Burger Singh to open 40 outlets in Gujarat

Burger Singh, a brand of fusion burgers has signed a master franchise deal in Gujarat through which it will open 40 outlets in the next two years in various cities, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot. 

The 40 outlets will be a mix of dine-in and take away outlets along with some strategically placed cloud kitchens. The Master Franchise will seek suitable sub-franchisees in the area, stated an official release on Friday.

“Gujarat has a vibrant food market with huge potential… There is also a massive market for vegetarian food. We are already known for our wide range of vegetarian burgers, and we are introducing some very special vegetarian products, especially for Gujarat,” said Rahul Seth, Chief of Staff, Burger Singh. The company already has 50 outlets in the country.

The Master Franchise in Gujarat has been taken up by Balaji FoodWorks, a company established by entrepreneurs Harshil Soni and Yash Patel.

 

Radisson Hotels to introduce Spanish cuisine in India

Radisson Hotel Group has signed an exclusive master franchise agreement (MFA) with Tapas Club, a Singapore-based food and drink (F&D) brand, to roll out a series of stylish Spanish restaurants across its extensive portfolio of hotels in India. 

Under the new deal, Radisson Hotel Group will have exclusive use of the Tapas Club name in India, allowing it to introduce premium Spanish cuisine to its guests, who are always on the lookout for new experiences. These lively restaurants will also attract local residents and non-resident guests to dine at Radisson Hotel Group’s hotels. 

“Tapas Club is an excellent strategic fit for our business in India, where F&D trends point to the rising popularity of innovative cuisine. We are excited to introduce a new era of dynamic Spanish dining, tailored to Indian palates, to our hotels across the country. We aim to become flagbearers of Spanish cuisine in India,” Katerina Giannouka, president, Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group, said.

The company plans to open more than 10 restaurants in the next four years and will deploy top chefs trained in Spanish cuisine across its Indian hotels and resorts.

Tapas Club was conceived to bring contemporary Spanish cuisine to the Asian market. Already present in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, its restaurants specialize in authentic dishes that embrace the vibrant colors and flavors of the Iberian Peninsula. This makes it the perfect addition to the Indian F&D market, where diners – especially millennials – are increasingly seeking fresh and unique culinary adventures. According to a study by Deloitte, millennials now account for 34% of India’s population and spend almost a third of their disposable income on entertainment and eating out. 

“We are delighted to bring Tapas Club to India and look forward to adding value to our esteemed guests and partners. F&D is an important area for our business in India and we are exploring strategic tie-ups with other leading, high-quality culinary brands to further uplift our presence in this sphere,” Zubin Saxena, MD and VP, operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, said.

Rakesh Sethi, Radisson Hotel Group’s corporate executive chef in India, will work alongside the Tapas Club team to create extraordinary dishes that blend Indian flavours with Iberian flair. The menu will comprise of specialty dishes such as paella, Spanish omelette, croquettes, contemporary tapas and delectable desserts. All dishes will reflect Indian palates, with plenty of vegetarian options.

“It is our privilege to partner with Radisson Hotel Group in India, where the brand has operated for over 20 years and earned a huge brand equity. We are working with experts like chef Sethi, to delve deep into India's rich culinary culture and develop new dishes that will delight foodies all over the country,” Jose Alonso, executive chef, Tapas Club, said.

Radisson Hotel Group now operates 94 hotels in India and this strategic partnership with Tapas Club is the latest in a series of moves to enhance the group's F&D offerings in India, the company added.

Subway opens its 600th outlet in India

Sandwich chain Subway opened its 600th outlet in India at Bharuch, Gujarat, pointing to a growing preference for restaurants serving fresh and customizable on-the-go menu, according to a release.

Subway, which calls itself the world's largest sandwich restaurant chain, operates over 44,000 restaurants in 112 countries.

