Dine Brands International has announced plans to open multiple Applebee’s Neighbourhood Grill + Bar and IHOP restaurants in the UAE. The first location is scheduled to open in Dubai later this year through an agreement with IHOP franchisee Mohamed Makawi. Tony Moralejo, president, international, Dine Brands Global, said: “Mohamed, as a long-time IHOP operator in the US, is an ideal franchisee to lead the new openings of Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants in the UAE market. His passion for our brands, cultural understanding of the Middle East market, paired with his focus on creating exemplary guest experiences, position him to succeed in this new endeavour. “We have seen success in this market through our ghost kitchen operations and are excited to be re-establishing brick-and-mortar locations for our two world-renowned brands. The UAE is one of the fastest developing nations in the world, and the country’s increasing tourism business and consumer demand for casual and family dining restaurants reaffirm it as an important growth market for Dine.” Makawi said: “For over 20 years, I’ve had the pleasure of developing the IHOP brand in the US. With this new venture, I look forward to gaining the support of the communities we plan to serve internationally. “We’re going to hire a local team and are confident guests in the UAE will love joining us in our restaurants for IHOP’s world-famous pancakes and familiar comfort foods, as well as Applebee’s craveable American fare.” Dine Brands International said it continues to place emphasis on growth in markets, including North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Based in California, Dine Brands Global operates about 3,440 restaurants in 16 countries and approximately 350 franchisees and is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world.

Dine Brands International has announced plans to open multiple Applebee’s Neighbourhood Grill + Bar and IHOP restaurants in the UAE. The first location is scheduled to open in Dubai later this year through an agreement with IHOP franchisee Mohamed Makawi. Tony Moralejo, president, international, Dine Brands Global, said: “Mohamed, as a long-time IHOP operator in the US, is an ideal franchisee to lead the new openings of Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants in the UAE market. His passion for our brands, cultural understanding of the Middle East market, paired with his focus on creating exemplary guest experiences, position him to succeed in this new endeavour. “We have seen success in this market through our ghost kitchen operations and are excited to be re-establishing brick-and-mortar locations for our two world-renowned brands. The UAE is one of the fastest developing nations in the world, and the country’s increasing tourism business and consumer demand for casual and family dining restaurants reaffirm it as an important growth market for Dine.” Makawi said: “For over 20 years, I’ve had the pleasure of developing the IHOP brand in the US. With this new venture, I look forward to gaining the support of the communities we plan to serve internationally. “We’re going to hire a local team and are confident guests in the UAE will love joining us in our restaurants for IHOP’s world-famous pancakes and familiar comfort foods, as well as Applebee’s craveable American fare.” Dine Brands International said it continues to place emphasis on growth in markets, including North America, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Based in California, Dine Brands Global operates about 3,440 restaurants in 16 countries and approximately 350 franchisees and is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world.

Caffe Nero is on the brink of insolvency with the company blaming the second lockdown as it becomes the latest big High Street pandemic victim. The UK's third largest coffee chain, founded in London 30 years ago, was placed into a Company Voluntary Arrangement on Thursday as it scrambles to get its finances in order. It puts 6,000 jobs across 800 stores in jeopardy - though bosses hope any closures or staff losses will be minimal. Chief Executive Gerry Ford, whose Paladin Partners took over the business in 1997, expanding it outside the capital and across the UK, said the company had no other choice. Boris Johnson announced the England-wide one-month lockdown on October 31, restricting hospitality providers to takeaways only. With office workers largely being absent from town and city centres since March, coffee shops have seen a major portion of their customer base disappear. In attempt to combat the changes, Nero offered a click and collect service and home delivery. Mr Ford, 62, a former Hewlett-Packard analyser, has called on accountants KPMG to advise on the CVA, a type of insolvency that allows firms to continue trading in the short-term. The American-born entrepreneur hopes to renegotiate rent agreements to allow the franchise to re-emerge after the pandemic. "With our dine-in facilities now closed for a second time, we have little option but to launch this CVA to safeguard the future of our business," Mr Ford told the Daily Mail. He said the chain had been trading strongly before the pandemic but "like so many businesses in the hospitality sector, the pandemic has decimated trading". The CEO said the company successfully negotiated the "financial challenges" following the initial nationwide lockdown, the but the latest one "made it imperative that we take further action". He added the aim has always been "to continue to protect jobs". Will Wright, head of regional restructuring at KPMG, described the coffee company as an "iconic brand" with a "terrifically loyal customer base". imilar insolvency steps have been used by the likes of Debenhams, Clarks, Clintons and Homebase. Critics argue CVAs are often used to squirm out of debts and force landlords to drop rents. Mr Ford originally led a small group of investors in the purchase of five central London shops with the name Caffe Nero from Ian Semp who established the name in 1990.

