Baskin Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty stores, today celebrated a landmark occasion with the opening of its 500th store in Saudi Arabia.

The event, which took place at its 500th location in Dammam, was attended by a large number of senior representatives from parent companies and master franchisee, including Bill Mitchell, president of Dunkin’ Brands International; Mohammed Yahya Kazi, Executive Committee - Board of Directors of Galadari Brothers -Galadari Ice Cream Company (GICC); John Varughese, vice president of Dunkin’ Brands International; Shabeer Shah, general manager of Galadari Ice Cream Company and Osama Saleh M. Yadkar – deputy general manager- Administration- Jumeirah Trading Company Ltd (JTCL).

Speaking at the occasion, Mitchell highlighted Dunkin’ Brands’ commitment to Saudi Arabia and the region as a whole. “Our history in Saudi Arabia goes back more than 35 years when we opened the first Baskin-Robbins store in Riyadh back in 1982. Since that time, the Baskin-Robbins brand has grown into a local favorite that today proudly stands as Saudi Arabia's largest quick-service restaurant brand.”

Mitchell further added: “The Baskin-Robbins brand spans generations of Saudis. People who used to come to our stores as kids now bring their own children to enjoy our wide range of delicious flavors. We remain committed to our strategy of product and service innovation and commitment to the local community for the generations to come.”

Kazi said: “The ice cream industry in Saudoi Arabia has gone from strength to strength, achieving an annual growth rate of 6 per cent. We are growing along with the industry at a comparable rate.”

Saudis represent more than 80 per cent of Baskin-Robbins’ customers, Yadkar noted. He went on to add that the company has focused on increasing its customer reach by opening outlets in new geographic regions and introduced the concept of neighborhood stores across Saudi Arabia, offering convenient services such as home delivery, and entering into tie-ups with reputed local aggregators.

As part of its commitment to local economic development, JTCL also adopted an ambitious Saudization policy to recruit and develop local talent, from frontline staff to senior executive management. To date, the company has hired over 37 per cent Saudi staff. It has also been an active partner of the Disabled Children Association since 2012.  

GICC currently operates more than 800 stores across GCC. It is also a joint venture partner with Dunkin’ Brands for the Baskin-Robbins business in Australia where there are currently more than 80 locations.

Baskin-Robbins currently has more than 7,900 restaurants in 52 countries around the world. - TradeArabia News Service