A wave of master franchise agreements from September through early October shows European and Middle Eastern markets absorbing American dining, fitness, and entertainment concepts at an accelerating pace
TGI Fridays crossed new geographic ground on September 4, signing a development agreement with Devolli Group, one of the Balkans’ most prominent diversified business conglomerates, that will plant the Dallas-based casual dining chain for the first time in Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia. It is the most significant first-market entry among six cross-border franchise moves confirmed over the previous month — and, for a brand that has operated internationally for more than six decades, another data point in a deliberate global rebuild.
Under the terms of the Devolli agreement, the group committed to developing 10 TGI Fridays locations across the three Balkan markets and holds exclusive rights to sub-franchise across the territory. Phil Broad, TGI Fridays’ global president, called Devolli Group “the right partner to introduce TGI Fridays to the Balkans,” citing the group’s local expertise and operational track record. The deal folds into TGI Fridays’ stated ambition to reach more than 1,000 restaurants worldwide by 2030. Over the nine months prior to signing, the brand added more than 150 units to its global development pipeline through new agreements spanning Kenya, the Maldives, Peru, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Greece, and Spain — a breadth that illustrates how aggressively the chain is rebuilding its international estate.
Further across the Adriatic, a younger and structurally different brand also moved on multiple markets simultaneously. Friendly Fire, a gaming café and esports franchise, opened three locations on September 15 in a single-day expansion: its first in Croatia’s northern port city of Rijeka, a third location in Vienna, and its debut in Limassol, Cyprus. CEO David Kosir, who co-founded the Zagreb-based brand, described the moment as “just the beginning.” Friendly Fire now operates 22 company- and franchise-owned locations across six countries including Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Netherlands, with 31 franchise agreements signed and a pipeline the company estimates at roughly 200 additional locations across 11 countries. One week before the three-country opening, Friendly Fire closed a €4 million ($4.7 million) Series A funding round with Zagreb-based venture capital firm AYMO Ventures. The combination of fresh geography and new capital in the same quarter positions the brand as one of the more aggressive European-origin gaming café concepts scaling right now.
On the other side of the Mediterranean, a different category is finding traction. STRONG Pilates, an Australian fitness concept that pairs Pilates-inspired movements with rowing and cycling on proprietary machines, announced on September 17 that it has signed a master franchise agreement with Healthpreneurs, a Saudi operator led by Turki Alnowaiser, also managing partner at the investment firm Nakhla Ventures. Healthpreneurs committed to 21 studios over a 10-year term, starting with five corporate-owned locations — including three scheduled to open in Jeddah and Riyadh before year-end — before rolling out to sub-franchisees across the Kingdom. Michael Ramsey, STRONG’s CEO, put the commitment plainly: 21 studios is “our floor, not our ceiling.” Alnowaiser pointed to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 health and sports initiative and the country’s hosting rights for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and the 2034 FIFA World Cup as structural tailwinds behind what he called a double-digit growth market for fitness. The deal extends STRONG’s Middle East presence beyond existing studios in Dubai and Bahrain and adds to a global network of 130 operating studios across 14 countries.
The United Kingdom drew a different kind of American concept earlier this summer. Houston TX Hot Chicken, a Las Vegas-based fast-casual chain founded in 2021, announced in June a master franchise agreement with PizzaExpress — one of Britain’s most established casual dining operators, with nearly 500 locations across the UK and Ireland and more than 100 international sites in 14 territories. Three HHC locations are scheduled to open in the UK before year-end, with the partnership targeting 50 locations nationally over the following three years. HHC president Brian Simowitz said PizzaExpress brings what his team lacks in the UK: deep familiarity with the British consumer. His brand supplies the product expertise, built on a menu that reaches a waiver-required 2 million Scoville units at the top end. Backed by Utah-based private equity firm Savory Fund — which manages more than $750 million in assets across 12 restaurant brands — HHC has scaled to locations across nine U.S. states, sold more than 100 domestic franchises, and ranked No. 217 on the 2025 Inc. 5000. Those numbers help explain why an operator of PizzaExpress’s scale chose the brand as its first American fast-casual partner.
On the North American side of the ledger, the story this quarter is less about new markets and more about filling in existing ones. LINE-X, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based protective coatings and vehicle upfitting franchisor, disclosed on October 1 that it had opened 11 locations so far in 2026 and awarded 17 franchise territories across the United States and Canada — six of those expansion agreements signed by existing LINE-X owners who chose to grow their footprints rather than exit. President Matt Labuda credited a Franchise Support Center that brings franchisees from signed contract to open doors in an average of 8.4 months. Vice president of development Hannah Erlenbusch noted that when so many deals in a given year come from people who already own a location, that confidence represents the most credible validation the brand could receive.
Firehouse Subs crossed its own milestone in early September, opening its 200th Canadian restaurant in Calgary, Alberta — the same province that hosted the chain’s 100th Canadian location, meaning the brand doubled its national footprint since 2024. Franchisees Cody Gosling and Mitch Turgeon, multi-generational quick-service restaurant operators who started their first Firehouse Subs in Okotoks, Alberta, brought the brand the Calgary location as their sixth. President Mike Hancock said “nobody makes a hot sub better than we do,” but flagged that what matters most is what each new Canadian restaurant contributes to the brand’s Public Safety Foundation, which has distributed more than $115 million in first-responder equipment across North America and more than $6.3 million in Canada.
The shape of these six deals traces a pattern worth watching. Southeast Europe is absorbing casual dining and entertainment concepts into markets that have historically seen thin brand penetration. The Middle East, with state-backed health mandates and a pipeline of major international sporting events, is pulling specialized fitness brands in at committed multi-year timelines. The UK continues to receive American fast-casual challengers through established local operators who reduce market-entry risk for brands without existing international infrastructure. And the North American franchise market is generating expansion from within, as existing operators choose to grow rather than sell. Unit commitments disclosed in franchise agreements are company-reported figures based on signed contracts; actual opening timelines and final counts are subject to construction schedules, regulatory approvals, and local market conditions. Those evaluating franchise ownership in any of these networks should review each brand’s franchise disclosure documents and consult a qualified franchise attorney before committing capital. TGI Fridays, STRONG Pilates, and LINE-X have all indicated ongoing territory availability in their respective regions as each brand works toward its next development targets.
Source: Franchise Herald
