Jake’s Wayback Burgers has joined forces with Topaz MENA LLC, in working to add franchisees within 28 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Topaz MENA is based in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Jakes was founded in Newark in the early 1990s. Its original location remains in operation on Ogletown Road, just outside the city. The company expanded in Delaware and elsewhere, and is now based in Connecticut.
Topaz MENA’s top managers are Omar Babaker, chairman, Abdulrahman Alieedan, vice chairman, and Yasser Ibrahim, CEO.
The trio has over six decades of combined experience brands such as Cinnabon and Seattle’s Best Coffee, Pizza Hut and Burger King in the region, which remains one of the world’s fastest growing markets.
Jake’s Wayback Burgers was first introduced in June 2012 to Alieedan by Yendy Khayat, managing director of The Franchizery, a franchise consulting firm based in the United Arab Emirates. The Franchizery assists Topaz MENA in finding the right partners in the Middle East and North Africa.
“We have spent a great deal of time listing, short listing and evaluating dozens of brands through shows, consultants and directly, but Jake’s Wayback Burgers proved to be most attractive,” said Alieedan. “We believe in the brand’s deeply rooted history and because of its flexibility, cost efficiency, quality and menu range, we are confident it will quickly become a franchise leader in the MENA region.”
After becoming acquainted with Jake’s Wayback Burgers, Topaz MENA recruited franchise expert, Ibrahim, who developed 270 Burger King restaurants in the region. As CEO, Ibrahim is responsible for all aspects of franchisor and sub-franchise operations.
Jake’s Wayback Burgers operates in 22 states and operates in more than 70 locations with a plan to triple its number of locations sold by the end of 2013. The fast-casual burger franchise has seen four consecutive years of system-wide sales increases.
For more information about franchising and Jake’s Wayback Burgers visit http://waybackburgers.com/franchising.
