Doc Popcorn, the flavored popcorn franchise, announced its first expansion abroad through the signing of an agreement for 60 units in Mexico.

The international development will be led by franchise partners René Garza Peña and his wife Mariana Mendoza Garza and operating partner José Antonio Cazares Aguirre, who have all signed a master franchise agreement with Doc Popcorn. The first Doc Popcorn location is expected to open in 2014 in their hometown of Monterrey, the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León and the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico.

“We are eager and excited to be the first to introduce this leading American snack brand to Mexico,” says René Garza Peña. “With the growing concern of the high obesity rate in Mexico today, we are proud to offer a delicious snack that is made with high- quality, natural ingredients and is low in fat, has no cholesterol, and zero grams of trans fat.”

René, 38, owns a management consulting firm and is a partner in a non-bank financial institution in Mexico. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Tecnológico de Monterrey and a master’s degree in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Cornell University. Mariana, 33, owns a diet and nutrition practice in Mexico, earned a culinary arts degree from the French Culinary Institute in New York City, and is about to obtain a master’s degree in Education from the Monterrey Graduate School. José Antonio Cazares Aguirre, 35, has a law degree from the Universidad de Monterrey and a master’s in business administration from the Tecnológico de Monterrey.

“Mexico is the largest U.S. popcorn export market and the best place for our first international master franchise,” says Rob Israel, co-founder of Doc Popcorn. “We are thrilled to have René, Mariana, and José as partners to bring Doc Popcorn to the Mexican marketplace.”