Wendy's Heads to Singapore

Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. (Atlanta) has entered into a development agreement with Kopitiam Investment Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) to build and operate Wendy's restaurants in Singapore beginning in late 2009. Plans call for building more than 35 Wendy's restaurants throughout the country over the next 10 years.

“We are pleased to enter a franchise relationship with the Kopitiam Group, a company that is well-known in Singapore,” says Jim Hartenstein, senior vp, international, Wendy's/Arby's Group. “Kopitiam Group has tremendous experience developing and operating successful food-service brands.”

The Kopitiam Group is the largest food service management operator in Singapore and operates under the Kopitiam, The Dessert Shop, Banquet, Kopi and Bao Luo Wan Xiang brands. The company also manages Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, a tourist destination that is a Singapore National Monument. “The addition of Wendy's quality brand will complement the wide range of food businesses that we currently have in Singapore,” says Kopitiam Group chairman Lim Bee Huat.

Wendy's/Arby's Group established a regional office in Hong Kong in 2007 to serve franchisees, suppliers and staff throughout the Asia/Pacific region. The company currently operates its international franchise business in 23 markets outside the U.S. and Canada. Six of these are in the Asia/Pacific region, including its newest market, Malaysia, which opened in 2008. The Wendy's brand operates 150 franchised restaurants in Asia.