"Credit goes to all our franchisees who play a major role as the brand's growth drivers in the country. We aim to accelerate our development plans by expanding in both metro and non-metro locations," Ranjit Talwar, Country Head, Subway Systems India, was quoted as saying.

Subway, a family-owned enterprise set up 50 years ago, operates on a franchise model, and there are no company-owned outlets.

Franchisees are provided with "customised operational manuals, training programme, and backend support, including for marketing, advertising and business mentorship by the brand", the release said.

The National Restaurant Association of India's latest "Food Services" report expects the restaurant industry in India to contribute about 2.1 per cent to the GDP by 2021.

Subway, which opened its first outlet in India in 2001, currently has a presence in 70 Indian cities.

(This story has not been edited by our staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Burger King opens 20th outlet in India

American fast-food chain Burger King on Tuesday rolled out its 20th outlet in India with the opening of a restaurant in west Delhi's Rajouri Garden. 

The chain known for its Whopper burgers entered India in November last year through a franchisee agreement with private equity fund Everstone Capital and the company has so far opened outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Chandigarh. 

"This is the ninth outlet in the NCR (National Capital Region) including the one in Gurgaon," said Jaspal Singh Sabharwal, partner with Everstone, which holds a 25-year master franchisee agreement with Burger King. 

In India, the chain is competing with McDonald's, Johnny Rockets, Dunkin Donuts and a number of other American burger chains. 

Nando’s to open more restaurants in India

South African restaurant chain Nando’s is planning to open 12 more restaurants in India at an investment of around $12 million (about Rs.75 crore), taking the tally to 20 by the end of 2017.

“We plan to add 12 more Nando’s restaurants across India by 2017-end and will be investing around $12 million for the expansion. This does not include the land cost as the properties will be on a long-term lease,” Nando’s India Chief Executive Officer, Sumeet Yadav  said.

The new restaurants will be in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai Mumbai and Pune, he added.

The company presently has eight restaurants with three in Delhi, two each in Punjab and Chennai and one in Bengaluru, he said, adding investments for the expansion would be funded by the parent company.

Commenting on the business model adopted for India, Yadav said: “All the new restaurants will be company owned as Nando’s believes in the long-term potential of India.”

Except for the three restaurants in Delhi that are owned through a joint venture with Janpath restaurants, the remaining outlets are company owned, he added.

The company was started in 1987 by two friends Fernando Duarte and Robbie Brozin with a restaurant in Johannesburg in South Africa. The chain currently has over 1,200 restaurants in 25 countries across five continents.

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.

Arby's look towards India as the next growth market

Arby's, the second largest quick service restaurant sandwich chain in U.S. is looking to capture the palette-share of global food lovers. 

India is a focus country for Arby's, which has been serving innovative meat recipes for the past 50 years and is now 3,400 restaurants strong chain.

Founded in 1964, Arby's is the first nationally franchised sandwich restaurant brand with nearly 3,400 restaurants worldwide. 

The Arby's brand purpose is to "inspire smiles through delicious experiences." Arby's delivers on its purpose by celebrating the art of Meatcraft™ with a variety of high-quality proteins and innovative, crave-able sides, such as Curly Fries and Jamocha shakes.

 Arby's Fast Crafted™ restaurant services feature a unique blend of quick-serve speed combined with the quality and made-for-you care of fast casual. Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. is the franchisor of the Arby's Brand and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Arby's is looking to develop the Indian market through Master Franchise.

Subway opened an all-women operated outlet in Mumbai

Quick service restaurant chain Subway on 6 March 2015 opened an all-women operated outlet at Andheri, Mumbai to mark the International Women's day on 8 March.

With the new outlet opening in suburban Andheri, the Connecticut-based company's store count has now reached 500 in India.

Subway entered India in 2001. It operates in 70 cities across the country and has plans to take its total number of stores to 1000 by 2018. It is targeting tier II, tier III cities to fuel its growth plans.

Subway is an American fast food restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches (subs) and salads. It is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world, with 43035 restaurants in 108 countries and territories.

