You are here: Home / Blogs / Fast Food

Coffee Bean roasts Israeli Master Franchisee

August 7, 2010 By Pooja Kulkarni Leave a Comment

Says all master franchisee branches must close

by 8th August 2010

International Food Franchise Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf chain has given its Israeli master franchisee, City Food until Sunday, 8th August 2010 to close down all 11 branches in Israel, because of alleged violations of their franchising agreement. Also, for months, master Franchisee City Pass hasn’t been making its franchise payments and now owes hundreds of thousands of dollars, a Coffee Bean representative said.
If the shops are not closed by 8th August 2010, steps will be taken, the local legal representative of the chain said. For months the master franchisee City Food hasn’t reported on revenues at the branches, in violation of their agreement, Coffee Bean charges. It hasn’t reported on opening new branches or closing existing ones, leaving the home office in the dark as to the state of affairs at Coffee Bean in Israel, it says, let alone knowing if it’s even profitable.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is present in several parts of Middle East, India and Singapore as well. The international coffee franchise is concerned about damage to its good name, explains Eyal Flom, one of the local legal representatives of the chain. The local outfit has been notified that from August 8, the franchise agreement is terminated and therefore, they have to close down all stores from that day.

Coffee Bean is unhappy about City Food’s moves to unite local Coffee Bean outlets with other brands, which contravenes their policies. In some places City Food opened sushi bars inside Coffee Bean outlets, and at the main outlet in Netanya (in the Northern Centre District of Israel), the Coffee Bean was merged with a Sbarro outlet, it says.

Among the many alleged violations, City Food opened branches without obtaining prior permission and tried to sell half its master franchise to the Abulafia family, also without the global company’s blessing, claims the latter.

The master franchisee, City Food did not respond for this report.

About Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf:
Since 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is one of the oldest and largest privately held coffee & tea retailer in the United States. Over the past five years, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has grown from 217 stores to over 750 at the end of 2008, serving more than 100 million beverages each year, including over 20,000 Ice Blended® drinks each day.

Filed Under: Fast Food, Fast Food, Master Franchise, Retail Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Extreme Pita and Purblendz Look to Put a ‘Wrap’ on the Middle East

July 29, 2010 By Pooja Kulkarni Leave a Comment

July 21, 2010: Mississauga, Ontario CANADA:  A revitalized take on the 2,000-year-old staple bread – the pita – will soon wrap up the Middle East, as Extreme Pita and Purblendz announce the signing of its first international agreement in Muscat, Oman (Sultanate of Oman).

With the first locations set to open in the new Muscat Grand Mall later this year, the Canadian chains are looking to serve up a fresh, healthy alternative to Omani eaters with 21 locations in the next 10 years.

“The power of the pita has always resonated with the cuisine of the Middle East, and we expect our Canadian twist to make Extreme Pita and Purblendz a household name throughout the region,” said Alex Rechichi, CEO and Co-Founder of Extreme Pita and Purblendz. “Our commitment to providing customers a unique product full of fresh, healthy options will help drive the international success of our brand.”

In an effort to further the brands’ expansion plans, Extreme Pita and Purblendz have entered into a Master Franchise Agreement with The Double Crown Group. Widely known in the region for specializing in various operational arenas and representing some of the top brand names around the globe, the group will oversee the development of all 21 units in the Sultanate of Oman, including 11 Extreme Pitas and 10 Purblendz.

“We are proud to be partnering with Extreme Pita and Purblendz as they expand internationally,” said Aadham Bin Tariq Bin Taimur Al-Said, Chairman of The Double Crown Group. “We think both brands have tremendous potential and look forward to growing them throughout the region.”

Located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula bordering the United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman will serve as the springboard for Extreme Pita and Purblendz’ international expansion.

“Our expansion into Oman is the catalyst that will ignite our international expansion plans,” said Mark Cunningham, Executive Vice President of International Operations and Business Development for Extreme Pita and Purblendz. “The success we expect to experience will help us to increase our brand not only in the Middle East, but across Eastern and Western Europe, China, South East Asia and India, as well.”

Positioned in a niche between monster fast food outlets and fast casual dining environments, Extreme Pita continues to offer increasingly busy consumers convenience and value with its large selection of fresh and nutritious pita sandwiches assembled from the freshest ingredients.

Unlike traditional fast food restaurants and sub shops, Extreme Pita does not offer foot-long loaves of bread with just the typical options for filling. Instead, they serve a fresh, modern version of the healthy Mediterranean staple – the pita – and feature a “no rules” menu that customizes every rolled pita to suit the individual tastes of its health conscious customers. Offering an unmatched dining experience without added fats and empty calories, items are freshly grilled right in front of the customer’s eyes with water, not oil. Inspiring healthier living for its customers.

Purblendz adds to the healthy dinning by mixing up a variety of healthy, on-the-go smoothies, including Fruit, Green and Elixir Smoothie categories.

About Extreme Pita

Extreme Pita was co-founded by Alex and Mark Rechichi in 1997. Their desire was to provide a product that would compete against traditional fast food concepts. Right from the start their idea was simple – sell fresh and healthy food. After a great deal of research and experimenting, Extreme Pita became the answer to this quest. Today the company boasts more than 245 locations in North America and is experiencing a double digit growth rate. Other Food and Beverage Opportunities

About Purblendz

Offering “All Natural – Pure Smoothies”, Purblendz opened six locations throughout Canada and the United States in 2009 as a clip-on to Extreme Pita locations. The company will be opening stand-alone locations as Kiosk’s and in-line stores in 2010. The Purblendz menu includes smoothes categories under Fruit smoothies, Green Smoothies and Elixirs Smoothies. Other Food and Beverage Opportunities


Filed Under: Fast Food Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Gulf Franchises for sale UAE

April 30, 2010 By Pooja Kulkarni Leave a Comment

Supplyco (Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation) has planned to set up its franchisee stalls across different Middle East countries. The fully government owned company; Supplyco is engaged in assuring food security to the 30 million people of Kerala. The company offers life’s essentials at reasonable prices and caters to the needs of both the rural poor and the urban rich. Supplyco was Supplyco (Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation) has planned to set up its franchisee stalls across different Middle East countries. The fully government owned company; Supplyco is engaged in assuring food security to the 30 million people of Kerala. The company offers lifes essentials at reasonable prices and caters to the needs of both the rural poor and the urban rich. Supplyco was established in 1974 with an objective to offer essential commodities at a reasonable and fair price. The company has acquired tremendous growth rate in the past few decades and consolidated its position as the leading organization in the country. With about 1000 retail in five different regions, the organization offers a vast range of food and other consumer items. The plan of setting up Supplyco outlets in Middle East countries will largely benefit the Keralites residing in the Gulf Region. According to reports, various countries of Middle East accommodate about two million Keralites. The new proposed stores in Middle East will have all the items which are essential for the Keralites staying abroad. With 3,500 employees, the Supplyco is headquartered in Kochi, Kerala.

Tags:  Gulf Franchise, UAE, franchisee stalls, Supplyco, keralite, food security, retail, retail Franchise

Filed Under: Fast Food
« Older Posts