Gloria Jean's Coffee Cafe is all set to re-enter the Indian market

Australian coffee cafe brand, Gloria Jean's Coffees, is all set to re-enter the Indian market after ending its six-year long master franchise with Citymax, the hospitality division of the Dubai-based retail giant, Landmark Group.

According to industry sources familiar with the development, discussions are currently on for inking an agreement that will see Gloria Jean's make a second attempt in establishing a foothold in the Indian coffee retail market .

Responding to queries on its re-entry plans, the spokesperson at Gloria Jean's Coffees said: "While we can confirm that Gloria Jean's Coffees remains committed to the Indian market, we would not be able to share more details on our India plans as yet."

As for the new Indian master franchise partner is concerned, the sources said that the former president and CEO of Lavasa Corp, Nathan Andrews is the front runner and that both parties have walked the path already. In fact, having quit Lavasa in November 2014, Andrews has been busy putting together a business plan while simultaneously establishing a new entity to take up the India master franchise for Gloria Jean's Coffees.

"In fact, if everything goes as per plans, Gloria Jean's will start brewing coffee all over again launching its first outlet in Mumbai sometime around April – May 2015," sources said.
Having already tested the India market, Gloria Jean's is likely to pursue the master franchise approach for its second stint as well but with a slight twist. Thus, bringing their 'skin in the game', the coffee retailer could pick up a minority stake in the new (Indian) entity.

The expansion strategy, however, will still revolve around opening company-owned-company-operated (coco) outlets to be able to ensure consistency in the quality of food and beverages served as well as customer experience across its cafes.

A typical Gloria Jean's Coffees outlet would occupy anywhere between 1,500 to 2,000 square feet of real estate. The cost of setting up a cafe would vary between Rs 1 to Rs 1.5 crore, depending on the location i.e. shopping malls, standalone, or office complexes.

While shopping malls and stand-alone locations are preferred options for food and beverages brands, a lot of international players off-late, are seeking retailing space in office buildings / commercial complexes. This is because such locations not only offer a very convenient eating-out environment but also a good flow of office going crowd that patronises the stores.

Puma eyes top spot in India through store expansion

Puma, the global brand known for its lifestyle sports apparel and shoes, is looking to strengthen its position in India. It is eyeing the top slot in the segment via a nationwide network expansion as well as the launch of its global brands pitched at the Indian sports enthusiast. Abhishek Ganguly, the new managing director of PUMA India, is looking to reposition the brand in the country.

“We are in process of creating a strong brand awareness through various marketing and product launch initiative,” Ganguly said. “We are bullish on India and we have seen a major shift to high end products by Indian consumers. Hence, we want to bring our global sports assets to India shortly."

According to Ganguly, Indian consumers are ready to move into high-end technical shoes which costs Rs 10000-15,000 for daily jogging. "A few years ago, we saw the trend of buying any kind of sports shoes for jogging by Indian middle class families. Nowadays, they are more brand conscious, unable to compromise on quality and ready to pay premium for the sports shoes," he said. 

Puma will continue their investments in India by adding more stores in cities as well as Tier-II cities. "We don’t believe in setting up more stores just for the sake of expansion. We are looking select pockets,”Ganguly said, adding that the company has identified new malls coming up at Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad to start the new stores.

South Africa's restaurant chain Nando's sets up India arm

South African restaurant chain Nando's has set up a fully-owned subsidiary in India, buoyed by the good response to its remodelled franchisee-run outlets in the country. The company has roped in Sumeet Yadav, who currently heads Brooks Brothers and SuperDry businesses at Reliance Brands, as its India chief executive, said two people familiar with the development. 

Nando's plans to open about 20 own restaurants in the next three-four years in addition to outlets opened by its franchisees, the person said. 

Nando's has seen better fortunes in India on its second attempt to crack the country's market two years ago, after exiting the country in 2008 by folding up three franchisee stores in Mumbai. In its comeback innings, Nando's completely transformed its strategy by opening larger 4,500-sqft outlets and pitched itself as a dine-in restaurant rather than a self-service fast-food joint. 

