UAE restaurant brand unveils franchise plan for expansion
Reem Al Bawadi Restaurant & Café, the themed family restaurant renowned for authentic Middle Eastern cuisine, has launched an international franchising model with plans to open new outlets over the next two years.
The brand said in a statement it wants to open an additional eight new branches, worth more than $17.6 million.
Ayman Abdel Jaber, CEO, Reem Al Bawadi, said: "Our brand has evolved over the last decade and now we are ready to offer interested parties the opportunity to share the success of our lovemark brand."
Its flagship store in Jumeirah, Dubai, was launched in November 2001 with a concept of serving authentic Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine. Today it operates five branches in the UAE, one in Jeddah and soon another branch in Bahrain, Al Ain and second branch in Jeddah, serving more than 100,000 customers per month.
"We see a huge potential for expansion in the coming two years and already have between six to eight international openings planned. We are aiming to target a mix of new markets and to fill-in market gaps and where opportunities arise," added Jaber.
He said a typical Reem Al Bawadi restaurant is around 8,000 sq ft in size which requires an investment of about $2.2 million.
The company said it is looking to partner with investors and entrepreneurs "with shared values and vision in relation to its concept and goals and those who are committed to superior quality, efficient customer service and long-term brand-building".
Reem Al Bawadi has devised an assistance program which includes franchise support, architecture and design assistance, construction and equipment support, operational, purchasing and training support.
"We've ensured that the franchising setup is hassle free for the ease of all parties involved. After signing the formal agreement it normally takes 4-6 months to setup and start the entire operations and the initial agreement is for five years, with an option of renewing it further," said Jaber.
