MAX’S Group Inc. on Tuesday said it will expand its pizza brand to the United Arab Emirates this year, the first international expansion since it became public last year.
The company said it signed a development agreement with the Middle East-based Cartoon Fashion Group to build 10 Yellow Cab Pizza stores in the UAE within the next five years. “This is aligned with our thrust of expanding our overseas presence into new markets,” Max’s President and CEO Robert Trota said in a statement.
“With Cartoon Fashion Group’s proven track record and solid reputation in the UAE, we knew they were the best partner for this endeavor,” he said.
Yellow Cab Pizza Co. claims to be the leading player in the local pizza segment. It currently operates 112 branches in the Philippines and six in Qatar.
Established in Dubai in 1988, the Cartoon Fashion Group has grown to be one of the UAE’s largest and most successful retail and hospitality consortiums.
The group operates a number of well-known international brands, including adidas, Ed Hardy and French Connection, in more than 25 outlets across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Originally focused on retail, the group expanded its business to include food and beverage in 2010.
With this agreement, Yellow Cab is expected to have a total of 31 branches in the Middle East in the next 10 years, together with the 15 stores set to open in Saudi Arabia and the six existing stores in Qatar.
Max’s said it has plans to accelerate its store rollout pace in the second half of the year primarily across its brands in time for scheduled mall openings and the Christmas season.