Dunkin’ Donuts makes its debut in Ahmedabad

Dunkin' Donuts, a global chain of doughnuts, baked goods and coffee, has made its entry into the largest city of Gujarat by launching its first restaurant in Ahmedabad.

Speaking on the launch, Ajay Kaul, CEO, Jubilant FoodWorks Limited, said, “After making an amazing connection with young adult consumers in key cities of the country like Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, we are extremely excited to enter the seventh largest metropolitan area in India and the largest  city in the state of Gujarat, Ahmedabad. We have opened our 44th restaurant in India and have plans to expand, through the year, across North, West and South India. With the evolution of the new-age consumer, who find the concept of a QSR very infantile, we feel very confident that Dunkin’ Donuts will connect with them very strongly with its unique positioning in the Indian food service industry.”

Adding to this, Dev Amritesh, President and COO, Dunkin’ Donuts India, said, “After the immense appreciation and the great response we have received from Dunkin’ lovers in a lot of key markets in the country, we have now decided to expand further into more exciting markets of west India. The opening of our newest restaurant in Ahmedabad strengthens our footprint in the western part of the sub-continent. We are confident that with the differentiated, all day part food and beverage menu that we offer, consumers in Ahmedabad will love Dunkin’ Donuts.”

Jubilant FoodWorks Limited (JFL/Company) is part of Jubilant Bhartia Group and one of India’s largest foodservice companies, has exclusive rights for developing and operating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants for India and has launched 44 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants across 16 cities in India.

Hidesign to open standalone shoe stores

Leather bags and accessories brand, Hidesign has plans to open standalone stores for its shoes vertical by 2016. Hidesign is operational since 1978 and started franchising in 2002. The company, which is entering into the footwear category with limited products in February 2015, will initially sell in 30 select existing stores in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

Currently, the brand has 76 Hidesign stores in the country and is planning to open another 12-14 stores next year. The brand may consider franchising as an option to expand by next year. The brand also sells its products through e-commerce channels including Amazon and Jabong. Hidesign’s turnover was approximately Rs.150 crore in the last fiscal.

Hidesign always looks to expand into newer markets. The kind of franchisee that Hidesign would consider to invest in would have to hold similar brand values and an understanding of the product and the consumer. Franchisees provide them with an in depth understanding of their geography and expertise of customer handling that is appropriate to the market.

Simba Toys plans to expand in small cities in India

Simba Toys India, a part of German toy maker Simba Dickie Group, is expanding its sales network in large as well as small cities of the country. 

"Simba is committed to the India market and we are closely looking at expanding our presence in the country. We will be expanding our retail network through the franchisee store model across metros, Tier II and III cities," Simba Toys Business Head Narayan Sabharwal told . 

"With the development of the Bharat story, we are looking at around 60 per cent of our stores in non-metro locations," he added. 

The company is operating 20 stores at present and has plans to add 30-40 stores in the next one year. Simba Dickie Group is one of the top five players in the industry. 

Simba has a strategy to build a hub-and-spoke model with regular stores spread out amongst metros, tier II & III places and 5-8 flagship stores in the top cities forming the hub. 

Over setting up of any manufacturing unit for toys here, he said: "currently we have no plans of setting up a manufacturing facility in India though our product line is customised to meet the needs of the Indian consumer". 
Simba has manufacturing units in countries including China and Thailand. 

Over import of cheap and toxic toys from China, Sabharwal said that its products are manufactured in China with German quality assurance. 

Presently Simba's in-house brands as Majorette, Steffi, Squap etc are contributing around 70 per cent of its sales in India. 

‘KEYS Hotel’ From Berggruen Hotels Starts operations In Tirupati

Keys Hotels, a chain of mid-market hotels by Berggruen Hotels, opened their 17th hotel in India at Tirupati. Keys Hotel Vihas Tirupati will be operated by a Keys franchisee. Located in the heart of the city, Hotel Keys Vihas is at a convenient distance from Tirumala Temple. The hotel is equipped with 58 spacious rooms and three luxury suites. It boasts of unique themes and elegant colour palette of creams, golden and brown

“The launch of Keys Hotel Vihas Tirupati is yet another important milestone for Berggruen Hotels. It reaffirms the rapid growth story of the Keys brand. We are excited about the Tirupati property, and hope our guests too will be enthralled by the experience at the hotel,” says Sanjay Sethi, Managing Director and CEO, Berggruen Hotels.

