Just Falafel Opens First Australian Outlet

UAE-based restaurant chain Just Falafel has announced that it will open its first outlet in Australia as part of an aggressive international expansion.

The 1,291 square-foot, 20-seater restaurant will be located in Parramatta, Sydney, the company said in a statement. It will feature a new local twist on the menu, with falafels topped with mango salsa, avocado, cucumber and lettuce.

The restaurant has partnered with Sherkawi Group International for franchising the brand but said that additional franchising opportunities will be available in other venues across the country along with sub-franchising deals in Sydney and Melbourne.

“Earlier this year Just Falafel announced an expansion into North America, and we are now thrilled to be expanding into the continent of Australia,” said Fadi Malas, CEO, Just Falafel.

“The openings in Australia are a tremendous milestone for the company, and a great start what will be a very successful 2014.”

The company has been on a strong international expansion drive since 2013 as it branched out to the UK, US and North American markets. It also has plans to enter Asian markets, Malas told Gulf Business recently.

Just Falafel, which has 25 operating outlets across the UAE, has opened seven locations to date in the UK including Hammersmith, Charing Cross, Baker Street, Croydon, Fulham Broadway and Romford.

It also plans to open around 160 new restaurants in North America over the next five years and has signed five area franchise agreements with different partners in New York City, New Jersey, Kentucky and San Francisco in the US and the Greater Toronto Area in Canada.

The company began with a single store in Abu Dhabi in 2007, and currently has 46 restaurants with signed agreements to develop more than 720 outlets in 18 countries. The brand offers all the ethnic varieties of the Middle Eastern snack falafel.