São Paulo – Global Franchise Consulting, a consultancy firm specialized in franchises that oversees the international expansion of the Habib’s food chain, is negotiating the opening of restaurants of the brand in the Arab world. Last month, the director of the company, Paulo César Mauro, went to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he met with Arab entrepreneurs interested in bringing Habib’s to their countries. Paulo César is negotiating and should bring them to Brazil by the middle of the year.
The consultancy firm is also working on the international expansion of other Brazilian franchises and, as a result of the trip to Dubai, is also negotiating the opening of units for Kick Bola Urbana, a football theme park, and for Life Pieces, a jewellery store chain, in the Arab market. Paulo César intends to bring the parties interested in the three Brazilian brands to the country in June, to have a close look at the functioning of the franchises that they are interested in. To that extent, he should seize the opportunity of the promotion of trade fair ABF Franchising Expo, to be held from June 17th to 20th, in the city of São Paulo.
According to Paulo César, Brazilian franchises are little known among the Arabs. The businessman participated in the World Franchising Forum seminar, in Dubai, where he gave a lecture by invitation of the event’s organisers. According to Paulo César, Arab businessmen were surprised upon learning about the existence in Brazil, for instance, of an Arab fast food chain as large as Habib’s. “They tend to look more to Europe and United States,” he says. To them, Brazil is going to be an alternative to those two regions, according to Paulo César.
The businessman believes that Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are the countries with the most potential for the opening of Brazilian franchises among the Arabs. “Egypt, for example, is a large and fairly Westernized country,” says Paulo César. During his trip to Dubai, he spoke to some 30 businessmen from the region who were interested in Brazilian franchises. Paulo César travelled along with a professional from the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).
Out of the brands that attracted the most interest from the Arabs, only Life Pieces has franchises abroad, in Europe. Habib’s once had units in Mexico, but now it only has them in Brazil. From now on, in its new phase of international expansion, the chain is going to work in partnership with local businessmen in the countries to which it will go, under the master franchise system. Kick Bola Urbana has only one unit, in São Paulo.
Global Franchise Consulting also works with other Brazilian brands, such as Microcamp, for computing courses. According to Paulo César, in Dubai he ended up giving an overview of the Brazilian franchising market. Global Franchise Consulting operates both by taking Brazilian franchises abroad and bringing international brands to Brazil. The company is 22 years old and usually, in addition to detecting business opportunities, it oversees the implementation of the projects.
Contact
Global Franchise Consulting
Telephone: (+55 11) 3749-3304
Website: www.globalfranchise.com.br
E-mail: paulo@globalfranchise.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
