Binalot ventures overseas, goes to UAE

Homegrown food chain Binalot Fiesta Foods Inc. has partnered with the Al Ahli Holding Group (AAHG), a conglomerate based in the United Arab Emirates, for its first foray into the international market.

On the sidelines of the 14th Franchise Business Expo Friday, Binalot owner and chief executive officer Rommel Juan said Binalot’s first overseas store opened in Dubai last month through a franchising agreement with AAHG.

This partnership is expected to translate to 20 Binalot branches in the Middle East over the next five years, and may extend to the European market should AAHG decide to expand the brand outside the Middle East.

According to Juan, Binalot was one of the Filipino franchises being clustered by AAHG under a single roof and the “Little Manila” brand.

Other “Little Manila” brands are Jay-J’s, Fruitas, Mochicreme, Zagu and Fiftea.

The idea is not only to bring more local brands closer to Filipinos working abroad, but to also showcase the best of Philippine brands to other nationalities.

Initial results have been encouraging with Binalot hitting its sales targets in Dubai.

There are an estimated 6,000 Filipinos working in Dubai and of this number, about 80 percent eat out at least four times a week.

Binalot is actively looking for potential franchisers in other countries with large Filipino communities, including Singapore and Indonesia.

Locally, Binalot continues to expand, targeting to end the year with 41 branches. There are 35 Binalot stores across the country, 10 of which are company owned, Juan said.

The group has also pre-selected sites for potential franchisers. These include Solenad in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Sto. Tomas, Batangas; Molino in Cavite; Blue Residences in Katipunan; and Metropoint in Pasay. Amy R. Remo