Sbarro Launches Major Expansion in Japan, Inks Joint Venture/Franchise Agreement With JCI Inc. to Open 1,250 Restaurants

MELVILLE, N.Y., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Sbarro (www.sbarro.com), the world's leading quick service Italian restaurant concept, today announced its aggressive expansion into the Japanese market which will include the opening of 1,250 units.  Sbarro has partnered with JCI Inc. in a joint venture/franchise agreement that will see the expansion plan executed over a twenty-year period.  As part of the agreement, Sbarro and JCI Inc. announced the opening of the first restaurant at the AEON Mall in Hinode-Machi, Tokyo.  The AEON Mall location, which opened on December 29, is the first of three Sbarro restaurant openings planned for Tokyo, with two units slated to launch during the first quarter of 2010.

"This agreement is an incredibly exciting moment for Sbarro and a key milestone in our continued international development efforts. In Tokyo, we've seen an immediate and powerful response from consumers who have already very warmly embraced the Sbarro brand," said Peter Beaudrault, president and CEO of Sbarro.  "Working in tandem with the great team at JCI Inc., we are poised to aggressively expand the Sbarro footprint throughout all of Japan."

"Sbarro is a concept that has a 54 year heritage of success backed by a proven formula that has worked in 42 countries.  Sbarro's adaptable menu of authentic Italian cuisine, coupled with the tremendous support that the company provides to its franchisees, is immediately proving to be a recipe for success in the Japanese market," said Naota "Nate" Hamaguchi, CEO, Sbarro Japan Inc. "When it comes to fresh and delicious food and top of the line service, there is no such thing as a language barrier."

About Sbarro

Based in Melville, New York, we are the world's leading Italian quick service restaurant concept and the largest shopping mall-focused restaurant concept in the world with more than 1,000 restaurants across 42 countries. Sbarro restaurants feature a menu of popular Italian food, including pizza, a selection of pasta dishes and other hot and cold Italian entrees, salads, sandwiches, drinks and desserts. Additional information is available at http://www.sbarro.com/.

SOURCE Sbarro