JEDDAH: CEC Entertainment, the parent company of American fast-food brand Chuck E. Cheese, is planning to open 100 new outlets around the world over the coming years, with at least 25 in Saudi Arabia.
The firm currently has two franchisee partners in the Kingdom, with a total of 21 outlets throughout the country.
Brian Bell, senior director of public relations, told Arab News: “We will be opening our first store in Bahrain soon and have a pipeline of over 50 more stores across the Middle East region over the next five to seven years. Specifically, Saudi will account for 50 percent of this growth.”
Unique Hospitality has been a Chuck E. Cheese franchise partner in Saudi Arabia since 2012.
In a website franchisee testimonial, Unique Hospitality’s general manager for Saudi Arabia, Talal Azhari, said: “Chuck E. Cheese has been a great addition to our portfolio, and we have been very profitable with the brand.
“The corporate international franchise team is engaged and willing to adapt the brand to local market needs, which creates a truly profitable model. We are in the process of acquiring more territory for future development in other countries.”
Ahead of its international expansion, CEC Entertainment recently relaunched its franchise development website. In addition to Saudi Arabia, it currently operates in many markets outside the US, including Mexico, Chile, Peru, Canada, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia, Guatemala, the UAE, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Jordan, and India.