Sbarro, the world's leading quick-service Italian restaurant concept, announced in a statement its aggressive expansion into the Japanese market, which will include the opening of 1,250 units.
Sbarro has partnered with JCI Inc. in a joint venture/franchise agreement that will see the expansion plan executed over a 20-year period. As part of the agreement, Sbarro and JCI Inc. announced the opening of the first restaurant at the AEON Mall in Hinode-Machi, Tokyo. The AEON Mall location, which opened on Dec. 29, is the first of three Sbarro restaurant openings planned for Tokyo, with two units slated to launch during the first quarter of 2010.
"In Tokyo, we've seen an immediate and powerful response from consumers who have already very warmly embraced the Sbarro brand," said Peter Beaudrault, president and CEO of Sbarro. "Working in tandem with the great team at JCI Inc., we are poised to aggressively expand the Sbarro footprint throughout all of Japan."
