20 Unit Development Plan Further Expands Chain’s International Presence
THE COLONY, Texas, Nov. 15 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Pizza Inn, Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZI) today announced the signing of a multi-unit development agreement to open 20 new Pizza Inn restaurants in the country of Kuwait. Pizza Inn, famous for its made from scratch crusts, has awarded a master license agreement to the Raja Company W.I.I., based in Kuwait City, Kuwait, in a continuation of the brand’s expansion throughout the Middle East and into Asia.
The Raja Group of Companies (formerly known as Raja Trading Est.) is led by chairman Waleed Adulla Ayoub, Managing Director Rohit Mirchandani and Director Mohit Mirchandani. Established in 1962, the Raja Company specializes in the region’s petroleum, construction and energy industries in addition to marketing, logistics and food and beverage services.
"We are excited and proud to partner with the Raja Company in Kuwait," stated Ward Olgreen, Sr. Vice-President of Worldwide Franchising for Pizza Inn. "The passion and business experience that Waleed and Rohit bring to the partnership, combined with our brand experience in the region, will make us a very formidable team."
"This is an exciting time for our company and for Pizza Inn. Our goal is to take the brand to new heights throughout Kuwait," stated Rohit Mirchandani. "We’re convinced customers will love Pizza Inn in every city where we open."
The new partnership with the Raja Company will also utilize the support services of United Food Company, Pizza Inn’s master licensee for Saudi Arabia and Qatar. United Food Company will serve as the training hub for Pizza Inn restaurants in the region.
"As a company that has been franchising internationally for over 30 years, Pizza Inn has significant experience in supporting new master licensees with development and operational support in addition to supply chain management. With our Norco Restaurant Services Division at our side we have the flexibility to fully support any new franchise, regardless of location," stated Olgreen.
The news follows the chain’s recent announcements of same store sales growth in its domestic buffet category and positive earnings for fiscal year 2007 and first quarter for fiscal year 2008.
Pizza Inn is actively seeking new franchisees for both international and domestic development. To learn more about these opportunities, go to http://www.pizzainn.com for details and contact information.
Certain statements in this press release, other than historical information, may be considered forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or expected. Among the key factors that may have a direct bearing on Pizza Inn’s operating results, performance or financial condition are its ability to implement its growth strategies; success of its franchise operations; national, regional and local economic conditions affecting the restaurant industry; competition within the restaurant industry; restaurant sales cannibalization; negative publicity; fluctuations in quarterly results of operations, including seasonality; government regulations; weather; and commodity, insurance and labor costs.
Pizza Inn, Inc. ( http://www.pizzainn.com ) is headquartered in The Colony, Texas, along with its distribution division, Norco Restaurant Services Company. Pizza Inn franchises approximately 346 restaurants and owns one restaurant with annual domestic and international chain-wide sales of approximately $145 million.
