Pancake House to open in United Arab Emirates

MANILA, Philippines – Max’s Group, Inc. is set to bring one of its brands, Pancake House, into United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of its overseas expansion plans.

Pancake House, a homegrown casual dining restaurant chain, currently operates a network of 123 branches, including 9 franchised outlets located in Malaysia and Brunei.

In a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday, October 19, Max’s Group said it recently signed a  development agreement with Lulu Group International to establish at least 8 Pancake House stores in UAE within the next 5 years.

Max’s Group President and CEO Robert F. Trota said the group of casual dining restaurants is pleased with the opportunity to further broaden its reach in UAE, this time, through Pancake House.

“We are excited with our partnership with Lulu Group, an established retailer with a storied and rich history of success, to serve our products to the Emiratis,” said Trota.

He added that the group is also encouraged that Max’s Group’s international campaign has received strong interest from a number of potential foreign partners.

“This can be attributed to the strength of our diverse portfolio of brands catering to various markets and tastes, anchored on a solid and well-organized Max’s Group’s support system,”  he added.

The partnership with the Lulu Group marks the fourth development agreement signed by Max’s Group for 2015. The expansion is also line with the company plans to have at least 200 international outlets by 2020 across its brands. (READ: Max’s Group H1 net income surges by 561%)

“For this year, we were initially aiming at closing at least two territories. With this, we were able to exceed our targets,” Trota said.

Max Group’s latest partner, Lulu Group, was established in 1966 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, with operations across 21 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. Its latest venture into food and beverage, through Tablez Food Company, has created its own portfolio of restaurants, cafés, and ice cream stores, along with international franchised brands in the Middle East and India.

Tablez Food Company also welcomed the partnership with Max’s Group.

Shafeena Yusuff Ali, Tablez Food Company CEO said he is absolutely delighted in partnering with Pancake House, one of the most popular brands from the Philippines.

“I am also excited about the fact that UAE and the gulf region is home to a large Filipino community and a brand like Pancake House will be a big hit and also gives us a chance to present this brand to other diverse nationalities residing here,” Ali said. – Rappler.com