MANILA: When branches of Pancake House open in Saudi Arabia traditional offerings such as waffles will be on the menu, but the food will also meet halal requirements.
Since last week’s announcement that Max’s Group Inc. (MGI) — self-styled as the leading chain offering casual dining restaurants in the Philippines — was to expand into Saudi Arabia, details have been emerging of the deal.
The company sees the Kingdom as one of the countries in the region with huge potential, as it has a large Filipino community, and also believes that the restaurants will appeal to the population in general.
Under the agreement, 12 Pancake House branches will open in the Kingdom over the next five years, with the first expected to open in the third or fourth quarter of this year.
Setting up Pancake House branches in Saudi Arabia is part of MGI’s drive to broaden its footprint in the Middle East. Pancake House already has seven franchises in Malaysia and the UAE and there are plans to open two restaurants in the UAE and one in Qatar this year.
Kay Lee, MGI general manager, told Arab News that Pancake House in Saudi Arabia will have a new and a rich menu.
“It’s not just pancake or waffle as a dessert. But it has a full range of meals which could be very attractive to Saudis,” Lee said. “The menu has already reengineered to halal,” she added.
She added the company had been looking for a suitable franchisee to launch Pancake House in the Kingdom for a while, and had found the right partner in Jeddah-based Al Bader National Establishment for Real-Estate Development.
“We want to target all nationalities, local Saudis and other nationalities,” she added. She said that the Pancake House in Dubai had broad appeal. “The menu has already proved that it is attractive to all nationalities, including Filipinos,” she said.
Al Bader executives were Pancake House fans before approaching MGI about bringing the brand to Saudi Arabia.
“They (Al Bader) experienced Pancake House in Malaysia and in Dubai. They have been Pancake House fans for a long time — that’s why they wanted to be part of the MGI family,” Lee said.
“They’re very passionate and enthusiastic ... that was one of the reasons that we chose them,” she added. The deal was signed last Wednesday (Jan. 31), after discussions held over the past year.
Although Al Bader’s business is primarily in real estate, property development, shopping malls and furnished apartments, it recently entered the food and drink business.
“We are excited to bring Pancake House to Saudi Arabia. We have been searching for a renowned brand to spearhead our venture into the food sector,” Badr Hamdi Hamed Albalawi, Al Bader’s chief executive, said in a statement.
He added that the brand’s all-day dining concept and assorted menu had been appealing and that it was expected to attract customers from various demographic profiles.
MGI aims to open 20-30 international outlets this year, mainly branches of core brands such as Max’s Restaurant, Pancake House and Yellow Cab Pizza. It hopes to have 200 international stores by 2020.
