United Restaurants Inc.: The firm said Thursday...

United Restaurants Inc.: The firm said Thursday that its Love’s Enterprises Inc. subsidiary has granted an Indonesian company the right to develop and operate at least eight Love’s barbecue restaurants in six Asian countries.

PT. Transpacific Ekagraha of Jakarta plans to open restaurants in China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

“This agreement for Asia represents our first international venture and the first major expansion of the Love’s Woodpit Barbecue Restaurant concept in many years,” said Harry Shuster, chairman and president of United Restaurants, which is based in Costa Mesa.

Besides the 20 Love’s Wood Pit Barbecue restaurants that it operates or franchises, United Restaurants recently acquired an 85% stake in Santa Monica’s Il Forno restaurant.