Max’s to open Pancake House in Saudi Arabia

Max’s Group Inc. (MGI), the country’s leading casual dining chain operator, is scaling up its overseas footprint by taking its Pancake House restaurant brand to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

MGI signed a partnership deal with an Arabian group, Al-Bader National Establishment for Real-Estate Development, to open 12 Pancake House stores in this territory within the next five years.

This deal is MGI’s curtain-raiser for 2018 in terms of overseas expansion initiatives.

Pancake House, one of the brands that MGI feels will be accepted by a broader international audience and not just the overseas Filipino community, is a popular homegrown chain that offers pancakes, waffles, tacos, spaghetti and pan-fried chicken.

“Our international business continues to build on its momentum sustained from last year. We are excited with the prospect of entering a familiar territory this time around with another one of our loved brands. We believe the brand’s attributes and offerings will successfully make its way into the mainstream population,” MGI president and chief executive officer (CEO) Robert Trota said in a press statement on Wednesday.

MGI’s local partner, Jeddah-based Al-Bader, is a 17-year-old company which is primarily engaged in real estate trading, property development, commercial operations of shopping malls and furnished apartments.

It recently entered the food and beverage business by selectively partnering with reputable global food names. Armed with a strong real estate background, it plans to invest in complementary industries such as food and tourism.

“We are excited to bring Pancake house to Saudi Arabia. We have been searching for a renowned brand to spearhead our venture into the food sector with the intention to deploy a substantial amount of investment. We find the brand’s assorted menu mix and all-day dining concept appealing to various demographic profiles. Moreover, we have experienced the brand ourselves as customers, and are now thrilled to become part of the Max’s Group family. We thank them for trusting us and look forward to a lasting partnership,” Al- Bader CEO Badr Hamdi Hamed Albalawi said.

As part of its globalization program, MGI plans to open 20 to 30 new overseas outlets for 2018 primarily across core brands Max’s Restaurant, Pancake House and Yellow Cab Pizza.

It aims to end the year with around 75 to 80 stores abroad.

Pancake House, for its part, currently operates seven overseas franchised outlets in Malaysia and United Arab Emirates.

It plans to add at least two more branches in the United Arab Emirates and open its first store in Qatar this year.