Jake’s Wayback Burgers said it’s signed a master franchise deal to bring its fast-casual restaurants to Argentina.
The deal means the Cheshire restaurant group is set to open franchises in 29 countries. Jake’s announced earlier this year that it would be expanding into 28 countries in the Middle East and North Africa through a deal with an international franchise development firm.
Bill Chemero, executive vice president and part owner of Jake’s, said today that Argentina is one of the largest beef-producing nations in the world, which makes product sourcing a bit easier.
Jake’s is in talks with business officials in Australia, Chemero said, following a September trip to the down under continent organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s export assistance center in Middletown.
“We were in meeting after meeting for 8 days,” Chemero said.
Like Argentina, Australia doesn’t have much in the way of a fast-casual market, he said, which makes it an attractive target for expansion.
Chemero said Jake’s first international restaurants — in Argentina and Dubai — will open for business before April.