It is the largest single-brand restaurant chain and the largest restaurant operator globally.

Grasshoppers bags creative mandate for Big Wong

Kurt Vonnegut wrote in Jailbird that “You can’t just eat good food. You’ve got to talk about it too. And you’ve got to talk about it to somebody who understands that kind of food.” So, when the team of Grasshoppers, who happen to be die-hard foodies, went to a restaurant which serves delectable oriental cuisine, they realised that they had come across a rare gem which deserves proper promotion. After numerous rounds of discussion with the brand owners and a realisation that both parties shared the same vision for promoting the quirky concept, Grasshoppers bagged the creative mandate for Big Wong.

Big Wong is an oriental cuisine brand which is fast gaining popularity in Delhi-NCR’s culinary circles. It currently has two outlets in Gurgaon and plans to launch around 10 more outlets in the NCR region within a year. The brand is also contemplating a pan-India expansion through a franchise model. Unlike other oriental cuisine restaurant brands, Big Wong’s concentration is not on the dine-in concept. With an emphasis on lip-smacking food rather than on a lavish ambience, the brand is focussing on the take-away and home delivery models. The 360-degree advertising campaign that is being conceptualised by Grasshoppers will be promoting these services in an interesting, out-of-the-box way.

Rajan Chanana, Partner, Big Wong, said, “Over the next five years, we aim to make Big Wong the first choice for India’s oriental food home delivery and take-away needs. We are very passionate about our brand and know that the quality of food being served at all our outlets has the potential to make Big Wong a major player in the segment within a few years. The right marketing strategy is very important for us to achieve our objective, and that is why we have partnered with Grasshoppers, as their approach was completely in sync with our vision.”

Grasshoppers will be focussing on various media platforms, including print advertisements, radio campaigns and outdoors, for reaching out to the target audience. The agency is also working on a new theme for each Big Wong outlet, as the brand wants to offer a unique experience to customers at various outlets. Moreover, Grasshoppers’ digital marketing wing, Grownups, will be promoting Big Wong on various social media platforms.

“For a bunch of food lovers who develop brand promotion strategies day in and day out, working with an F&B brand is the best possible thing. When an emerging industry player with immense potential and mind-blowing food comes your way wanting you to be as fun and unconventional as you would like to be in your creative approach, it’s like a dream come true. My team is raring to go and some very interesting ideas are being cooked up in our studio for Big Wong,” said Arjun Banerjee, Director, Grasshoppers.

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.

Burger King to open 12 outlets in India over three months

American fast food chain Burger King will open 12 outlets in India over the next two-three months, six each in Delhi and Mumbai. According to people familiar with the burger chain’s plans, the brand will roll out its first outlet in the capital in less than a month at a prominent mall in South Delhi, followed by the rest in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai. With an investment of up to Rs.2-2.5 crore per outlet, Burger King is eyeing other potential locations like Pune, Chennai and Bangalore. To be sure, Burger King is launching in Asia’s third largest economy where a spurt in disposable incomes has led to a rise in out-of-home food consumption, pushing chains such as Domino’s, McDonald’s and KFC to expand. Burger King has spent the last six to eight months working on its menu that will result in some India-specific modifications in dressings for Indian consumers. The company will start with its vegetarian and chicken burgers, and subsequently add lamb burgers to its menu. 

Sagar Ratna Seeks Partners In East & Central India

One of the leading South Indian restaurant chains,Sagar Ratna is looking at expansion in Central and East India. The brand was established in 1986, with its first outlet in Defence Colony.  Its branches are spread across India and Sagar Ratna currently operates 89 restaurants, out of which 44 are company owned and 45 restaurants are franchisee-run.  

As per Muralikrishna Parna, CEO, Sagar Ratna: “We are in the consolidating phase presently. We are seeking Master Franchisees for Central and East India. I think cities in East India have a lot of potential that needs to be explored.”

