Blue Elephant opens in Moscow

International restaurant group Blue Elephant will open its latest franchise in Moscow this summer.

Due to launch at the end of August in Novinsky Passage, the restaurant will operate seven days a week offering takeaway and seating for 133 (expandable to 193 in the summer months).

Blue Elephant Malta manager Tham Prawattree has been recruited to head the venture, which is based in a newly built shopping centre and will be the group's 14th restaurant.

Stefan Breg, founder of restaurant consultancy Tribe, has a number of projects underway in the Russian capital. "With 40 million people in the city it has huge potential. Just 15 years on from the arrival of the first branded restaurant Moscow's causal dining market is blossoming, and ethnic dining is particularly underrepresented," he said

Blue Elephant, which is celebrating its 25 anniversary, has a host off openings planned with Abu Dhabi and Marrakech due in 2006 and potential sites in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Shanghai.

Buy this week's Caterer magazine for more industry news and analysis