Norman Abdallah, Fired Up's co-founder and president, tells GlobeSt.com that the deal does not specify a set number of restaurants per state. "Harry Rose is a premier partner to bring in with his experience," Abdallah says of his newest franchisee.

In April, Fired Up inked a four-restaurant development pact with Food & Life General Trading LLC, a division of the Al Abbas Group, another premier restaurateur in the United Emirates.

The four-year-old Fired Up closes its fiscal year 2001 in four weeks, says Abdallah. And, it's been quite a year, marked by 40 Johnny Carino openings and 189 franchise signings. He tells GlobeSt.com that FY 2002 will bring another 10 company-owned restaurants and 12 more franchisees to the fold.

Rose will develop the restaurants under Tuscan Due LLC. "When you're picking a restaurant franchise to develop, the most important ingredients to ensure success in that concept are the experiences and integrity of the senior management, the economics and the quality of the food," says Rose, operating principal. "Johnny Carino's scores at the top in all three."

Abdallah and Creed Ford founded Fired Up in 1997. The team currently operates and franchises 34 restaurants. In addition to Johnny Carino's, the mix includes Kona Ranch Steakhouse, Gumbo's Louisiana Style Cafe and Brown Bar. The eateries are located in Texas, Arkansas, Idaho, Oklahoma, California, Utah and Colorado and internationally in Kuwait and Egypt.