Homestyle Dining, which owns, operates, and franchises family-focused restaurants offering steakhouse dining concepts throughout the U.S. and internationally announced that longtime franchisee, The Sterling Group, has opened the first Ponderosa Grill in Dubai.
Homestyle Dining includes the Ponderosa Steakhouse, Bonanza Steak & BBQ, and Bo’s Steak & Grill brands. Ponderosa Grill is a more upscale, full-service version of Homestyle Dining’s legacy brand, Ponderosa Steakhouse.
This is the fourth Ponderosa location in Dubai and the eighth in the United Arab Emirates.
The new Ponderosa Grill located in the Jumeriah-3 area of Dubai features menu enhancements and design upgrades that were introduced in late 2013 as part of a brand refresh and culinary revitalization of the Ponderosa Steakhouse brand, which celebrates 50 years in 2015.
To date, more than 50 percent of the 150 Ponderosa Steakhouse restaurants in the U.S. have undergone the refresh. It includes expanded menu offerings on the food bar and across the entire entrée line-up, including healthier options plus enhanced interiors to appeal to a younger demographic.
The menu at the new Ponderosa Grill in Dubai incorporates many favorites found in the U.S.-based locations but also features food items indigenous to the region such as Halal Beef and regional favorites such as Taboulah, Muthable, Fathoush, Khubbuse, and Ummali.
“Our new Ponderosa Grill brand in Dubai is a more upscale extension of our legacy brand, Ponderosa Steakhouse, and represents our intention to evolve our brands to reflect both our guests’ changing desires and geographical preferences,” says Tom Sacco, president and CEO, Homestyle Dining.
“John Mathews and The Sterling Group of Companies based in Qatar were Ponderosa’s International Franchise Operator of the Year for 2014, and as valued longtime franchisee partners, we welcome the opportunity to work with them on this debut in Dubai and as they prepare to open the world’s largest Ponderosa Steakhouse in Doha later this year.”
According to Mathews, Ponderosa will open in the third quarter of 2015 and will seat 675 guests.
