On the heels of its fifth signed agreement to bring Russo’s New York Pizzeria to the United Arab Emirates, the well-known, Houston-based Italian restaurant and brand is now announcing its sixth signed franchise agreement with the well-established UAE restaurant developer and operator, Prime Hospitality. The new 1,774-square-foot restaurant is slated to open this summer at the Panaroma development in the mixed residential, leisure, and retail space, the Greens, in Dubai.

“We are bridging the New York pizzeria gap in the UAE. With our handcrafted recipes, old-world charm and warm hospitality, there is nothing quite like Russo’s in the market currently. We offer original Italian recipes that visitors, shoppers, and local residents will fall in love with,” says chef Anthony Russo, founder and CEO of Russo’s Restaurants. “You simply cannot deny the demand for family-friendly quality Italian dining at the Greens community. We can’t wait to give our loyal fans even more of what they crave: delicious, New York-style pizza and handcrafted Italian recipes in a cool and trendy interior that is a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere.”

Russo’s New York Pizzeria has garnered a cult-like following for its truly authentic and delicious Italian dishes made from the freshest ingredients and its New York-style pizza. 

“Right from the moment customers walk in, they know they’ve come somewhere special. They’re getting a true ‘slice’ of New York,” says Henrik Andersen Ddrector of Prime Hospitality, which owns and operates Russo’s New York Pizzeriain the UAE. “Russo’s has become a staple in the area since we opened the first restaurant less than two years ago, our fan base on social media has grown exponentially and our pizzas recently were voted as some of the best in the market."

Russo’s has established an ever-growing presence in the UAE, with locations open in Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi, Jumeirah Centre in Dubai and Sahara Centre in Sharjah. This summer, Russo’s will open new locations at Palm Jumeirah in the Golden Mile and at the Greens. These are two of the 28 slated to open in the Middle East with locations set to open in Saudi Arabia in 2015.

“We are continuing to advance our strategic growth plan in 2015 with plans to add 20 to 30 restaurants in the next three years. The new phase of franchising will more than double our number of international locations,” says Jim Carr, director of franchise development for Russo’s Restaurants. “In addition to the Middle East markets, we are in early discussions with developers in France, Canada, Mexico, the Philippine, and China.”