Australian owned franchise Ali Baba K’Babs & Wraps has finalised the acquisition of its largest competitor in Queensland.

Corresponding to a retail value of approximately $7 million per annum, Ali Baba has snapped up local franchise operation Uncle Tony’s Kebabs (UTK) and will take over central supply to 12 additional outlets in the Sunshine State.

The acquisition of UTK has significantly expanded the Ali Baba brand presence in Queensland and also means Ali Baba is now the largest kebab and wrap chain in Australia, with almost 50 Ali Baba outlets. The company is well positioned for continued growth and expansion, having capacity to supply $250 million in category demand, equivalent to a further 400 retail stores.

One of the most progressive home-grown brands in the competitive ‘quick serve’ food sector, Ali Baba was established in 1979 by founders Mick and Karl Marjan on an ethos of ‘never compromise on quality’. True to this philosophy, the company unveiled its World Class Executive Kitchen (WCEK) in 2005, a sophisticated centralised commissary that supplies all franchise operators.

UTK sites will now benefit from the efficiencies gained with centralised supply and from the economies of scale enjoyed through Ali Baba’s local primary produce supply chain.
The WCEK, which will now supply select UTK outlets in Queensland, uses 100 per cent natural, preservative free traditional ingredients based on recipes handed down and evolved over time to suit the Australian market, both in terms of taste and reduced fat content.

Developed with the assistance of experts at Oppenheimer, the WCEK has underpinned the quality of the Ali Baba offering across all process, procedure and product, as CEO Robert Marjan explains.

“The Executive Kitchen was researched and validated by the food technicians of Oppenheimer in 2005 and the findings were truly world class in relation to the international standards of quality management and benchmarks for similar organisations around the world.

“We were delighted with the results that stemmed from working with an Australian owned company advising our engineers on process architecture and quality management,” says Marjan.