An Australian fast-food outlet is going where few franchises have dared venture - the Middle East.

Launched in 2001 on the Gold Coast, The Crêpe Café will open Middle East’s first store in Bahrain Seef Mall in June/July this year. The Master Franchise Rights for the Middle-East and the Arab World have been sold to a Bahraini Group with strong interests in the area.
Chief Executive Officer Norbert Baillette said the company’s Middle Eastern expansion was a road less travelled for Australian fast food franchises.
“We’ve designed our product and franchise system so that it can be readily adapted and exported to anywhere in the world,” Mr Baillette said.
“Bahrain’s reputation as a modern Arabic Gulf state provides us with a fantastic opportunity to introduce The Crêpe Café to the Middle East.
“It’s a growing financial Hub and travel destination with holidaymakers from the Arab world and Europe and I’m confident the store will be well received by both locals and travellers alike.”
The Crêpe Café Group has carved a unique market niche in Australia by focusing on fresh, healthy ingredients for made-to-order traditional savoury and sweet crepes, waffles and pancakes that can be served at breakfast lunch or dinner.
Cooked on a round griddle from batter of flour, eggs and milk, with no oils or butter, the crepes are cooked quickly, in front of the customer, creating a theatrical effect.
Over the next five years the Directors of the master Franchisee, Eastern Retail Services W.L.L., are expecting to open 30 to 50 outlets in Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia with further expansion in Pakistan.
“We expect our largest market with the most potential for expansion will be Saudi Arabia,” they said.
“Shopping is a popular past-time for many Saudis and the Group plans to take have a significant presence in shopping centres.”
In January The Crêpe Café was named the number two star performer in BRW’s 50 fastest growing franchises list.
The healthy fast-food alternative has broken new ground in Australian franchising recording 189.80 percent growth in the past three years. It currently has 32 stores across Australia and New Zealand in food-courts, kiosks, street cafes and mobile units. Mr Baillette said customer response to the crepe in Australia proved there were no international boundaries for delicious, healthy and visually pleasing food. “Our crepes are inspired by flavours from right across the world so we are not confined to one market.”
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