TLANTA, May 11, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Wendy's/Arby's International, Inc., a subsidiary of Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. (NYSE: WEN), today jointly announced with Al Jammaz Group, the opening of the first international dual-branded Wendy's(R) and Arby's(R) restaurant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "Reaching this milestone opens the door for more rapid international expansion," said Roland Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wendy's/Arby's Group. "We believe offering customers both of our quality brands under one roof in the international arena will generate higher sales volumes and better return on investment. This approach will provide customers with an outstanding array of signature menu choices -- from Wendy's made-to-order hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chili and fresh entrée salads, to Arby's premium roast beef and flatbread sandwiches, curly fries and other delicious choices." The dual-branded Wendy's and Arby's restaurant is located in the Festival City Mall, in the Festival City area of Dubai. The restaurant features a single counter and menuboard for ordering and a dedicated seating area, as well as bistro-style seating around the perimeter of the restaurant space. Al Jammaz Group's first free-standing, dual-branded Wendy's and Arby's restaurant is scheduled to open this summer and will be located in the Emirate of Ajman. The restaurant will feature a pick-up window to serve drive-thru customers. Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al Jammaz, Vice President of Al Jammaz Group, said: "We are honored to be the first company to open an international dual-branded Wendy's and Arby's restaurant. Launching our inaugural restaurant in the UAE is the first step forward in our regional expansion plans. Our aim is to expand in all the Emirates in the next few years. We are already planning for the opening of the Wendy's and Arby's restaurant in Ajman very soon." Significant Growth Opportunity "We completed comprehensive research last year that shows we have the potential for more than 8,000 restaurants outside of North America," Smith said. "We are confident that restaurants with combined Wendy's and Arby's menus will help us fully capitalize on this significant long-term growth opportunity by providing a compelling business model for prospective franchisees around the world." In June 2009, Wendy's/Arby's Group announced a 10-year development agreement with Al Jammaz Group to build dual-branded Wendy's and Arby's restaurants in portions of the Middle East and North Africa. A subsequently revised development schedule calls for the construction of approximately 80 dual-branded restaurants over the same time period, with an initial focus on development in the United Arab Emirates. All Wendy's and Arby's restaurants located outside of North America are franchised. About Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc is the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States and includes Wendy's International, Inc., the franchisor of the Wendy's restaurant system, and Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc., the franchisor of the Arby's restaurant system. The combined restaurant systems include more than 10,000 restaurants in the U.S. and 24 countries and territories worldwide. To learn more about Wendy's/Arby's Group, please visit the company's website at http://www.wendysarbys.com. About Al Jammaz Group Al Jammaz Group, established in 1975 by Founder and President Abdulaziz Al Jammaz, is a well-diversified and fast-growing Saudi conglomerate whose activities cover a wide variety of business categories such as Agriculture, Foods, Retail, IT, Travel & Tourism, Investments and Logistics. The company operates more than 200 stores of leading international franchises in the Middle East and North Africa. Al Jammaz Group pursues excellence throughout its business operations. Note: Wendy's and Arby's franchisees are independent third parties that Wendy's/Arby's Group and its subsidiaries do not control.Numerous factors beyond the control of the company and its franchisees may affect new restaurant openings.Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the commitments under development agreements with franchisees will result in new restaurant openings. SOURCE: Wendy's/Arby's International, Inc. Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. Media: Bob Bertini, 678-514-6902 bob.bertini@wendysarbys.com or Investors: John Barker, 678-514-6900 john.barker@wendysarbys.com In the photos: Customers are served at the first dual-branded Wendy's and Arby's restaurant in Dubai. The restaurant opened on May 11, 2010 at the Festival City Mall in Dubai.