Berggruen Hotels was founded in 2006 by Sanjay Sethi and his team of experienced hotel professionals, set up a leading chain of mid-market hotels, resorts and service apartments across India under the brand Keys Hotels, Resorts and Apartments. Keys Hotels, a brand of Berggruen Hotels Pvt. Ltd. rolled out its first owned hotel at Thiruvananthapuram in September 2009.

Over the years, Keys Hotels has been on an aggressive growth trajectory with addition of several owned, managed and franchised business hotels. Of the total current portfolio of Keys Hotels, 16 properties are in operation with 6 owned, 7 hotels under management and 3 under franchise contract with a total inventory of close to 1,500 rooms. Keys Hotels currently have presence across 13 cities in Ajmer, Aurangabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Mahabaleshwar, Mumbai, Pune, Silvassa, Shirdi and Thiruvananthapuram.

Chhabra 555 forays into West Bengal

Chhabra 555, one of the renowned ethnic wear retail chains of India opened its first store in West Bengal. The recently opened store which is a franchise unit located at Kanchrapara. The brand has made a notable presence in West Bengal, Bangalore and Gangtok. It is looking forward to foray into areas which have not been explored by it yet.

The outlet showcases the whole gamut of Indian ethnic wear including unstitched and readymade suits,duppatas, anarkalis, bridal lehengas and sarees. The collection is affordable and especially aligned to suit the need and demand of enlightened and fashion conscious consumers of West Bengal. The customers can browse through a variety of collections and choose from an array of dazzling colors, styles and patterns.

Chhabra Triple Five Fashions Pvt. Ltd was established about 50 years ago as a small saree shop. Today it has grown to become one of the top wholesalers and retailers of India. It has its head office in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. Chhabra 555 runs a thriving business rooted in Indian culture and tradition that strives to wrap an Indian woman’s presence in the thread of beauty. Known for its unique designs and fine quality products available at affordable prices, Chhabra 555 provides a large variety of products, which they customise according to individual market and area. 

McDonald’s opens two outlets in Mangalore

Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited (HRPL), a Master Franchisee for West & South India operations of McDonald’s restaurants and a subsidiary of the BSE listed Westlife Development Limited entered Mangalore with the opening of two restaurants in quick succession. These launches add to the established network of 74 restaurants across Southern India.

McDonald’s Forum Fiza Mall sprawls over 3500 sq. ft while the restaurant at City Centre Mall can seat up to 134 guests within the restaurant and 32 guests outdoors.

Ranjith Paliath, Vice President, Business Operations, McDonald's India (West & South) said, “We are proud to open two McDonald's restaurants in Mangalore. We ensure that customers who come to McDonald’s get quality fresh food at great prices. Our menu has been created using flavourful spices that appeal to Indian tastes.  The restaurants will each have a team of 50 employees to manage operations in the initial phase. Further, McDonald’s also aims to generate employment and provide international training to local residents, creating opportunities for first time job seekers while also adding to the strength of 2,500 individuals that they have directly employed across business operations in South India.”

McDonald’s operates through various formats and brand extensions including standalone restaurants, drive-thru’s, 24/7, McDelivery, Web and Mobile ordering, Breakfasts and dessert Kiosks. The menu features burgers, finger foods, wraps, hot and cold beverages besides a wide range of desserts. Several of the McDonald’s restaurants feature the in-house McCafé. 

Marrybrown looks to break 'Southern brand' tag

After 15 years of focussing on the Southern markets, fast food chain Marrybrown is turning its eyes elsewhere. The chain now plans to expand to the Northern and Western markets to chart its growth story.

Marrybrown, which introduced the concept of burgers and fried chicken to Chennai way back in 1999, is also planning to rope in a brand ambassador likely from the sports arena to engage with the youth.

Stating that the brand's USP was its localised flavour, S Ajith, director, Marrybrown India says that its 'hot touch spicy version' of fried chicken has helped the brand.

