US burger restaurant brand Wahlburgers is set to expand to Asia in 2017 through a joint venture with Cachet Hospitality Group (CHG), a Hong Kong-based international hospitality branding and management company.
The first three restaurants are slated to open in Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Shanghai in China.
Founded by chef Paul Wahlberg and celebrity brothers Mark and Donnie in Hingham, Massachusetts, Wahlburgers offers fresh burgers, housemade condiments, crispy haddock, seared chicken and vegetarian options. Other signature items include Mom’s Sloppy Joe, thin crispy onion rings, tater tots and thick creamy frappes and floats.
Under the joint venture agreement with CHG, the restaurant will open 100 restaurants in China and the surrounding region over the next five years.
CHG has signed major agreements with developers who have committed to including Wahlburgers restaurants in their projects. World Packaging Center, an existing CHG developer, agreed to sign the first restaurant in Hangzhou while Shanghai-based naked Hub has agreed to open 20 Wahlburgers in their office building complexes throughout Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Thailand’s Big Ho Corporation will also open 20 Wahlburgers in its franchise location of Big C Supercenter stores throughout northern Thailand.
“This is an excellent time to enter the Asia market, especially China, where dramatic growth in US-style destination malls with increasing space committed to restaurants as mall owners see both traffic and income rise dramatically,” said CHG CEO Alexander Mirza in a media statement.
A third partner, the Arjomand Group, a holding company with businesses based in the Middle East and Africa regions, includes diverse industries such as real estate and manufacturing, is an investor in CHG and will add financial expertise and strength to the expansion plans.
“We’re excited about this wonderful opportunity to grow in Asia,” said Wahlburgers CEO Rick Vanzura. “Having a savvy, financially strong partner is essential and we have a great partner in the Cachet Hospitality Group, which will bring an unprecedented level of service and strength to the Wahlburgers brand.