Shakey’s Pizza Asia first Dubai store opened

Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures has followed archrival Yellow Cab into Dubai.

The Philippine pizza brand says it has opened a store targeting the ranks of Filipinos working in the Middle East.

Shakey’s Pizza Asia’s Dubai franchisee Aljeel Capital plans to open 10 stores over the next five years.

“Dubai, UAE, and the rest of the Middle East are great markets for us,” Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures president and CEO Vic Gregorio said in a stock exchange filing.

Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures has the rights to the US brand in Asia (excluding Malaysia and Japan), Australia, the Middle East, China and Oceania. Besides moving into offshore markets, the company plans to open a further 20 stores in the Philippines by 2020.

Founded in 1954, Shakeys was the first US pizza chain to adopt a franchise model. But its growth since has been slow compared to its rivals, and store numbers in North America have shrunk to the double-digits. The Philippines is the brand’s biggest market with more than 160 stores already.