Of Marrybrown's total menu mix, 65% is fried chicken, while the balance is rice varieties like biryani and burgers. Initally, fried chicken constituted 40% but as the brand starting expanding to tier-II and III towns, demand for fried chicken grew, adds Ajith. The demand for biryani has also pulled th share of burger down, he says.

The brand plans to offer more local products and add vegetarian dishes as part of its expansion plans.

Ajith, who worked with KFC earlier, plans to take the number of Marrybrown outlets to 100 in the next three years.

Admitting that the target was ambitious for a largely conservative company, Ajith said that even a brand like KFC took 12 years to enter the Chennai market. KFC started operations in Bengaluru way back in 1995.
He says that Marrybrown was waiting for the market to pick up and sort out supply chain, human resource and equipments issues before expanding to other regions.
Marrybrown has largely been a conservative brand and has a footprint of only 48 outlets so far.

"Southern market, especially Tamil Nadu, is a conservative market. We have succeeded here, and now on the backdrop of this learning we will expand to other markets in India," said Ajith, who targets to double the turnover to Rs 70 crore in three years.

Speaking about investments, he said that around Rs 60-80 lakh will be needed to set up a standalone 1,500 sq ft outlet, while for a food court model (about 200 sq ft) the investment will be in the range of around Rs 40-50 lakh. The high cost was mainly due to the equipments, he added.

As far as the target audience goes, the brand is targetting the youth, planning to take the brand to schools and colleges by participating in the cultural, music festivals, carnivals and other activities.

The company spends around 3-4% of its revenue on the brand building.

Marrybrown, one of the major players in the franchising system, works on a 82% franchisee model. The brand is also betting big on e-commerce, which has been increasing for the last six months, says Ajith. At present, online platform contributes around 600-1,000 orders, he added.

Marrybrown India entered India after signing an exclusive franchise agreement with Chennai-based MGM Group. The MGM Group has business interest in Logistics, Hospitality, International trading, Housing and Distillery and IMFS businesses.

CADD Centre's DreamZone To Open 200 Centres

DreamZone, an initiative of CADD Centre, has set a target of opening 200 centres by the end of this financial year. The brand is presently running 60 centres in the country and several others are under process.

On the kind of prospective franchise partners the brand is looking for, Official Spokesperson of Cadd Centre, says, “We are looking for partners who have a strong passion for education business and should have a desire to be in the business for many years. Largely, we expect to have franchise partners who are serious about their entrepreneurial journey.”

CADD Centre was formed as a business entity during December 1987 in Chennai. It is also promoting DreamZone which runs School of Interior Design, School of Animation and School of Fashion Design that collectively offer about 50 courses - from PG Diploma to Master Diploma to certificate courses - that suit student’s unique time and skill needs. DreamZone is an education member of Institute of Indian Interior Designers, icograda, ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD and CMAI.

Mahindra First Choice to open 500 outlets by 2015

Mahindra First Choice Wheels Ltd. (MFCWL), a multi-brand certified used car company, is eyeing to expand its reach aggressively by opening around 500 outlets by 2015 along with introducing seven new platforms, which consist of both e-commerce as well as m-commerce options of reaching out to its consumers.

Also, the brand reached a new milestone with the inauguration of its 400th outlet in Dwarka in Delhi NCR. This is the company's 34th dealership in Delhi NCR and the 137th in North India.

Expressing views on the new outlet, Rajeev Dubey, President (Group HR, Corporate Services & After-Market) & Member of the Group Executive Board, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said: "Today is a very significant day for the entire MFCWL family as we achieve yet another milestone in our journey. Over the past seven years we have not only emerged as India's leading used car company but have also contributed to the creation of a used car ecosystem by bridging wholesale and retail channels while leveraging physical and online infrastructure. But perhaps our greatest achievement has been the credibility that we have brought to an industry that was largely unorganised."

"Rising consumer confidence is driving demand for used cars in the country. This state-of-the-art dealership at NCR will help us tap into this growth trend. NCR is the biggest market and a strategically important one for the company. Aside from the metros, we have also been getting an excellent response from B and C category towns which is enabling us to expand faster. We are planning to close the year with 500 outlets and 1.5 lakh vehicle sales, both online and offline," said Dr Nagendra Palle, CEO, Mahindra First Choice Wheels.

