Global Franchise 9.2 - Issue 56

67 GLOABL-FRANCHISE.COM Opportuni t ies 4 ENGLAND, U.K. Hampshire has become the first county cricket club to welcome foreign ownership, with the owners of Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals paying £120 million for majority control of the 161-year-old institution. Rod Bransgrove, the club’s chairman, confirmed the sale of a 53% stake after months of talks with the GMR Group. 5 BERLIN, GERMANY Arkansas-based Slim Chickens has reached an exciting milestone with the opening of its first location in Germany, marking a significant step in the brand’s international expansion. This launch is part of a 20-unit development deal with The Foodelity Group, a sub-franchisee of Boparan Restaurant Group. “We are thrilled to introduce Slims’ quality cooked-to-order chicken tenders to Germany,” said Jackie Lobdell,Vice President of Franchise Development. 7 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA Korean coffee franchises are expanding globally as the domestic market becomes saturated, according to industry experts. Hollys F&B, which has operated since 1988, opened its first overseas store in Japan at Osaka’s Namba Marui mall, featuring Korean- themed beverages like the popular Yakgwa Cream Latte. Ediya Coffee is also expanding, with two U.S. locations in Guam and plans for a third this year. In Malaysia, Ediya signed a master franchise deal, aiming to open 200 stores over five years and tap into the global halal market. Low-cost chains like Paik’s Coffee and Mega MGC Coffee have also opened stores in the Philippines, Singapore, and Mongolia. 6 DUBAI/UK The sale of a 30% stake in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Starbucks franchise operated by Kuwait’s AlShaya Group has been paused due to regional geopolitical unrest and boycotts, according to sources. The instability is making it difficult for bidders to value the business. Despite interest from Apollo Global Management and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), AlShaya is reportedly not in a rush to sell and may revisit the sale process, known as “Project Emerald,” next year if conditions improve. Both AlShaya and Starbucks declined to comment on the situation. 8MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Zambrero, the Mexican chain founded by billionaire Rich Lister Dr. Sam Prince, has secured franchisee commitments for 100 new locations ahead of its 300th store opening in Melbourne this September. The rapid growth follows a $250 million capital raise in late 2022 fromMetric Capital and Scott Farquhar’s Skip Capital. CEOMatt Kenny highlighted the milestone as a celebration of the chain’s expansion, stating: “We’re opening a new restaurant every week, bringing Feel Good Mex to more people.” To mark the occasion, Zambrero gave away 300 burritos at each of its 300 locations worldwide. Korean coffee franchises are expanding globally as the domestic market becomes saturated. Watch out for brands like Hollys F&B, Ediya Coffee and Paik’s Coffee coming to a mall near you 5 4 8 6 7