Under the agreement, FAT Brands, a leading global franchising company based in the United States, has partnered with Kitopi, the franchisee, to open 136 brick-and-mortar restaurants across the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait.

The Reed Smith team that advised on the review and negotiation of the franchise and development arrangements was led by corporate partner Adela Mues. Commenting on the expansion, Mues said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to work with Kitopi again as Reed Smith have partnered with them since the beginning and we have seen their rapid growth over the past three years. I cannot wait to see where they go from here.”

Sachin Kerur, head of the Middle East region for Reed Smith, said: “Companies like Kitopi are paving the way for start-up companies in the region through revolutionising F&B delivery services. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Kitopi as they grow and further expand globally.”