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Tag: mexican

  • Taco Bell’s Former Asia Pacific MD, Anita McDonnell, Snapped Up by Pret A Manger as New International President

    Taco Bell’s Former Asia Pacific MD, Anita McDonnell, Snapped Up by Pret A Manger as New International President

    Anita McDonnell, formerly the Managing Director for Taco Bell in the Asia Pacific region, has recently been designated as the International President for Pret A Manger. This new appointment will commence in late August.

    McDonnell comes to the position with a wealth of experience spanning over twenty years in the food and beverage franchise industry. Her professional journey includes impressive stints at Domino’s and Costa Coffee. Pret A Manger’s CEO, Pano Christou, expressed his delight at her appointment, citing her substantial global experience and profound knowledge of franchise businesses as key assets. He commended her proven leadership abilities, which have been continually demonstrated across numerous markets.

    In her new role, McDonnell will be cooperating with Felipe Athayde, the President for North America, and Ross Warnes, the company’s representative for the UK and Ireland. Christou expressed his anticipation of working with her to fortify Pret A Manger’s international business and offer support to the franchise partners worldwide. He acknowledged the rarity of finding an individual with such comprehensive expertise in the food, coffee, and hospitality sectors across an array of Asian markets.

    McDonnell is replacing Eira Jarvis, who has dedicated thirteen years of service to Pret A Manger. Jarvis will remain in her current role until the year concludes to ensure a smooth transition of duties. Recognizing her impactful contributions, Christou praised Jarvis for her instrumental role in laying the foundation for the company’s international business and her unwavering support to teams and franchise partners across various markets. Jarvis’ role as a mentor to many colleagues, wherein she has generously imparted her experience and nurtured the future leaders of Pret, was also highly commended.

    Questions & Answers

    Who has been appointed the International President of Pret A Manger?
    Anita McDonnell, the former Managing Director for Taco Bell in the Asia Pacific region, has been appointed as the International President of Pret A Manger.

    What experience does Anita McDonnell bring to her new role at Pret A Manger?
    Anita McDonnell brings over two decades of experience in the food and beverage franchise industry to her new role. Her impressive track record includes roles at Domino’s and Costa Coffee.

    Who will Anita McDonnell be succeeding in her new position?
    Anita McDonnell will be succeeding Eira Jarvis, who has served Pret A Manger for thirteen years and will continue in her role till the end of the year to facilitate a smooth transition.

  • Mad Mex plans five-country Asian restaurant rollout

    Mad Mex plans five-country Asian restaurant rollout

    Australian Mexican restaurant chain Mad Mex plans to expand into Asia, starting with its first Singapore restaurant this month.

    An inaugural Malaysian store is on track to open in December, and Indonesia and Thailand are also on the list.

    Mad Mex, which recently partnered with Singapore’s 4Fingers group, runs 70 restaurants in Australia and New Zealand and claims to have served up more than 4 million burritos within the last year.

    “Asia is a growth market with diverse cultures and adventurous appetites for great tastes and flavours, which is perfect for Mad Mex,” said founder Clovis Young.

    “The expansion into Asia Pacific comes at an exciting time for Mad Mex: we’ve launched our Fresh Fuel for Life brand positioning which highlights our continued commitment to best-quality Mexican food, packed with fresh and healthy ingredients to fuel our amigos’ lives and passions. We pride ourselves on providing real food with no nasties, and big bold authentic flavours to nourish real people on the go.”

    Young said Southeast Asia is in the midst of a food revolution towards healthy eating, and believes Mad Mex’s healthy, quality offer will resonate with local customers.

    “We are very excited by the opportunity and we have big plans for the next five years.“

    Mad Mex has opened in Singapore’s Marina Bay financial district. With 4Fingers the company plans to make the most of local market knowledge in growing both brands in Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

    Meanwhile, the company has reported like-for-like sales growth of 6.5 per cent this year and 70 consecutive weeks of sales growth in its core Australian market.

    “The results our team has delivered are truly remarkable and a demonstration of the passion and enthusiasm our restaurant teams have for the food and the brand. The last year has been very tough for retailers, so this performance really is exceptional.”

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  • Taco Bell makes Malaysian debut

    Taco Bell makes Malaysian debut

    Indulge your guilty pleasures with time-tested regret eating when Taco Bell opens its first Malaysian outlet next month at the Cottage Walk commercial center in Cyberjaya, Selangor.

    Rather than coming to Petaling Jaya as originally announced, the American fast-food chain, famous for cheap Tex-Mex cuisine often consumed to wash down a night of partying, will bring its cheese-heavy range of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nacho bowls to KL’s startup bros starting April 2.

    “Malaysians can look forward to an exciting and globally-famous Taco Bell experience which offers a twist to familiar Mexican favorites such as tacos, burritos, and more,” Taco Bell said in a press statement. The Cyberjaya outlet will be open 10 am to 10 pm daily for dine-in and takeaway.

    Of course, like most fast-food chains that have opened their doors in Malaysia, can we hope to see localized versions of Tex-Mex fare like rendang tacos as a Ramadan special, maybe?

    Although the California-based chain last year named Petaling Jaya for its first location, a company representative told Coconuts over the phone that renovation of the site is not completed.

    Dozens of Malaysians took to Twitter to express their glee.

    “Yeay! I always see this in movies but now it’s coming to Cyberjaya,” @Thewaterlilies wrote.

    Be careful what you wish for, as any of Taco Bell’s biggest fans would readily warn.

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  • Taco Bell opens in Malaysia soon

    Taco Bell opens in Malaysia soon

    American food-food chain Taco Bell is set to launch in Malaysia at Tropicana Gardens Mall in Kota Damansara.

    The opening has yet to be officially announced, but hoardings have appeared on a retail space within the mall announcing its imminent opening.

    Taco Bell will be operated by QSR Brands, which holds the Malaysian license for KFC and Pizza Hut, which are both owned by Yum Brands.

    While Taco Bell had outlets in Singapore that were subsequently withdrawn just over a decade ago, the franchise has recently announced intentions to expand in the Asia-Pacific market, where it already has locations in Thailand and the Philippines.

    The brand has also revealed intentions to enter Indonesia, while Thai operator Siam Taco is said to be eyeing Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.