Boston Market is expanding overseas, with plans to open over two dozen restaurants in the Middle East over the next few years.
The Golden-based company announced Monday that it hopes to have its first restaurant open in Kuwait later this year or in early 2017.
It will be the first Boston Market abroad in a decade, since former owner McDonald's sold the company and closed outlets in Canada and Australia.
CEO George Michel says the Middle East is the perfect place to start expanding because rotisserie chicken — its signature dish — is popular and American brands are in demand there. He speaks Arabic and previously worked in the Middle East for Burger King and the operator of Chili's.
Restaurants are also planned in Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan.