What do malls, bus stations, schools and even hospitals in the Philippines have in common? A Potato Corner kiosk, of course.
It’s hard to miss the tiny food cart, with its bright green logo featuring a smiling spud — as well as what is usually a long queue of French fry-hungry customers.
Now, Filipinos in the UAE, a 600,000-strong community, are in for a treat as Potato Corner officially announces its first franchise in the country.
The new outpost opens on Wednesday at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, joining a host of other Filipino brands present there, including the beloved fast food chain Jollibee.
“Whenever I ask Filipinos what flavoured fries they miss the most, the majority of them often say Potato Corner. That is why I explored how we can bring the Philippines’ most popular brand here in the UAE,” says Filipino entrepreneur and restaurateur Rolly Brucales, who owns the Dubai franchise.
It’s been a long journey for the Filipino favourite which opened its first outlet in 1992. Since then, the brand has built a cult following, propelling it to launch its franchise scheme the following year.
The brand is known for serving French fries in a cup (or a bucket), in flavours such as barbecue, cheese and sour cream, but also imaginative ones such as wasabi, chocolate, kimchi or adobo, a popular Filipino dish.
In 2007, Potato Corner opened its first international outpost in Malaysia. It heavily marketed its franchise business, calling franchisees — who are typically small-time entrepreneurs — “Spudstrepreneurs”.
Its network hit around 500 stores by 2015, eventually including the US, Australia and Panama. To date, nearly 80 per cent of Potato Corner stores around the world are owned and operated by franchisees.
The new Dubai outpost is its 1,389th. However, it's not the first in the Middle East, as the brand is already present in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
57%20Seconds
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Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Sri Lanka Test squad:
Dimuth Karunaratne (stand-in captain), Niroshan Dickwella (vice captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Janith Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan and Lasith Embuldeniya.
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Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
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WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
2) Alisson, Roma to Liverpool (£67m)
3) Ederson, Benfica to Manchester City (£35m)
4) Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus (£33m)
5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
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