US fast food chain Dairy Queen has announced plans to open at least 20 outlets across the UAE by 2020, marking its first foray into the region since 2010.
Backed by American billionaire Warren Buffet, Dairy Queen had a strong presence in Kuwait in particular, where its first Middle East outlet opened in the 1990s. But it closed in 2003 when the franchisee left the restaurant business.
The company retreated from other GCC markets when the recession hit and closed its last store in the UAE in 2010.
In a statement on Tuesday the company said it plans to return to the region “bigger and better than ever following an unsuccessful spell [in the Middle East] several years ago”.
The brand has an outlet in Ras Al Khaimah and new premises are opening in Yas Mall and World Trade Centre in Abu Dhabi, with another outlet scheduled to open in Dubai later this year.
A total of 20 outlets are planned in the UAE over the next five years, with further restaurants across Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Dairy Queen is owned by Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Group and was founded in 1940. Its brands include fruit-drink maker Orange Julius and popcorn-popper Karmelkorn, but it is famed for its popular ice-cream products including the Blizzard.
It operates in around 6,000 locations, 1,394 of which are in 25 countries outside the US and Canada.
Malik Bajwa, director of operations for the Dairy Queen franchise in the UAE, said: “Dairy Queen was here a long time ago and now we are seeing the re-entry.
“This is a great brand with a great product. It is huge in the US and the GCC and is expanding across this region, in the likes of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
“We have plans for 20 outlets in the UAE by the end of 2019 and are well on the way to achieving that.
“We have already opened in Ras Al Khaimah, have two exciting openings in Abu Dhabi in the coming weeks and are also in negotiations over a location in Dubai which we would hope to open by the end of the year.”
He added: “[Dairy Queen] is somewhere for the whole family with lots on offer for children – including our ice-cream products, extensive range of cakes and very popular children’s parties.”
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