Celine UK Newco 1 Limited, the owner of department store group Debenhams, has appointed administrators to prepare for its own potential bankruptcy filing. In a notice last week, Celine Group Holdings said it had appointed Philip James Watkins and Philip Lewis Armstrong of FRP Advisory Trading Limited as administrators in respect of the company and its immediate parent company, Celine UK Newco 1 Limited. “The appointment of administrators is a consequence of the entry into administration of the primary operating company of the Debenhams’ group on 9 April 2020,” it said in a statement. The move is not expected to impact Debenhams’ trading. The retailer has been in administration since April after the Covid-19 pandemic weighed further on its finances. Earlier this month, the group announced plans to cut 2,500 jobs across its store network and distribution centre as part of its latest cost-cutting drive. To date, it has reportedly cut around 6,500 jobs and closed 20 stores. The retail group, which originally had 142 UK stores and employed around 22,000 staff, said its administrators had initiated a process to assess ways for the business to exit its protective administration. This, it said, could include the current owners retaining the business, potential new joint venture arrangements, or a sale to a third party. Investment bank Lazard is understood to be running a sale process for Debenhams, according to The Sunday Times, but sources say it is unlikely to yield offers to run the retail group as a going concern. Its biggest lender, Silver Point, could either buy the chain out of administration in a restructured form, or liquidate it, should no bids materialise, the publication says.

New York (CNN Business)Dunkin' is permanently closing 8% of its United States locations, which amounts to roughly 800 restaurants. The company announced the changes in its second quarter earnings, released Thursday. Dunkin' described the closures as "real estate portfolio rationalization" and said the affected locations are in "low-volume sales locations" that only represent 2% of its US sales as of 2019. More than half of the closures are in Speedway convenience stores, a change it previously announced in February. These locations are set to be closed by the end of this year. Dunkin' (DNKN) also said approximately 350 locations "may permanently close" outside of the US. Earlier this week, McDonald's (MCD) also said it was closing about 200 "low-volume" locations with more than half being in Walmart (WMT) stores

Alghanim Industries, one of the largest privately owned companies in the region, will breathe fresh life into Costa Coffee Qatar with additional locations and newly designed stores set to open soon. The new Costa Coffee stores will be the first to be operated by Alghanim Industries in Qatar, having been awarded sole development rights to the brand across several additional GCC countries, following their successful management of Costa Coffee in Kuwait since 2013. Alghanim will offer coffee lovers the genuine Costa Coffee experience, with a wide range of beverages made using the authentic Costa Mocha Italia blend, handcrafted with fresh milk for a rich unrivaled experience, in the brand’s signature red waffle paper cups. Updates on the new Costa Coffee in Qatar will be published on www.Instagram.com/Costa.Qatar Commenting on this, Samer Sayegh, President of Retail, F&B and Customer Engagement at Alghanim Industries said: “We’re proud to be long-standing partners with Costa, bringing one of the world’s premium coffee brands to our customers. Our focused strategy and elevated offerings made us a main player in Kuwait’s coffee shop scene, and we are very pleased to expand our relationship and move into the regional market. Qatar’s customers are known to be dedicated, discerning coffee connoisseurs, and we can’t wait to bring them our Costa Coffee experience tailored just for them.” Gordon Mowat, Managing Director EMEA at Costa Coffee said: “Our partnership with Alghanim Industries has grown in strength as well as breadth since its inception in 2013. I believe it comes down to the values we share, values which are so ingrained in the way we do business. The Alghanim team are passionate about our premium coffee, but they’re also equally passionate about crafting the best possible coffeeshop experience, listening to their customers to develop unique menu propositions and reflecting local tastes wherever they operate. As a partner, Alghanim shares our commitment to growing talent and driving product innovation, and we’re thrilled to be working alongside them to bring our iconic brand to customers in the GCC.” The Costa Coffee-Alghanim partnership has flourished since its formation in 2013, growing to more than 90 stores in Kuwait, including several flagship locations. Together, both companies have developed new coffee and pastry collaborations with celebrity chefs, launched innovative, fresh store designs and established a barista training center, to ensure teams deliver the highest possible coffee standards. The growth and success is driven by both companies’ shared commitment to delivering outstanding handcrafted coffee, credible healthy menu choices and exceptional customer service, a strategy Alghanim will be bringing to Qatar. Alghanim Industries will be providing a unique Costa Coffee experience for the country’s coffee lovers by introducing a number of innovative localized products and customized, Qatar-exclusive menu items, such as local collaborations to develop exciting seasonal creations to customers. This follows the wide success it has achieved in Kuwait with Chef Ahmed Al Zamel’s exclusive menu of beverages, sandwiches, and desserts. Customers can also look forward to relaxing in new, revamped store interiors while being served by skilled passionate teams. The new Costa Coffee stores will provide a healthy menu and wide range of alternative milk options to cater to all its customers’ different tastes and dietary needs. Put together, these forward-looking strategies continue to power the partners’ expansion efforts in the GCC, and they look forward to welcoming customers into Costa Coffee Qatar soon.