Toronto — The Popeyes® brand and Restaurant Brands Iberia (RB Iberia), the parent of the master franchisees for Burger King® Spain, Burger King Portugal, Popeyes® Spain and Tim Hortons® Spain, have entered into a master franchise and development agreement to develop and grow the Popeyes brand in Italy. The first Popeyes restaurant in Italy is scheduled to open later this year.
“We’re very excited about growing the brand in Italy with RB Iberia, a long term partner and strong operator,” says David Shear, president of international, Restaurant Brands International, parent company of Popeyes. “We have set ambitious expansion plans for our iconic brand, and [this] news highlights our commitment to serving Popeyes bold Louisiana flavors to more guests around the world.”
Adds Gregorio Jiménez, chairman of Restaurant Brands Iberia: “We are thrilled to spearhead the launch of Popeyes® in Italy. It is an iconic brand that has been well-received in Spain, and we are fully committed to its success within the Group. Our company excels in managing master franchises, so we have a great business opportunity ahead of us, which will contribute to job creation in Italy and diversify the QSR market for our Mediterranean neighbor.”
Popeyes is one of one of the world’s largest chicken quick-service restaurant brands with over 4,300 restaurants in over 35 countries around the world. This agreement marks a continuation of Popeyes expansion plan in Europe, with Popeyes restaurants already present in Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Romania, France, and more recently in Poland and Czech Republic.
Founded in New Orleans in 1972, Popeyes® is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI), one of the world’s largest quick-service restaurant companies with more than 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world’s most prominent quick-service restaurant brands: BURGER KING®, TIM HORTONS®, POPEYES® and FIREHOUSE SUBS®. For more information, visit www.popeyes.com.
SOURCE: Restaurant Brands International Inc.