SpudBros Express begins UAE expansion through franchise partnership

Jacket potato brand SpudBros Express has begun rolling out its UAE expansion, according to a report published by Propel on 5 November 2026, following an exclusive development agreement signed with Forward Hospitality in August. The move marks the brand’s first venture outside the UK and brings a specialist, less conventional fast-food concept to the UAE franchise market. Its first location is planned for The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi.

Exclusive development agreement across the UAE

The Business Desk reported on 19 August that SpudBros Express had signed an exclusive area development agreement with Forward Hospitality, a UAE hospitality operator. The agreement grants rights to develop multiple units across the country, making the partnership broader than an arrangement to open a single restaurant or temporarily test the brand at one location.

MCA Insight described the arrangement as a multi-unit franchise agreement that could include restaurants and food trucks in the UAE. This wording distinguishes the rights granted to the partner from the openings that will actually take place: the option to use more than one operating format does not mean that all those formats are already trading.

For the franchise sector, the significance of the agreement lies in its pairing of a specialist British brand with a UAE operating partner within a defined territory. Exclusivity forms part of the announced development rights; it should not be interpreted as covering other rights or contractual arrangements not included in the announcement.

Abu Dhabi is the planned starting point

According to The Business Desk, The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi has been identified as the brand’s planned first UAE location. This gives the expansion a clear local destination, rather than simply announcing an intention to enter the country without specifying where it will begin.

There is, however, a difference between starting to implement an expansion plan and confirming that a location has opened to customers. The latest report concerns the start of the UAE expansion, while references to The Galleria remain tied to plans for the first site. The announcement should therefore not be treated as confirmation that the Abu Dhabi restaurant is already trading, or presented as a list of completed openings.

For those tracking new market entrants, the first location will be an important opportunity to understand how the concept is delivered in the UAE. Practical questions concern the product range, service model and ordering experience, rather than simply transferring the brand’s reputation from one market to another. These are aspects to assess once operations begin, not outcomes that can be assumed in advance.

International expansion coincides with a London flagship

The UAE move coincides with the opening of a new London flagship. Restaurant Online reported on 30 October that SpudBros Express had launched a 2,190 sq ft outlet at 4 Princes Street, near Regent Street.

The same report stated that the brand has six million followers across Instagram and TikTok. That figure provides context for its digital presence as it enters a new market, but it is not a measure of demand in the UAE. Nor does it show where those followers are based or how often online interest translates into visits and orders.

For prospective franchise investors, distinguishing digital reach from operating performance is essential. Follower numbers indicate audience reach, while assessing a restaurant requires scrutiny of sales, costs and service efficiency. Those measures cannot be inferred from the size of the London outlet or the brand’s social media audience alone.

Gulf ambitions extend beyond the UAE agreement

Propel’s headline on 5 November linked the start of the UAE expansion to wider growth ambitions in the Gulf and SpudBros Express’s aim of becoming a global fast-casual brand. The UAE therefore appears to be the first announced international step in a strategy that extends beyond the UK market.

Even so, regional ambitions must be distinguished from the announced contractual scope. The Forward Hospitality agreement grants multi-unit development rights across the UAE. References to the Gulf describe a growth ambition, rather than announcing additional franchise agreements or confirmed openings in other countries.

The story also highlights the different routes available to an incoming brand: permanent restaurants and potentially food trucks, all under one multi-unit agreement. Each format has different operating requirements, so execution details matter more than combining possible formats into a speculative expansion total.

Practical takeaway: SpudBros Express’s entry is clear news of a new UAE franchise partnership, not ready-made proof of commercial success. For those interested in working with incoming brands, a sound assessment starts by distinguishing development rights, planned locations and actual openings, then evaluating local performance as evidence becomes available.