With its mission to provide great taste and good quality food along with memorable service in a clean and simple ambience, Sagar Ratna caters to approximately eight lakh customers across Delhi and NCR in a month.  The menu offers a wide range of authentic mouthwatering delicacies, with its newest offering being the summer menu “flavourful twists”- with first ever introduction of flavourful idlis, fusion dosas, Sparking sodas and Mojitos, and lot more.

The USP of the brand is that they strive to keep food fresh at all times. Each dish as well as accompaniments like chutneys are prepared fresh every day and are made several times throughout the day at all Sagar Ratna outlets. The ambience and décor of the Sagar Ratna’s restaurant is traditional yet contemporary, keeping in mind the taste and changing trends of the society. The ambience with its vibrant orange colour radiates an atmosphere of liveliness; the aroma of fresh filtered coffee reflects the rich and exquisite cuisine of South India.

Domino’s Aims To Target Tier II, III Cities For Expansion

Strengthening its presence in tier II and III cities, Domino’s Pizza has opened two restaurants one each in Gorakhpur and Udaipur.In the last one year, Domino’s Pizza has aggressively strengthened its presence in cities including Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Korba (Chhattisgarh), Rajahmundry (AP), Aligarh (UP), Hoshiarpur (Punjab), Belgaum (Karnataka), Dharamshala (HP) and Rangpo (Sikkim).

Commenting on the expansion, Ajay Kaul, CEO, Jubilant FoodWorks Limited said: “We are extremely happy to be expanding our footprint on way to achieving our ambition of being in the vicinity of every pizza lover in the country. We would like to thank all our loyal customers, whose love and loyalty for the brand has been our constant motivation in this success journey and we are confident that we will become the restaurant of choice for all pizza lovers.”

While, Harneet Singh Rajpal, Senior Vice-President-Marketing, Domino’s Pizza India said, “Every restaurant that we launch in a new city brings us closer to our consumers and helps us deliver the best of our products and services to them. Over the last decade, we have been the fastest growing food service company in India and have successfully pioneered innovative concepts and products for the Indian taste palette. I would like to thank all our consumers who have shown immense love and support for us and our brand. I hope new restaurants help all the pizza lovers here to celebrate their moments of happiness and create wonderful memories with their loved ones.” 

Jubilant FoodWorks Limited is part of Jubilant Bhartia group and one of India’s largest food service companies, with a network of 795 Domino’s Pizza restaurants across 166 cities.

Dunkin' Donuts launches Bengaluru outlet; first in South India

Jubilant FoodWorks, master franchise for Dunkin' Donuts today said it has entered South India's market with its launch of an outlet in Bengaluru.

The company, in a statement said, Dunkin' Donuts outlet was launched in Bengaluru's Brigade Road.

Commenting on launch, Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd CEO Ajay Kaul said "After making an excellent connect with the young adult consumers in Delhi and Mumbai, we are excited to start our south journey with our Bengaluru launch."

"We plan to steadily expand through the year across North, West and South India. With the evolution of the young adult Indian consumer, we feel very confident that Dunkin' Donuts will resonate very strongly with its unique positioning in the Indian food service industry," he added.

With this launch, Dunkin' Donuts has 36 outlets in the country.

Malaysian brand Marrybrown to expand food outlets in India

Sensing a growing demand for fried chicken, burgers in tier 2 and 3 cities Malaysian quick service restaurant chain Marrybrown will be expanding its foot print in southern India, said a top official.

Marrybrown will also be adding more dishes to its menu card mid-September, he said.

"We are seeing growth in smaller towns like Rajapalayam, Dindugul and other places in Tamil Nadu. We would like to leverage the first mover advantage by opening outlets in smaller towns in the southern states," Ajith, director, MGM Entertainments Pvt Ltd, the master franchisee for Marrybrown in India.

According to him, the chain is also open to have its outlets in hotels located in second or third tier towns.