Besides, the company aims to move through all possible channels of reaching out its consumers , as the brand follows the concept of ‘ Brick & Click.’

At Mahindra First Choice Wheels Limited, we are witnessing a transformational change in the way we operate, use of technology is bringing transparency and speed to the transactions. With a vision to create a used car ecosystem, we are enhancing and leveraging our physical and online presence.

"A strong retail franchise network of 400 plus outlets across 225 cities, forms the backbone of our operations and we are best positioned to deliver a Brick and Click experience to customers. We are creating value for all our stakeholders across the value chain through innovative and industry-first products for all our customers. Our strong franchisee network will play critical role in delivering products to the customers," said Yatin Chadha, Senior Vice President, Mahindra First choice wheels.

From its humble beginnings in 2007, when its first franchisee outlet was established, MFCWL has achieved a dominant status in retailing of multi-brand used cars in the country. The company is driven by its mission to transform the way used cars are retailed and has made several innovations along the way.

The list of innovations include developing a unique franchisee based business model, selling certified multi-brand used cars under warranty and offering the most comprehensive warranty product available on used cars in the country, in addition to a differentiated consumer experience through launch of its 'Highline' stores for selling high-end multi-brand used cars.

Apple plans big India push with 500 stores

Apple, the Cupertino-based world's most valuable electronics maker, has decided to go big in India. After being on the fringes for long, the company is finally set to cut loose in the fast-growing Indian phone market. The world's most admired electronics brand - that sells devices such as the iPhone, iPad tablet and iPod media player - plans 500 'iOS' stores in the country in its first major push that will include moving into smaller towns and cities. 

The company, which recently topped $700 billion in market cap in the US, has been in India since 2011, but not been a mainline brand here like many other overseas markets, including China. This is in contrast to its Korean rival Samsung that dominates the Indian phone market. 

"All this will change now. The company is finalizing plans to become a serious player in India, which is being seen as a strategic and one of the most promising markets globally," a top company source told TOI. 

The company sold around one million phones in India in the year ending September 2014 and expects the volume to treble this year and top 3 million. "And, it will only strengthen from here as the expansion starts and picks pace," another source said. 

Apple currently operates in India through two key distributors - Redington and Ingram, who in turn supply the products to regional distributors, multi-product trade channels and Apple Premium Re-seller stores and Apple Authorized Re-seller outlets. Redington is one of the biggest partners for Apple in India and accounts for nearly 70% of its sales. Puneet Narang, who heads Redington's marketing of iComm Strategic Business Unit, however, did not comment on Apple's plans. 

Sources said the company feels that there is "very high" potential for its products, including in smaller towns and cities like Amritsar, Pathankot, Moga, Coimbatore, Trichy, Nagpur and Nasik. Currently, the company is big in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai. "We are amazed at the purchasing power in smaller towns. The primary objective is to give a better and proper experience with adequate product demonstration," another source  added

The sources said Apple has "tentatively approved" the expansion proposal and will give a final go-ahead very soon, defining all the parameters and phases of expansion. "These new stores will be smaller in size and could range from 300-600 sq ft against over 2,000 sq ft size of existing stores in bigger cities." A franchise model is likely to be adopted and could be spearheaded by Redington. Apple is also expected to increase spending for direct advertising in India, apart from publicity undertaken by the distributors.. 

Liv India Group plans to double franchisee outlets to 100

Liv India Group is planning to double its car-cleaning outlets to 100 in the next one year, largely through the franchisee route. 

"Considering the population of car owners in India, there is a huge requirement of car wash centres here. 

"Mechanised car-cleaning system is already a USD 5.97 billion business in the US with more than 14,414 successful outlets and in India it is just at the threshold of picking up," Liv India Management Vice-President Jasmeet Singh said in a statement issued here today. 

In India, the car wash industry has grown from as simple as hand wash to sophisticated high impact pressure jet wash technology. 

However, these services are currently available at authorised service centres of car manufacturers or independent roadside garages where the former is over-priced due to passing of high infra cost of real estate and staff over-heads while the latter lacks transparency in operations. 

The company has two franchisee models, including Speed Car Wash (a stationed car wash) with a total investment of Rs 15-18 lakh and Cozi Cars (a mobile car detailing concept) between Rs 8-9 lakh, apart from 1,000 square feet of real estate space. 

