Smashburger plans 26 Qatar and UAE restaurants

Smashburger is expanding its presence in the Middle East, with 26 restaurants planned for the next few years in the region.

The brand has embarked on a new partnership with Pearll Investments LLC in order to grow the brand, with 22 of the 26 units to open in the UAE and the remaining four restaurants to open in Qatar.

Regionally, these operations will join Smashburger outlets already open in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

"Smashburger's international expansion has really taken off and we're excited to be adding United Arab Emirates and Qatar to our portfolio of international countries," commented Scott Crane, president & CEO of Smashburger.

"Our new franchise partners are experienced restaurant operators and we're confident they will help us grow the brand throughout this part of the region. Dubai in particular is an attractive destination for people all across the world, and we're looking forward to bringing our made-to-order, hand-crafted burgers to a community that is experiencing growth and high traffic visibility year around," he added.

Pearll Investments and its sister company Leemaar Investment operate brands across the globe.

Abdel Hameed, chairman of Pearll Investments LLC, said: "Despite there being an ample number of fast casual restaurants in this region, the industry has yet to reach its potential in United Arab Emirates and Qatar and we feel there is a huge opportunity for brands such as Smashburger."

Smashburger has plans to open an additional 60-80 restaurants internationally in 2016, adding to its portfolio of more than 355 restaurants worldwide, and is seeking partners to assist growth in Europe, Asia, South America, and the US.