AUSTIN-Fired Up Inc. has a franchise agreement in hand to open four Johnny Carino's Country Italian restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, GlobeSt.com has been told.

The first two will open in Dubai and Abudabi, says Norman Abdallah, Fired Up's co-CEO and president. Meanwhile, today marks the grand opening for the Nile City riverboat eatery in Cairo. In the company's pipeline are openings in Bahrain, Kuwait, San Antonio and Grand Prairie, TX. Year-end openings had been held in Greeley, CO and Beaumont, TX.

Abdallah tells GlobeSt.com that two more franchise pacts for four states will be announced May 3 and May 30. In the next four years, the ultimate goal is to have 133 franchise agreements in place plus 33 company-owned stores in 11 states and 12 countries. Fired Up owns all of its locations in Texas, Colorado, Idaho and Arkansas. Perhaps, he says, 400 to 500 restaurants could come on line “by the time we're finished.”