AT least three casual dining brands have positioned themselves to enter Jamaica, which continues to see an expansion of quick-service restaurants (QSR) by local franchise owners.

United Franchise Group (UFG) announced on Monday that it had signed seven development agreements representing 19 locations across its five proprietary brands. The company plans to launch The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill in the Caribbean, which includes Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

“We’re proud of the incredible growth we’ve seen in only half a year,” said Michael White, UFG’s chief development officer and director of global franchising in the press release.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is a fast-casual brand focused on Greek food and has 92 locations, with 89 in the United States of America (USA) and three split between Australia, Egypt and Canada. The restaurant brand currently operates in 22 states and secured its first franchise agreement in Massachusetts during the first half of 2026.

Opa Greek Restaurant and Lounge was Jamaica’s last Greek restaurant and which operated under Alexx Antaeus between 2013 to 2022. The new Jamaican franchise partner for The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is currently unknown.

UFG is also aiming to launch the Graze Craze in England and Guyana. The Graze Craze is a specialty food franchise focused on a budget-friendly solution that caters to the masses with charcuterie boards and boxes.

United Franchise Group has signed development agreements to bring The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill to the Caribbean. UFG

“This is a result of the high priority we place on developing our teams. We don’t just sell franchises and sit back while owners ‘figure it out’ on their own. We work hard to mentor our entrepreneurs so they can be as successful as possible, and this is the result. We look forward to seeing what the next six months bring,” White added.

The announcement by UFG on new franchise development agreements comes at a time when Darden Restaurants, Inc and Dine Brands Global, Inc both make moves to expand their brands in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

Darden first disclosed in its May 2024 annual report (10-K filing) that its area development — franchise and/or license agreements in the Caribbean — included Aruba, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Barbados and Cayman Islands.

The May 2026 annual report no longer shows the Cayman Islands and does not disclose which one of Darden’s brands would be allocated to each market. However, a check by the Jamaica Observer revealed that Rare Hospitality Management LLC, a Darden subsidiary, filed a LongHorn Steakhouse international trademark on June 22 in the USA, with application number 1935443. The trademark is to be used for restaurant services and in the designated countries of Australia, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Jamaica, Cambodia, New Zealand, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia and Slovakia.

Darden Restaurants has filed international trademarks for Longhorn Steakhouse and the Capital Grille for use in Jamaica.

Capital Grille Holdings, Inc, another Darden subsidiary, filed a The Capital Grille international trademark on June 22 in the USA, with Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago as two of the 16 designated countries of use. The Olive Garden international trademark filing only had six European countries as the designated territories for the trademark to be used.

While this does not mean that the two brands will definitively open in Jamaica, it paves the way for Darden to explore opportunities with its unaffiliated operators to begin considerations for developing these brands in Jamaica.

Dine Brands Global disclosed in its December 2021 annual report that it had entered into long-term license agreements for the IHOP brand in the Caribbean. This covered the ABC Islands, The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Maarten and Trinidad & Tobago.

The area licensee has the right to develop and franchise new IHOP restaurants in their respective territories, subject to paying a royalty ranging from 1.0 – 5.5 per cent of gross sales. The licensee is also subject to advertising fees ranging from 0.25 – 2.00 per cent of gross sales. The area license for the Caribbean is scheduled to expire after 2042.

“The area licensee for the Caribbean also may begin to sub-license restaurants once a required number of franchise restaurants have been opened,” the 2021 annual report stated.

The December 2025 annual report lists the same Caribbean territories and terms as seen with prior years. The report noted that there were signed commitments to develop 245 IHOP restaurants over the next seven years, with 156 restaurants under international development agreements.

IHOP already has eight IHOP locations in Puerto Rico, a US territory. It opened its first Caribbean location in Nassau, The Bahamas, in April 2023, with Caribbean Dining Limited as the franchise operator.

IHOP and Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill opened on September 9 at the Grand Bazaar, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. According to a Trinidad Guardian article, Troy Beharry confirmed that Premier Restaurants signed agreements to open more IHOP locations in north and south Trinidad. The new franchise is operated by Premier Restaurants Holding Limited through Chairman Beharry and CEO Vishnu Maharaj.

It’s unknown if Red Lobster will continue to be developed in the Caribbean following the parent brand’s chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024. Pinnacle Franchise Brands Limited had secured an area development agreement with Red Lobster Hospitality in 2020. That agreement conferred it the rights to develop restaurants in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, the Dominican Republic and The Bahamas.