Dine Brands Global has established a partnership with Gerry’s Group and several logistics firms to introduce the IHOP Restaurants brand in Pakistan.

As part of the deal, Dine Brands will open 19 IHOP locations across the country over the next nine years.

Gerry’s Group will franchise nine of the locations and sub-franchise the remaining ten. The company will open the first IHOP location in Karachi by the end of 2019.

“Gerry’s Group is an experienced, established company based in Pakistan with multinational experience across a broad number of industries.”

Dine Brands Global CEO Steve Joyce said: “My commitment as CEO of Dine Brands Global was to return it to a growth company, and our international development is certainly a major component of that growth.

“Key to our international strategy is identifying and entering new markets such as Pakistan that have a rapidly growing economy, are contiguous to existing markets to offer an economy of scale, and above all, have an appetite for IHOP’s unique guest experience of warm hospitality with world famous pancakes, breakfast and other menu items.

“Gerry’s Group is an experienced, established company based in Pakistan with multinational experience across a broad number of industries.”

Dine Brands has signed deals to introduce the IHOP brand in Peru and Ecuador this year. It also plans to expand the brand’s presence in Canada with a focus on New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Labrador and Newfoundland provinces.

In addition, Dine Brands is currently exploring opportunities to introduce the IHOP brand to the UK market.

Gerry’s Group owns and operates 40 Costa Coffee locations in the UK.