,200 franchised restaurants across the U.S. In 2006, Blimpie became part of Kahala, one of the fastest-growing franchising companies in the world, with a portfolio of 12 restaurant brands.

International Famous Franchises Co.: International Famous Franchises Co. (IFF) is a restaurant and retail management enterprise within Kuwait, operating quick service, casual dining restaurants, and retail outlets. It is the company's vision to be a diversified leader in the state of Kuwait and the Middle East encompassing various industries including food and beverage, retail, and real estate, with an emphasis on franchising various internationally known brands. Our long-term strategy is to provide a wide array of consumer products within the food and retail industries to the Middle East consumer.

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