Shakey’s Philippines opens first store in Dubai

Philippine restaurant operator Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. (PIZZA) has opened its first store in Dubai, a top destination for overseas Filipino workers.

“Dubai, UAE, and the rest of the Middle East are great markets for us,” Shakey’s president and CEO Vic Gregorio said in a regulatory filing submitted by head of Investor Relations Giovanna Vera.

“Aside from the strong and welcoming Filipino communities which really love the Shakey’s brand and are excited about experiencing it away from home, PIZZA is also a Western concept with a Western menu—thus, giving us tremendous growth opportunities within the mainstream markets there,” Gregorio noted.

The Dubai store is located opposite Burjuman Mall, nearby the Burjuman Metro Station—one of the busiest stations in Dubai, and features a fully halal-certified menu.

“However, the key features and flavors that make for a Shakey’s trademark experience are meticulously kept intact,” the company said.

“Marinade, breading, dough blends, and spice mix for the pizzas, chicken, and spaghetti are all flown in from the Philippines.”

The new store is the first for Dubai-based franchisee Aljeel Capital, which PIZZA said its committed to opening nine more in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over five years.

“We are excited to have more stores in the UAE, with our flagship Dubai restaurant finally open and with the overwhelming turnout we had during opening night,” Aljeel CEO Firas Hurieh said.

“We are proud to say that our store broke several Shakey's records on that day—the highest total net sales during opening day and the largest number of pre-sold loyalty program ‘Supercards’,” he added.

Shakey’s first opened in the Philippines in 1975, where it currently has a total of 212 stores. PIZZA owns the perpetual rights to the Shakey’s brand in Asia (excluding Japan and Malaysia), the Middle East, China, Australia, and Oceania.

PIZZA reported a 14-percent increase in net income to P762 million in 2017 from P669 million in 2016.

As of 11:04 a.m. on Tuesday, share prices of PIZZA were trading at P13.12 per share, down P0.12 or 0.91 percent from P13.24 at the close of trading Monday. —VDS, GMA News