Australian coffeehouse-style café chain The Coffee Club is gearing up to expand in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Thai company Minor International that owns 50% stake in the coffee chain has struck an agreement with UAE conglomerate Al Nasser Holdings to introduce the brand in the region by 2013-end or early 2014.
The joint venture intends to open 30 outlets as a first phase of expansion, reported The National.
Minor Food chief executive Paul Kenny told the website that the chain operates 350 outlets in Australia alongside additional shops in Thailand.
"We see the area being perfect for coffee and the competitive advantage of The Coffee Club is it has a wide menu of food," added Kenny.
"You can sit around and have your cup of coffee, then you can have a meal, then you can go back to having coffee so the space is very usable."
Besides The Coffee Club, Minor Food also operates brands such as The Pizza Company, Swensen's ice cream, Sizzler, Burger King, Dairy Queen and Thai Express.
Al Nasser Holdings chairman Abdulla Nasser bin Huwaileel Al Mansoori told the website: "We are operating throughout the Gulf region and the Mena region, so we felt this will be a great synergy between the two companies to come together and acquire food brands that we can expand in the region."