"By the end of this fiscal we would like to increase our number of outlets to 75 from the current 48 (44 in Tamil Nadu, two each in Bangalore and Kochi). The expansion will be through a mix of owned and franchisee outlets. For every five franchisee outlets we will have an owned one," he added.

He said the investment needed in smaller towns is not high unlike what is needed to set up an outlet in major cities.

"People are aware of global brands in smaller towns. A major competitor brand is becoming generic in those markets," he added.

According to Ajith, the Marrybrown chain in India is not stuck to fried chicken and burgers but also offers flavoured rice and even biryani to cater to the local palate.

"We offer equal number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes," Ajith said.

Speaking of the new launches, Ajith said the chain would added Muncheez (fried chicken with masala powder to the sprinkled separately), egg burger, corn cheese burger and corn cheese nuggets.

He said the masala powder comes from Marrybrown's headquarters in Malaysia.

"Most of the food innovations happen in Malaysian headquarters and we pick up what is suitable for our market," Ajith said.

However the Indian company's own launch was the Chicken Poppers, an idea derived from popcorn.

Lord of the Fries to enter India

Vegetarian fast food franchise, Lord of the Fries has signed an agreement that will see it open 50 stores in India within the next 10 years, if not earlier. 

Richard McDonnell of McDonnell McPhee & Associates, the company that negotiated the deal, told Franchising the first outlet will open its doors by 31 March, 2015. 

“Directors are currently in India setting up supply chains, so it is all systems go.

“It's a master franchise agreement – an Indian group from Singapore have acquired the rights, they are Indian residents from Singapore." 

He added Lord of the Fries’ Indian menu will be adapted to suit the local market. 

LuLu International Group Acquires MENA Franchise of Galito's for F&B Division Tablez

Tablez Food Company, the F&B arm of LuLu International Group, has announced a franchise agreement with Galito's, a South African casual dining restaurant chain.
 
Galito's offers authentic flame-grilled chicken cooked to perfection using fresh and natural ingredients. Since its inception in 1996 in South Africa, Galito's has rapidly expanded its operations to develop a strong market presence in the rest of Africa and Canada.
The exclusive franchise agreement mandates Tablez Food Company (TFC) to develop the Galito's brand across the Middle East, India and Sri Lanka.

In the UAE, the Group is actively looking at strategic locations to open its outlets, and is set to launch its first restaurant in the country in the fourth quarter of 2014. TFC aims to invest over AED55 million towards the launch of 15 outlets in the UAE within next four years. In India, TFC plans to invest US$10 million to launch 10 outlets within the next five years

Shafeena Yusuff Ali, CEO, Tablez Food Company, said: "Tablez Food Company is continuously seeking to expand its portfolio by introducing world-class F&B brands that cater to the region's diverse culinary preferences. Our choice of partners is backed by a profound understanding of customer preferences, and we are confident that Galito's, an exceptional brand known for its healthy and delicious food options, will find a high uptake in the region."


Louis Germishuys, CEO - Galito's, said: "We are excited to partner with Tablez Food Company, which has in-depth knowledge and experience of the region's F&B scene and enjoys a significant international market presence. In our bid to provide customers with fresh made-to-order meals, we use the healthiest natural ingredients in our marinade and bastings at Galito's. We look forward to bringing our customised meal options to the Middle East's health-conscious diners." Galito's' entry into the Middle East is rooted in its core vision to emerge as a global brand in its category. The agreement with Tablez Food Company marks a significant step forward in its international expansion strategy.

Canadian cafe chain Tim Hortons plans India foray

Tim Hortons, the largest quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain in Canada, is planning to enter the Indian market.Tim Hortons has been scouting for a franchisee partner.

“Over the last 4-5 months the Canadian cafe chain has been speaking to several people regarding a franchise agreement. They are yet to finalise on a partner but talks are in progress,” said a person privy to the development.

