Dreams Donuts prepares for Moroccan franchise expansion with training in Belgium

Dreams Donuts is preparing to expand into Morocco from its base in Belgium. The chain, founded in Charleroi in 2020, has welcomed its Moroccan master franchisees to Belgium for training. Bladna reported the news on 7 November, citing a recent LinkedIn post by the brand. Its ambition is to open twenty shops in Morocco before the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Training in Belgium for Moroccan partners

The arrival of the Moroccan master franchisees marks a concrete step in preparations for the expansion. According to the post, they received both theoretical and practical training in Belgium. Founder Ilyass Aoussar took part personally. The training is intended to prepare them for the future openings in Morocco.

Dreams Donuts plans to work with local partners to develop the network in Morocco. This builds on the franchise approach it previously adopted for its European growth: independent entrepreneurs operate a shop under the brand name and receive support from the chain.

The target of twenty Moroccan shops remains an ambition, rather than an established network. The reported training is a preparatory step. For those interested in Belgium’s franchise sector, the key point is that a brand founded in the country also trains its overseas partners there. Belgium is therefore not just its original retail market, but also a base for sharing the expertise needed for further international expansion.

From a first shop in Charleroi to a European network

Dreams Donuts began with a trip to the United States. Aoussar returned in 2020 with the idea of launching a chain in Belgium centred on doughnuts that customers could customise themselves. He opened his first shop in Charleroi during the coronavirus pandemic, selling his car to raise the start-up capital he needed.

The first overseas opening followed in 2021, with a shop in Valenciennes, France. The network then continued to grow. According to the founder, Dreams Donuts opened ten new shops in June 2023 alone. That statement gives an indication of the pace of openings at the time, but does not in itself establish how many shops are operating today.

For the size of the network, Bladna cites Belgian news outlet L-Post, which reported almost 140 outlets in March 2026. These are spread across several European countries, including Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Luxembourg. This is therefore a European network total, not the number of Belgian locations. The company’s head office is in Quaregnon, near Mons.

Franchising as a route to expansion

Aoussar chose franchising to enable faster expansion. Under the model described, independent operators receive training and commercial tools from Dreams Donuts. The chain thus combines a shared brand with entrepreneurship at local shop level.

The advertised entry cost is €80,000. According to the reporting, this includes support for new franchisees, among other elements. Prospective franchisees should distinguish this figure from a fully itemised investment budget. Anyone considering opening a location should seek a precise breakdown of the costs and services covered by that entry cost.

According to Aoussar, the company finances its growth by reinvesting profits. This explanation concerns the company’s growth; it does not establish how each individual franchise shop is financed or how profitable it is. Likewise, the reported number of European outlets does not, on its own, provide information about individual operators’ performance.

A new destination, with preparations continuing

The planned move into Morocco adds a new destination to the Belgian brand’s expansion. While its first overseas shop was close to Belgium, in Valenciennes, Dreams Donuts is now working with Moroccan master franchisees on expansion beyond Europe.

The training in Belgium is the clearly reported recent step in that process. The target of twenty shops sets the direction for the project, while actual openings will determine how the network develops. Training, growth plans and operating locations remain distinct stages of the same process.

Practical advice: as a prospective franchisee, ask not only about a brand’s growth ambitions, but also about the specific training, support and costs for your location. At Dreams Donuts, the training in Belgium and the advertised entry cost are useful starting points for that discussion.