The Kentucky-based Papa John’s International restaurant chain says it has signed development agreements for the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The company said on August 24 that the agreement calls for 16 restaurants to be opened in Kazakhstan over the next five years, with the first likely to begin business in Almaty “over the next few months.”
It said it plans to open six restaurants in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, over the next three years, with the first scheduled to open in late 2017.
The U.S. company also said it would open 23 restaurants in Poland beginning later this year.
“We believe our success in Russia will transfer to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Poland,” said Chris Wynne, co-owner and CEO of PJ Western, the unit that will open the restaurants.
The company said it has more than 110 locations in Russia, along with eight in Belarus and four in Azerbaijan.