BurgerFuel opens first Kuwait store

BurgerFuel has ended its collaboration agreement with Subway and Franchise Brands.

BurgerFuel, the NZAX-listed fast food chain has opened the doors to its first restaurant in Kuwait.

The move signals the New Zealand gourmet burger chain's continued push into the middle eastern market.

This first Kuwait based BurgerFuel outlet was opened with BurgerFuel partners Al Khayyat Investments (AKI) who also operate the 11 Dubai and Abu Dhabi BurgerFuel restaurants.

"We have received countless requests to open in Kuwait and we are proud to finally be able to bring our first BurgerFuel store to the country," said AKI food and beverage general manager Farah George Farah.

Founding Director of BurgerFuel, Chris Mason said it was great to be entering another MENA (Middle East North Africa) region.

"Fast casual dining is a booming industry in Kuwait and we're excited to be able to introduce residents to our freshly built gourmet burgers," he said.

Kuwait is one of the wealthiest countries in the world based on its large oil reserves and a high level of economic stability also remains resilient to external economic conditions, Mason said.

In a cultural environment where eating out provides the main source of entertainment, BurgerFuel will be a welcome addition to the area, BurgerFuel chief executive Josef Roberts said.

"Despite the localised turmoil that exists in parts of the Middle East, it remains a strong and vibrant market that we can continue to develop over time... I'm very confident that our early entry into this part of the world will continue to grow and deliver strong results to the group."