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The new site is located at the Rasfannu Pavilion.

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Find out what QSRs have been up to on social media this week.

Their first site recently opened at the Reel Mall in Shanghai. Wetzel’s Pretzels announced it has opened its first location in China, six months after signing a deal to enter the country. The American pretzel brand’s first store at the Reel Mall in Shanghai is the first of three Wetzel’s Pretzels which are slated to open in the coming months, and one of the fifty the brand has in the development pipeline for China. “Wetzel’s Pretzels offers a fresh-baked product, served fast. It’s a brand that will resonate well with consumers in Shanghai. With our first location open and corporate training center built, we’re looking forward to getting other locations up and running, and expanding the brand,” said Will Zhu, head franchisee for Wetzel’s Pretzels in China.

Nine vegetarian and vegan recipes make up the brand’s newest offering. Building on the success of their veggie outlets in London, Pret A Manger Hong Kong introduced nine new vegetarian and vegan recipes. The new menu offers customers a wider choice of meat-free options and features a protein box, a vegan salad that combines avocado and sweet potato with a pea & quinoa mix and a vegan Super Greens & Reds sandwich, layered with a red pepper tapenade. A range of colourful new salads were also launched alongside new soups and dessert pots. The global sandwich brand aims to provide options for vegetarians, vegans and “flexitarians.” “The plant-based items are perfect for anyone looking for more sustainable lunch options that are packed full of flavour,” Pret said in a statement. Founded in London in 1986, Pret A Manger made its way to Hong Kong in 2002 through its first outlet opened in IFC Mall and has currently over 20 sites in the territory.   

Their upcoming first outlet is located at Plaza Singapura mall. Korean sandwich chain Isaac Toast is about to open their first site in Singapore. Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore reports that the store will be located in basement two of the Plaza Singapura mall and is slated to open in July. The Korean brand specialises in breakfast toasted sandwiches with fillings such as bulgogi (grilled and marinated beef slices), bulgalbi (boneless short ribs), ham and cheese, and shrimps. The brand was reportedly acquired by Altitude Holdings, which owns other Korean restaurant chains in Singapore such as Andong Zzimdak and Yoogane. Aside from its hundreds of stores in South Korea, Isaac Toast also has sites in Malaysia, Taiwan, and Macau.  

The upscale brand originated in an old Tokyo home in 2011. Japanese coffee brand Omotesando Koffee is officially making its way to Thailand, following news that it will open its first site in Bangkok. As reported by The Standard, the new site will be located on the 3rd floor of Siam Paragon and is expected to feature the brand’s coffee bar counter with a unique cube steel frame. The space also has mini-bars and is reminiscent Japanese tea ceremonies as baristas and drinkers will face each other. Omotesando Koffee started in an old wooden home in Tokyo in 2011 and eventually grew to become an upscale coffee destination. Due to deterioration of the old house, they closed in December 2015 but has since resurfaced in Hong Kong the year after. It has since expanded to Singapore and has plans to debut in London as well.  

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Find out what QSRs have been up to on social media. BRAND AND STORE UPDATES

The brands target to have 10 locations by May 2019.

The Malaysian tea brand's expansion plan resulted from a joint venture with two Chinese companies.

The Singaporean restaurant chain was established in 1978. Founder Bak Kut Teh has officially opened its first outlet in Vietnam, located on Ho Chi Minh City’s RomeA shopping centre in District 3. The chain offers its original Singapore menu, including its signature pork ribs. Brand founder Chua Chwee Whatt visited Vietnam for the grand opening and personally prepared the dishes for customers. Established in 1978, Founder Bak Kut Teh currently has two branches in Singapore and one in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Filipino fast food chain says the country is a significant part of their North American expansion plan.

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Find out what QSRs have been up to on social media this week.

The new sustainability initiative will start next month. In an effort to contribute to a sustainable environment, all Starbucks Hong Kong stores will remove disposable plastic utensils from the condiment bars and only provide them on request starting from July 4. The global coffee brand will officially launch the policy at its new Causeway Bay store this month, and applies for both in-store and takeaway orders. New flagship site Coinciding with this announcement is their new Lee Garden store that they are billing as their first flagship site. Opening on June 22, it is set to be the largest single-story Starbucks cafe in Hong Kong at 5500 square feet, and will feature the city’s first Teavana Bar, an expanded menu and a Starbucks Reserve selection. Following the successful launch of coffee-infused craft beers at the Starbucks IFC Mall store last March, a coffee-inspired cocktail will also make its debut at the flagship’s exclusive Mixology Bar. (Photo credit: Starbucks Hongkong Facebook page)