Dine Brands is staking a claim in the United Arab Emirates with plans to open both Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants there starting later this year.
The first location will open in Dubai under a franchisee agreement with U.S. IHOP operator Mohamed Makawi. Dine did not say how many restaurants it planned to open.
The expansion follows the establishment of ghost kitchens in the country and is part of a renewed international development effort under CEO John Peyton.
“We have seen success in this market through our ghost kitchen operations and are excited to be re-establishing brick-and-mortar locations,” said Dine President of International Tony Moralejo in a statement.
The fast-developing UAE has among the highest GDPs per capita in the world and includes the tourist hub of Dubai.
Dine has started a push to open new restaurants again both here and abroad after closing hundreds of underperforming units over the past several years. The effort included the hiring of new development VPs, including Enrique Kaufer, who is focused specifically on international unit growth.
Dine has more than 3,500 restaurants in 17 countries. As of 2020, 213 of those units were outside of the U.S., according to Technomic Ignite data.
Since 2015, its international footprint has shrunk by more than 11%, according to Ignite—a trend it appears to be looking to reverse.
“We have a renewed focus on our very profitable international business and the potential to significantly grow our footprint,” Peyton said on the company’s quarterly earnings call in November.
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