Wahlburgers Announces Major Expansion to Asia

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Cachet Hospitality Group in Joint Venture with Wahlburgers, U.S. Better Burger Restaurant Brand

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Jan 17, 2017, 08:00 ET

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wahlburgers, the better burger restaurant brand founded by Chef Paul Wahlberg and celebrity brothers Mark and Donnie, announced today it will expand to Asia in 2017 through a joint venture with Cachet Hospitality Group (CHG). The first three restaurants are slated to open in Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Shanghai, China.

A celebratory event will be held in Hollywood this evening to commemorate the joint venture. Wahlburgers' founders Chef Paul Wahlberg, producer/actor Mark Wahlberg, and actor/musician Donnie Wahlberg will be in attendance. The brothers will address members of the press and discuss the company's expansion plans. Guests will be treated to Wahlburgers' signature chef-inspired burgers and tater tots.

"We're excited about this wonderful opportunity to grow in Asia," said Wahlburgers CEO Rick Vanzura. "Having a savvy, financially strong partner is essential and we have a great partner in the Cachet Hospitality Group, which will bring an unprecedented level of service and strength to the Wahlburgers brand. Cachet is dedicated to family, community and, of course, bringing diverse groups of people together through great food – the very same values that drive Wahlburgers. Thanks to Cachet, we already have our first confirmed restaurant projects outside of North America, and we look forward to making history together."

The Cachet Hospitality Group (CHG), an international hospitality branding and management company based in Hong Kong, is well known in the region for excellence and a growing focus on social responsibility. According to CEO Alexander Mirza, "This is an excellent time to enter the Asia market. A shift is occurring where real estate owners and developers are repositioning mixed use properties as lifestyle food and beverage destinations from retail stores into restaurants."

Mirza continued, "Combined with the popularity of international restaurant brands in airports, hotels and office buildings, this opens the door to tremendous opportunity for our Wahlburgers Asia Pacific joint venture."

Based on the lure of Wahlburgers, CHG has signed major agreements with developers who have committed to including Wahlburgers restaurants in their projects. World Packaging Center, an existing CHG developer, agreed to sign the first restaurant in Hangzhou. Shanghai-based naked Hub has agreed to open 20 Wahlburgers in their office building complexes throughout Shanghai and Hong Kong. Thailand's Big Ho Corporation will open 20 Wahlburgers in its franchise location of Big C Supercenter stores throughout northern Thailand.

A third partner, the Arjomand Group, a holding company with businesses based in the Middle East and Africa regions, includes diverse industries such as real estate and manufacturing, is an investor in CHG and will add financial expertise and strength to the expansion plans. In addition, Arjomand Group has acquired the rights to the Wahlburgers brand for the Middle East.

According to the joint venture, the objective of this expansion is to open 100 restaurants in China and the surrounding region over the next five years. With two strategic partnerships in place, Wahlburgers Asia Pacific is in a strong position to achieve its goal of opening in a variety of locations, including shopping centers, theme parks, residential and office developments and hotel and resort properties.

About Wahlburgers: Founded by Executive Chef Paul Wahlberg and celebrity brothers Mark and Donnie and other investors, Wahlburgers debuted in October 2011 in Hingham, Massachusetts. The subject of an A&E reality show, Wahlburgers offers a fun, casual music-filled atmosphere where guests, like family, share great food, a few laughs and lots of love. While its walls celebrate the story through photos and words of the Wahlberg brothers’ life journeys from Dorchester, Mass. neighborhood kids to rising chef and international superstars, it’s the food at Wahlburgers that takes center stage.

Crafted by Chef Paul and served with heartfelt hospitality, the chef inspired menu features a variety of fresh burgers, housemade condiments, crispy haddock, seared chicken and vegetarian options. Other signature items include Mom’s Sloppy Joe, thin crispy onion rings, tater tots and thick creamy frappes and floats. Gluten free options are available.

Wahlburgers’ full-service bar is a popular gathering spot offering an impressive selection of adult frappes, cocktails, wines and beers including the signature Wahlbrewski – a Harpoon Brewery custom, unfiltered Pale Ale. Dedicated to giving back, Wahlburgers is active in every community it serves. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Wahlburgers offers full-service dining, counter service, take out and a full-service bar. For locations and more information visit wahlburgersrestaurant.com.

About Arjomand Group: Drawing on extensive experience in the financial services industry, Farooq Arjomand has served as founding chairman and CEO of Arjomand Group since 2001. Established in 2001, Arjomand Group is a multi-faced holding corporation based in the Middle East and Africa regions, that owns and operates businesses across a range of industries. Under the leadership of Founding Chairman and CEO, Farooq Arjomand, Arjomand Group operates over 15 companies, across segments such as real estate, hospitality, trade, manufacturing, trade, finance and aviation across Asia, Europe and the U.S. Arjomand Group has offices across Europe & GCC countries. www.arjomandgroup.com

About Cachet Hospitality Group: Cachet Hospitality Group (CHG) is a lifestyle hospitality branding and management company with offices in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Bangkok. CHG's mission is to be the leading innovative and socially responsible hospitality company in the Asia Pacific and North America, with recent expansion into Cabo San Lucas and New York City. With numerous projects under development, CHG is focused on establishing properties in Greater China, Southeast Asia and the Americas. For more information, please visit www.cachethotelgroup.com.