MARYVILLE Tenn. Ruby Tuesday Inc., the 900-unit casual-dining chain, has expanded its Middle East development agreement for an additional 25 restaurants.
The expansion of the deal with the National Arabic Co. for Restaurant Management of Kuwait City calls for opening the stores over the next seven years in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Emad Bu Khamseen, owner and chairman of NAC, said the company would establish a training center in Kuwait City for Ruby Tuesday employees. This marks the first franchisee-operated training facility, and it will be modeled after the Ruby Tuesday training complex at Ruby Tuesday headquarters in Tennessee.
Mark Ingram, Ruby Tuesday's president of franchising, said: "The Bu Khamseen family is an ideal partner, and because they represent the Ruby Tuesday brand so well, we are confident that their creation of the first satellite training facility for our international team members will be a tremendous resource for NAC and other franchisees and support more successful growth in the region."
This is the second time the franchise development agreement has been expanded since 2001, the company said. Ruby Tuesday has four restaurants in the Middle East, including locations in Kuwait City and Abu Hlaifa, Kuwait, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Additional restaurants are scheduled to open in Dubai City, United Arab Emirates, and in Cairo, Egypt.