Establishing its first car wash outlet in Ludhiana in 2011 by importing technology and equipment from Italy, Liv India group envisages a huge potential of this business in the country, wherein by 2025 every third car manufactured in the world will be sold in India. 

"The average annual revenue of speed car wash franchisee centre is approximately Rs 36 lakh and can be achieved by doing 15 to 20 cars a day, with several services priced between Rs 300- 3,500," Singh added.

Woodland to expand footprint via franchise model

Outdoor adventure brand Woodland India is working on a strong franchise store model to grow its presence in smaller cities and towns. It plans to expand into adventure sports gear through large format stores and is also looking to expand to newer international markets.

Woodland Managing Director Harkirat Singh said: “We believe we need to have a strong franchise model as we are looking to expand in more small cities and towns. We are testing the waters with franchise stores and already have about seven-eight of them in the pipeline.”

Singh said the company needs to build a system to ensure the experience across company-owned and franchise stores is consistent. At present, Woodland largely sells its products through company-owned, multi-brand and shop-n-shop stores. The company runs over 480 stores and is in the process of ramping it up by 50-60 stores this year.

Woodland, present across 20 countries, is next looking to expand in Slovakia, Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.

The company marked its entry into China earlier this year. “In markets like China, we are taking our time and if those markets work out, they offer a huge potential,” said Singh. The company is now offering outdoor adventure gear, such as tents, kayaks and mountaineering products, and plans to open large format stores to stock these products. “Adventure sports were non-existent earlier, but now there is growth not only in metros but also in smaller towns. Consumers ask us for specialised backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, etc,” he said.

Since its stores in metros lack enough space, Woodland plans to open super-stores in the suburbs of key cities. For starters, it will have four such super-stores.

Woodland’s Innovation Labs have introduced new product design technologies based on feedback from professionals who work in harsh climates, Singh said.

These include ‘Superlight,’ ‘Heat Lock’ and ‘Storm Breaker’ technologies in jackets, especially meant for adventure sports enthusiasts.

The company said it has almost doubled its turnover over the past five years and touched the ₹1,000 crore-mark last fiscal. It expects this to grow to ₹1,300 crore by FY15.

Juice Lounge To Take Its Outlet Count To 100 In 2015

Juice Lounge, a health cafe and juice bar  has plans to take its outlet count from 50+ to around 100 by the next year. The brand aims to provide its patrons with great tasting nutritious juices, power juices, boosters, shakes, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas and more.

The brand was started in 2005 and is now present in four countries with 60+ cities. Juice Lounge is planning to open more than 50+ outlets in tier II and III cities. With great sales in tier II and III cities such as Karnal (Haryana) Moga, Mohali (Punjab) Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), the market just seems to be right for the brand.

Manav Shital, Co- Founder, Juice Lounge says: “We have got great training and support programs for our franchisees which helps them to operate with ease. Recently, we opened our outlet at Ghaziabad and Tiruvannamalai and the response is overwhelming from both these outlets. We are following franchise route for faster expansion, sharing profits with franchisees.”

Juice Lounge takes great pride in maintaining utmost quality while creating and making their products. Juice Lounge offers its  customers with the best quality of juices and other eatables to gain their trust. Owned by Vertigo India Food & Beverages, Juice Lounge has also entered Doha and Maldives. Vertigo India Food & Beverages has done exclusive association with investors abroad to grow the brand ‘Juice Lounge’ in the Middle East and the Far East Asia.

PizzaExpress forays into Delhi NCR

PizzaExpress recently forayed into Delhi NCR with its first outlet at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. The brand presently has six outlets in Mumbai and Thane. Established in 1965 in London, PizzaExpress operates over 500 restaurants around the world in 14 different countries. The first outlet was launched in India in 2012, at Colaba in Mumbai, in partnership with Gourmet Investments, a company promoted by the Bharti Family Office. They are now planning to open another outlet in Gurgaon. Gourmet holds the exclusive master franchise rights for the PizzaExpress brand for India and South Asia including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives.

