McDonald’s seeks franchise partners in Malaysia, Singapore

HONG KONG/SINGAPORE: McDonald’s Corp said it is seeking franchise partners for its restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore as part of its move to away from direct ownership and operation in Asia.
“McDonald’s has taken the decision to adopt a development licensee model for the Malaysia and Singapore markets in order to enable focused investment in the brand and speed up growth in these key Asian markets,” a Singapore-based spokeswoman at McDonald’s said in a statement yesterday.
McDonald’s said it was negotiating with “suitable candidates,” for the Malaysia and Singapore markets, but gave no details.
Sources told Reuters that some suitors looking at both countries had begun to tap banks for financing options to buy the 20-year franchise rights. The sources declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
The move for the Southeast Asian markets follows an announcement by McDonald’s in March that it was reorganising its Asian operations by bringing in partners who would own the restaurants within a franchise business.
It is reported that the sale of Mcdonald’s franchise rights in Malaysia and Singapore could collectively fetch at least US$400 million (RM1.7 billion). – Reuters