Think Global, Eat Local

Wing Zone was recently featured in an article in qsrmagazine.com titled, "Think Global, Eat Local". The article discusses how many quick-serve restaurants are looking towards emerging markets in the Middle East, Asia, and other regions for new growth ventures. Hair Parra, Wing Zone's vice president of international development discusses keeping the food and flavors as consistent as possible across the various locations. Click here to read the article or begin below.

"Think Global, Eat Local"
By Nicole Duncan

In a globalized world, many quick-serve restaurants look to emerging markets in the Middle East, Asia, and other regions for new growth ventures. While these retailers strive to maintain the cornerstones of their brand, international menus can't be carbon copies of the American originals. Regional flavors, religious dietary restrictions, and different suppliers all play a part in shaping unique dishes for consumers abroad.

"There's a lot of research you have to do to really understand the market, the customs, the type of food people eat there, " says Danny Bendas, managing partner at Synergy Restaurant Consultants.

Some brands, like Atlanta-based Wing Zone, strive to keep the food and flavors as consistent as possible across the various locations.

"As much as we can, we want to have our main menu the same way that we have it here in the States," says Hair Parra, vice president of international development at Wing Zone. "The main reason we do that is because when people buy a franchise from the United States, they want to see the same thing they see in the States."...

Click here to read the entire article.

Wing Zone featured in The New York Times

Wing Zone was recently featured in the New York Times in an article titled, "Midlevel U.S. Chains Move Into Fast-Food Hungry Gulf." The article focused on US franchises opening in the Middle East featuring the success of Wing Zone in Saudi Arabia. The article details Wing Zone as one of the first midlevel brands to enter the Middle East and how the company was approached by a Saudi businessman when it was looking to expand globally. Matt Friedman details that Wing Zone plans to open 25 stores in Saudi alone and a total of 50 in the region in the next 5 years. For the entire article click here or begin below.

Midlevel U.S. Chains Move Into Fast-Food Hungry Gulf
By: Sara Hamdan

DUBAI — After twelve years of running two small, organic tea shops in the New York borough of Brooklyn, Jonathan Spiel had to close one down when his landlord increased the rent in 2009. Facing that setback, Mr. Spiel decided to look into selling Tea Lounge franchises to expand into new markets and keep his business going.

The Tea Lounge’s first franchise opened this year, in Kuwait.

“When I and my family and friends first heard ‘Kuwait,’ it seemed a little out of the blue,” Mr. Spiel, the Tea Lounge’s founder, said.

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Wing Zone featured in Nation's Restaurant News

Wing Zone was recently featured in Nation's Restaurant News in an article titled, "Middle East seen as hot growth market."  In an article focusing on restaurant brands focused on Middle East growth, Matt talked about the Saudi Arabia location, details about its construction compared to traditional locations, and how successful the brand has been in that country. The article, which also included great photos, mentioned all the additional international development and growth Wing Zone has achieved over the past few years.  Click here for the entire article or begin below.

Middle East seen as hot growth market
By: Mark Brandau

Atlanta-based Wing Zone has nearly 100 restaurants, including four in Panama and one each in the Bahamas and Saudi Arabia. Another location is under construction in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Chief executive Matt Friedman said the 3,000-square-foot Wing Zone in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is the company’s largest unit in the world and is “doing phenomenally.”

“You definitely need the wow factor,” he said. “When people walk in, they want to see this is an American brand. It incorporates a lot of our new prototype [from the United States], but we took it up a notch.”

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