The Great Khali eyes gym chain

The professional wrestler Dalip Singh Rana, better known by his ring name The Great Khali, to flex his muscles at the gym, is planning to set up 50 gyms in India in a year and then look abroad. The USP being a combination of gym with fitness and wrestling.

‘’The theme of the gyms would look like a wrestling ring. As members enter the gym, Khali will greet them with an automated voice message. There will be a Khali gallery, which will display and sell merchandise like clothes and boots,’’ says Ankur Makan, Khali’s man handling the project.

To be launched as the The Great Khali Gym & Fitness Club, the large format gyms spread across 4,500-5,000 sq ft will come with unique features like a lounge, kids area, the Khali gallery, marathon track and usual ones like two spas, two Jacuzzis, sweat room, which can be used by 40-45 people at any given time. Users will have to shell out Rs 27,000-28,000 a year, which is similar to what premium gyms charge in Indian metros. 

Khali’s franchisees will have to invest Rs 3.5 crore in gym infrastructure, including approximately Rs 35 lakh sign-up fees to be paid to Khali. A franchisee will also incur variable costs of Rs 50-60 lakh a year, but can hope to make revenues of Rs 3.5 crore a year. ‘’Assuming a gym can get 700 members, it can make Rs 2 crore per annum purely from gym revenues. Plus, it could hope to make Rs 1.5 crore in revenues from the lounge, the Khali gallery, self-defence training for kids, zumba, aerobics, power yoga,’’ says Makan.

The lounge will sell food supplements like protein bars that sell for Rs 2,000/kg while the gallery will sell merchandise for wrestling. These are likely to be the two key non-gym revenues, says Makan. Every gym will be personally inaugurated by Khali. ‘’He doesn’t want to compromise on the service parameters like hygiene, personal trainers, and wants to ensure that it doesn’t spoil his name,’’ says Makan. 

The first gym will come up in Jaipur by January, and the second one in Delhi. Gyms in Tier-II or Tier-III cities will be smaller— these will have fewer machines, and one spa and one Jacuzzi. Khali is doing this project under Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE), his company which has set up a wrestling academy in Jalandhar in Punjab that has over 350 students. After India, Khali wants to open gyms in markets like the US, Canada and Dubai, where he enjoys good following.

Burman Hospitality Launches First Taco Bell Outlet

Taco Bell, the world’s largest Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain made its debut in New Delhi with its first outlet at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj. Taco Bell announced the Delhi launch with Burman Hospitality Private Limited (BHPL), its first franchisee in India incorporated by The Burman Family, the promoters of Dabur. In addition to the grand opening in New Delhi, Taco Bell has six restaurants in Mumbai and Bangalore. Taco Bell with Burman Hospitality Private Limited aims to take the count to 25 restaurants in the next 18-24 months.

The new restaurant’s contemporary design is inspired by its Mexican-style cuisine and the brand’s California-based heritage. It has an urban fresh look which brings to life the brand’s belief in freshness and made-to-order food which can be seen from the open kitchen. The 75-seater Delhi restaurant will offer international classics like Crunchy Taco Supreme, Crunchwrap and Burritos as well as Kathitto developed especially for India to suit the local palate.

Speaking about the launch Unnat Varma, General Manager – Taco Bell & Pizza Hut said: “Delhi fans have been asking for Taco Bell in their city and we are excited to offer our signature Mexican-inspired food and break-through value to our consumers here who have a youthful spirit. With a strong proof of concept in Bangalore and Mumbai, we are now eager to increase our footprint across India and are delighted to work with Burman Hospitality as part of our expansion strategy into northern states including New Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh and Uttarakhand.”

On the other side, Gaurav Burman, Director, Burman Hospitality Private Limited said: “We are delighted and honoured to work with Yum, the largest restaurant company in the world to grow Taco Bell in India. We believe Taco Bell with its differentiated and innovative product offering will win the hearts and stomachs of the Indian consumer. We look forward to opening Taco Bell restaurants across India and making it the most successful QSR brand in the country.”

Founded in 1962 by former U.S. Marine Glen Bell in Downey, California, Taco Bell proudly serves made-to-order and customisable tacos, burritos, and other specialties with bold flavours, quality ingredients, breakthrough value, and best in class customer service to over 36 million customers weekly across the globe. Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchise organisations have more than 6,000 restaurants across the United States and continue to grow with over 250 restaurants internationally including Latin America, Europe and Asia.