Franchising and licensing consultancy Vietnam Franchises has expanded its partnership with Edwards Global Services (EGS) in Southeast Asia.

The expanded partnership will see Vietnam Franchises representing EGS brands in Thailand and the Philippines in addition to Vietnam.

Those brands include Fuddruckers, The Melting Pot, The Vitamin Shoppe, Rita’s Italian Ice, Round Table Pizza and other leading names now being opened up for Southeast Asian markets.

“We have worked hard to develop EGS brands in Vietnam, and now we are truly delighted to be representing EGS increasingly more in Southeast Asia,” said Vietnam Franchises CEO Sean Ngo.

“Countries like Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines represent strong opportunities for international brands and particularly American-based brands.”

Since EGS was founded in 2001, CEO William Edwards has advised more than 50 US companies in the licensing, manufacturing, retail and restaurant sectors on their international development in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Middle East.

“These Asian markets have a fast growing middle class consumer base who like brands, quality, convenience and customer service. These are the attributes of US franchises,” said Edwards.

Southeast Asia, with a population of nearly 600 million people, is one of the fastest emerging regions in the world. Franchising is becoming an attractive business format for many entrepreneurs in the region.