Australian bakery cafe chain, Pie Face, will open 100 stores in the  Middle East after signing a major agreement with the hospitality division of Landmark Group.

Foodmark, a division of Landmark Hospitality has committed to open a minimum of 100 Pie Face stores in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar over the next ten years. A number of commissaries will also be opened, to support specialist production of Pie Face products for the Middle East.

Pie Face, which is first launched in Sydney in 2003, retained Kuwait based global advisory firm Univest Consultancy Group, W.L.L, to advise on its entry into the Middle East and to help the brand find the most suitable partner for the region.

The chain entered its first foreign market, the United States, in early 2012 when it launched in Manhattan, New York. It now has  81 stores across Australia, the United States and New Zealand,  with plans for entry into additional international markets in the next 12 to 24 months. The company is also in discussions with potential partners in Indonesia, Japan, India, and Canada.

Last week, Pie Face opened its first drive through store, in Nerang Queensland.

Wayne Homschek, co-founder and CEO of Pie Face, said “We are excited that our work with Univest has led us to be in partnership with a group such as Landmark Group in this region”.

“The group has a 40 year track record in the Middle East, is the largest retail tenant in the region with over 22 million square feet of retail space, over 45,000 employees and has a dedicated and experienced food services team.”

Established in 2007, Foodmark operates a number of internationally franchised restaurants within the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.