A global retail consultant working with several global cafe majors too confirmed that Tim Hortons has been looking for an India partner.

Another industry official also familiar with the development said the company is likely to adopt a similar franchisee strategy it did while entering Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.

“They tied up with Apparel FZCO and the Dubai-based Apparel to expand in the Gulf market, so its likely that in the Indian market too they will be looking at a big franchisee partner of similar strength and standing.”

However, in an email response, the company said it did not have any plans at this time to expand into India.

Tim Hortons officials had earlier mentioned in 2010 that going ahead they will be looking at exploring new markets such as India and China, but will enter when they have a detailed plan chalked out.

Considering that the sales in the developed markets such as the US have been under tremendous pressure, it is not surprising that cafe chains are looking at nascent market, said retail experts.

Since the Indian cafe market is slowly becoming bigger, more players have been evaluating an India entry. The organised (or upmarket) Indian cafe market is estimated to have notched up sales of Rs1,246 crore in 2012 and the the figure is expected to bubble up to Rs2,222 crore by 2017, as per Technopak estimates.

Source : dna exclusive

Puffs n Rolls rolls out its expansion plans

Nashik based Puffs 'n' Rolls, is planning to tap the Indian market by expanding its presence at more locations via franchise route. The brand is looking for potential franchisees from different cities across India who possesses passion for food. Puffs ‘n’ rolls is not only limited to Cafe but has a great extension of bakery products.  
Currently, the brand operates four stores under its network.  Shahrukh H. Patel, Director, Puffs n Rolls said, “After spending a good amount of time, learning, evaluating concepts, practicing them we are now ready to Franchise. We have all the operational strength, product R&D, brand association, food menu, support system to franchise partners and everything required to expand via franchise route and we believe in customer satisfaction whether he is a visitor to our store or my franchise owner. We treat our franchisees as our co-partners and give them complete hand holding on a regular basis with new product, new practice training at no added cost.”
With a motto to serve good food even better, Puffs n Rolls is offering its franchise opportunity to all the epicures under two models- Full fledged Cafe-Bake shop format and  PNR Celebration which is a Cake Shop with Cafe format.   

Fiesta's Pollo Tropical Now in India

Florida-based Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. 's ( FRGI ) subsidiary Pollo Tropical, which mainly serves Caribbean foods, has finally unveiled its first franchised outlet in Delhi, the capital of India. The latest opening came in the wake of the signing of a development agreement with franchisee, Paramount Cuisines Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of the Paramount Group in Aug 2012.
The restaurant is strategically positioned in the popular shopping mall, DLF Place, Saket. We believe that Delhi is a strategic fit for entering the country as it is home to the country's many government organizations, IT firms, well-known universities and research institutes. With more than 50 shopping malls already in action and dozens under construction, Delhi remains one of the vital locations in India.
Delhi-based Paramount Cuisines will unveil nine more Pollo Tropical outlets in India by 2016. The restaurants will be located in Northern India, comprising several important locations like National Capital Region, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana.
Both Pollo Tropical and Paramount believe that its chicken options will appeal to Indian taste buds. Additionally, the restaurateur's already-strong vegetarian offerings can successfully cater to the huge vegetarian population of India.
According to a report by the U.S. Commercial Service, the middle-income population in India is burgeoning and will grow tenfold by 2025. The growth in the income of the larger populace also makes India a lucrative investment proposition. Furthermore, the report reveals that Delhi is expected to be one of the world's largest metropolises by 2025 following the rapid urbanization.
Hence, these openings reflect the Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company's intent to make India one of the prime markets for international expansion. The strategy is likely to be successful because of the growing economy and under-penetration of quick-service restaurants as compared with saturated North American countries.
However, following the growing demand for American dining brands in India, other restaurateurs like Yum! Brands Inc. ( YUM ), Domino's Pizza, Inc. ( DPZ ) and McDonald's Inc. ( MCD ) are also making their presence felt in the country.