• Herfy inaugurated its first branch outside the Middle East under a franchise system in Bangladesh in December 2017
• Herfy Food Services Company was established in 1981, and the first Herfy restaurant opened in Riyadh that same year

Ruba Obaid

JEDDAH: Herfy Food Services Company, Saudi Arabia’s largest fast-food chain, has opened its fifth restaurant in Bangladesh, following the success of previous branches in the capital city.

The financial impact from the opening will reflect in the first quarter of 2021, the company said in a Tadawul statement.

Herfy inaugurated its first branch outside the Middle East under a franchise system in Bangladesh in December 2017.

According to an agreement signed with Bangladeshi private-sector company Greenland Services Ltd. in 2016, Herfy aims to open 30 outlets within “a few years.”

In 2020, Herfy reported an estimated annual net profit after zakat and tax of SR 53.6 million ($14.29 million), a drop of 73 percent year-on-year, as revenue for the year fell 16.6 percent to SR 1.074 billion.

Herfy was hit by the closure of its restaurants in malls and shopping centers. Moreover, working hours at stores had been reduced while administrative and general expenses had increased.

At its Bangladesh branches, Herfy offers training for employees and provides its franchisees with its own products, including meat, chicken and sauces — all made in its Saudi-based factories.

Herfy Food Services Company was established in 1981, and the first Herfy restaurant opened in Riyadh that same year. As of September 2020, the company owns a total of 40 restaurants and leases 345.