Alghanim Industries to open 30 F&B outlets in 2017
Kuwait’s Alghanim Industries is planning to open 30 new F&B outlets in the GCC next year under the Wendy’s and Costa Coffee brands, the company’s vice president of food and beverage, Phil Broad, told Caterer Middle East in a recent interview.
“We’ll open three more Wendy’s in Dubai, and we’re looking at a couple of locations in Abu Dhabi, then we’ll open four or five in Kuwait. We’ll open another 13 or 14 Costa Coffees in Kuwait as well, and then we’re going to put five or six locations in Saudi Arabia. That will keep us busy next year — doing nearly 30 outleta is nearly one every couple of weeks,” Broad said.
Alghanim Industries signed a master franchise agreement with The Wendy’s Company in February 2015, acquiring the exclusive rights to develop all Wendy’s operational outlets in the UAE and open additional stores across the Middle East and North Africa in the next decade.
The deal reinforced Alghanim’s strategy to partner with international F&B franchises, and build on its 2013 acquisition of Costa Coffee Kuwait. Alghanim has since invested in refurbishing existing outlets, opening new ones and broadened the product range. It currently operates 34 Costa outlets in Kuwait.
Speaking about the progress made, Broad commented: “We’re up against coffee brands that have been in Kuwait longer but we’re seen as one of the best operators of coffee now. We have our own training centre for our baristas and we’ve used celebrity chef Dean Brettschneider from New Zealand to develop a whole new range of cakes and pastries for us, and we’ll continually launch new food ranges [in Costa].”
Continuing, Broad said: “It’s all about driving longevity, rather than a short-term profit hit, which historically is how I think they [Costa Kuwait outlets] may well have been run.”
There have been a number of changes implemented by Alghanim since its acquisition of Wendy’s Middle East, as Broad explained: “Since buying the business in February last year, it’s taken us some time to start delivering the Wendy’s experience. Here in Dubai, you’ve seen refurbished stores and the launch of our value offer ‘4 for 14’, then the jalapeño freshco, and now the big Angus launch.
"So, the traction of the brand is starting the build and our intention was always to open in our home territory of Kuwait.”
Broad revealed that after six months of searching for the right location, Alghanim has secured “a fantastic spot where most of the other competitors play” that allows for a drive-through and features “a super new design”, to create what will be the flagship Wendy’s Kuwait.
In terms of UAE growth for the fast-casual brand, Broad confirmed that Alghanim has purchased land on Jumeirah Beach Road, next to the Costa Coffee drive-through, to build “a billboard Wendy’s location”, and secured space in The Dubai Mall and the new Oasis Mall extension for two outlets.
“We’re gaining momentum. There aren’t many people next year who are going to open 30 plus outlets, and we’re on the lookout for more brands,” Broad reveals.
Read the full interview with Phil Broad in a future issue of Caterer Middle East.
