Tiger Aspect Productions is delighted to announce that a new deal has been struck with Shanghai Franchise Enterprise Management Services Company Limited who has licensed the right to use the Mr Bean brand for a network of Mr Bean Coffee Shops in China. The partnership will see 6 Coffee Shops opening in 2011 in the cities of Shanghai (Jiangsu and Zhejiang), with a further 12 planned for 2012. The Coffee Shops will be branded with the Mr Bean character and will be themed to reflect the humour and British heritage of Mr Bean. It is also planned that merchandise will be sold in these outlets.

The deal comes at an exciting time for the Mr Bean brand. In 2010 Mr Bean celebrated its 20th Anniversary and its success showed the continuing appeal for this classic character throughout the world. New media have played a huge role in this rejuvenation with 13 million Mr Bean fans on Facebook and reaching a staggering 1 billion views on You Tube.

Commenting on the deal Katherine Senior, Executive Producer of Mr Bean said, “We are extremely pleased to move into this new area of business with SFC and are looking forward to increasing awareness of Mr Bean in China through the network of Coffee Shops.”

Dr. Banny Lam, Director for SFC in China says, "Our 20th anniversary marks not only the perfect time to be thankful for the progress made by our predecessors but also the time to inspire and motivate people around the world to explore new things and widen their horizons. Mr Bean Coffee shops will continue to expand, succeed and be passed on to future generations, thus making it a byword in the coffee shop genre and a part of the people's daily lives."

Mr. Hubert Co, President of Empire Multimedia Corp., licensing and merchandising agent in Asia comments, "It took a lot of hard work this past year to put everything together for the opening of the first Mr Bean Coffee Shop in China and with the partnership with SFC, we see the growth of a very promising business if not one of the most successful franchise not only in greater China but the whole world."

Mr Bean and Mr Bean the Animated Series have been broadcast in over 190 countries around the world and are complemented by a hugely successful licensing programme which includes DVD, video games, books and toys.