Tiger Bills, the Lifestyle Hospitality Group Thai-grill restaurant, has signed a franchise agreement for Australia and New Zealand that will see eight restaurants opening in the next five years across the region.
Operations director of The Lifestyle Group Ioan Eyton-Jones told M&C Report the timescale for opening the first restaurant is currently being confirmed with the franchisor but anticipates having the first one or two open within the next six to twelve months.
The group is also in discussions with investors for a franchise agreement in North Africa, the Mediterranean and the States.
The six-figure Antipodean deal is the latest international franchise agreement from the Devon-based company which announced an eight-country international dual-franchise deal with a pair of hotel operators for territories within the Indian Ocean region and the Middle East. It is currently working with the franchisor to ensure it opens the right restaurants at the right time.
International vice president for Tiger Bills Patrick Mauser. “We are currently in talks with potential Master Franchisees in China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Myanmar and the Philippines. Further afield, we are also looking at Africa and have commenced European marketing activities.”
Eyton-Jones told M&C the interest in the business has been “phenomenal in the past few months” with enquiries about international franchising coming from investors around the world. “Hopefully there will be plenty more to come in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile in the UK, the second London Tiger Bills is due to open on 19 December in Hammersmith and Eyton-Jones expects to open another two to five restaurants within the M25 in the next 12-18 months and up to eight in the next 24 months. The group is in continued negotiations for a franchise agreement in Wales
