Popeyes inked an agreement with Centras Group to develop dozens of restaurants in Kazakhstan, while in a separate deal private investment firm McWin signed on as master franchisee to open new Popeyes units in the Czech Republic and Poland, plus bring more Burger Kings to those countries and Romania.
Centras Group, spun off from Kazkommertsbank Group in 2004, is a private insurance, financial and consumer services corporation led by owner Eldar Abdrazakov. The agreement gives Centras exclusive rights to operate Popeyes in Kazakhstan.
In Eastern Europe, McWin, through its newly established Rex Concepts, plans to open 600 Burger King and Popeyes restaurants. It marks the second investment made through its McWin Restaurant Fund, according to co-founder Henry McGovern, who in an announcement of the deal said the move “demonstrates our commitment to helping brands reach the next level with operational excellence as we unlock sustainable long-term value for customers, employees, communities, and the local economies where we operate.”
McWin also acquired a 20-unit Burger King franchisee in Poland in August. The private investment firm founded by McGovern and Steven Winegar has a variety of holdings in the foodservice and food technology sectors.
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii is expanding in the greater Houston area with the signing of a 10-unit deal. The agreement is with RPC Ventures, helmed by Kyle Price and Heath Rushing. The two have a background in executive roles at a large hospital system in Houston. Their 10 units will add to the 24 open Bad Ass Coffee shops across the United States.
Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii drinks
The Little Gym, a children’s gym and enrichment concept under the Unleashed Brands umbrella, signed a three-unit deal with Cody Herndon for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Herndon is an existing franchisee with Unleashed Brands, operating an Urban Air Adventure Park. He’s also a franchisee of QSR concept Fat Tuesday.
Quiznos signed an agreement for 10 new restaurants in Georgia with entrepreneur Sam Patel. The new locations will be a mix of standalone drive-thru units while others will be built inside fuel stations Patel owns along Interstate 75. Quiznos, which was acquired by High Bluff Capital Partners in 2018, is again pursuing growth and also recently signed a 30-unit development agreement.
Marco’s Pizza signed an eight-unit deal, expanding the brand in northern Virginia. The agreement is with existing franchisee Michael Ghanem, who has one store open in Sterling and second slated to launch in the Reston/Herndon area in early 2023.
A pie from the brand Marco’s Pizza.
Ohm Fitness signed a deal with Jake and Alyssa Kapneck for area representative rights in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., to open 35 units. The Kapnecks bring franchise experience to the table, having owned and operated eight European Wax Centers before selling them earlier this year. Ohm Fitness, an electro muscle stimulation concept, started in 2021 and began franchising earlier this year.
Goodcents Deli Fresh Subs signed a 10-unit agreement with a group of family members operating as Shree Harikrishna to develop restaurants in southeast Pennsylvania. Goodcents has been in operation for more than 33 years with 63 units open.