Pankaj Gulati Pankaj Gulati

Dubai-based Reem Al Bawadi Restaurant & Café is set to franchise its outlets in the GCC and Europe.

Speaking to Caterer Middle East, Reem Al Bawadi franchise director Pankaj Gulati said: “We used to get a lot of interest from year one, but we decided to hold on, create a complete team structure, create complete recipe standards, create our operation manuals for all the standards required by a company to grow from one store to another store, as well as globally. So once we are 100% confident that we were ready, not just for the local market, but the rest of the world, that’s when we started prioritizing franchising plans.”

Gulati revealed the company franchised its first outlet in Jeddah in 2013, followed by its Salahuddin Street outlet in Dubai.

Reem Al Bawadi also has at least three new franchised outlets in the pipeline, including one in Al Ain, due to open shortly, as well as Bahrain, and a second outlet in Jeddah.

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“We have also signed Erbil, which we are delaying a little because of the current situation in the market,” Gulati added.

The company is also eyeing India as a key growth market. Explaining the strategy, Gulati said: “At the moment, we are looking within the region – Middle Eastern countries, as well as Europe. These are the first two, followed by Asia, especially India, which is a completely virgin market for Arabic food and we have some great followers and currently there is no Arabic brand that has entered in the market. There is a huge potential.”

Franchise fees for Reem Al Bawadi outlets begin at AED 1 million (US $272,324), and can cost as much as $2.2 million from planning to operation, business development director Muneeb Abdul-Rahman explained.

Going forward, Abdul-Rahman said: “We are looking for people to work closely with to further the aim of both parties. It’s not a one-sided agreement. We are looking for people who want to run a successful business, who want to make money, and grow the brand internationally, which is very important for us.”

Reem Al Bawadi launched in 2001 and currently has six operational outlets in the GCC.