Talking about the launch, Sanjay Nandrajog, CEO, Atrium Restaurants India, which manages PizzaExpress in India, stated, “Our consumer research has shown that Delhi’s customers are looking for something new and unique in the casual dining sector as well as the Italian restaurant space, something that PizzaExpress could readily offer.” Atrium Restaurants India is a subsidiary of Gourmet Investments and a licensee of PizzaExpress.

Believing in serving authentic Italian pizza, Nandrajog said, “There is a vast difference between the ‘Americanised pizzas’ that are served by other brands here and the pizzas at PizzaExpress. However, based on our customer research and feedback, we have introduced certain food items to our menu to cater to the local tastes while retaining our authentic Italian focus like Apollo Pizza with tandoori chicken and Melanzane Piccante with Aubergines. PizzaExpress, UK is fully committed to helping us build the best western casual dining brand in India.”

Taco Bell Is Hungry for Global Expansion

Taco Bell is ready to serve up Waffle Tacos everywhere from Peru to India.

Taco Bell announced plans to add 1,300 new locations internationally by 2023 -- a significant increase from its current 250 locations overseas. The increase in international units would, by the company's estimates, generate an additional $2 billion in sales.

Growth will be focused in European, Asian and South American countries including the U.K., Korea, Japan, Chile, Peru and India.

The chain franchises 250 restaurants in 26 countries internationally -- notably less than its Yum Brands sister chains, KFC and Pizza Hut. KFC especially relies on international sales, with more than 4,600 restaurants in China making up about a third of total global KFC locations.

The international focus is part of Taco Bell's larger plan to become a $14 billion brand by 2022.  In addition to the influx of international locations, Taco Bell also plans to add 2,000 restaurants domestically. Right now, the chain has nearly 6,000 locations in the U.S., opening a record-setting 200 new restaurants domestically in 2014.

Taco Bell has celebrated a strong year keeping things domestic. Taco Bell reliably increased sales and maintained social media buzz throughout 2014. Now it's time to see if the success can continue overseas.  

Mother Dairy To Tap South India

Mother Dairy, one of the leading dairy major in the country is entering Chennai after test marketing its product in the southern market for almost two years. New Delhi based Mother Dairy will launch its products in Chennai within a month. The company is eyeing 15-20 per cent business from South Indian market and will enter in cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Sandeep Ghosh, Business Head (Milk, Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable), Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Pvt Ltd says: “We are looking at Chennai market very closely. It offers a huge potential. In a month or so, we will launch products in Chennai. The company is growing at 20 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) and is eyeing Rs 10,000 crore businesses by 2017 and of that dairy business will be Rs 7,500 crore.”

The brand which is a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board is also planning to expand its presence in the country. Mother Dairy is planning to set up 6,000 outlets in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad in next six months.

GAS OPENS FLAGSHIP IN MUMBAI

Gas has recently opened a new flagship store in Mumbai, inside High Street Phoenix, one of the most significant shopping malls of the city and a location that gathers some of the best international fashion brands along with a wide selection of entertainment offers. The new concept store reinterprets some of the brand’s most iconic interior decor elements in a very innovative way.. 
  
Gas strongly believes in the importance to expand in India, a market whose economy is evolving fast and whose population is among the youngest globally. The new Mumbai flagship store adds up to the already existing 46 stores spread among the country’s major cities. Out of this, there are shop-in-shops based inside chain stores and department stores such as Shoppers Stop, Kapsons and Iconix, with 11 additional monobrand stores in Mumbai, Delhi, Ludhiana, Hyderabad, Chandigarth, Chennai, Thane, in addition to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Pune and Delhi again, which opened throughout 2014. 
  
The presence of Gas in India is constantly expanding as the result of the master franchise agreement with the Indian group Reliance Brands Ltd, a solid and established company. Gas has found a partner with whom it can share common vision, strategies and targets for the future, while respecting values and identity. 
  
“For the next five years our common aim is to make Gas become a major player in the premium lifestyle market niche with a thorough distribution network and a strong reputation for our target – open-minded and cosmopolitan young professionals who are conscious about the latest trends and look for the best from international fashion for both their working occasions and leisure time,” commented Claudio Grotto, founder and president of Gas, while inaugurating the Mumbai store.