Los Angeles-based FAT Brands Inc., the parent company of Fatburger, Buffalo’s Express, Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery and 13 other restaurant concepts, is opening 22 locations in Iraq thanks to a an agreement with Global Vita USA LLC.
The deal will bring 12 co-branded Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express locations outside of the Kurdistan region over the next five years with the first units set to open in 2024. It also includes 10 co-branded Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery units opening throughout the country over the next five years.
“With four units already operating in the Kurdistan region, Fatburger has established a strong following in the country,” Taylor Wiederhorn, chief development officer of FAT Brands, said in a company press release. “Now, as we look to further expand the brand with Global Vita USA, we can reach even more fans that crave our all-American, custom-built burgers. This is new territory for Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, and Buffalo’s Express, however, the brands have had a presence in the Middle East for some time, so this is a natural progression for the concepts to strengthen their foothold in the region.”
