Wai Wai Noodles to Invest Rs 250 Crore in India

Nepal's CG Foods, makers of the popular Wai Wai noodles, plans to invest Rs 250 crore in India to open quick service restaurants (QSRs) in next 5 years.

CG Corp Global, which plans to open 1,500 noodle bars across the world under the brand 'Wai Wai City’.

However, the company did not specify the number of outlets it will open in the country.

"With this new format, we offer...whole new world of taste and flavours. For us this is the beginning of an exciting journey," CG Corp Global Executive Director Varun Chaudhary said.

Wai Wai City will be spread across various formats – food courts, self-standing kiosks, standalone outlets, highway format etc, he added.

CG Foods announced a foray into the European market by opening its first manufacturing plant in Serbia.

Positioned strategically at Ruma in Serbia in Central Europe, the Wai Wai plant will help the company cater to the neighbouring countries. With this plant, CG Foods' total units producing Wai Wai noodles has gone up to 15, of which 8 are based in India.

Gwalior gets its first SUBWAY® restaurant

SUBWAY®, the world’s largest quick service restaurant chain,  opened its first restaurant in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Known for its fresh and delectable sandwiches and salads, SUBWAY® is already present in the state’s key urban centres comprising Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur. Globally, SUBWAY® has more than 44,000 restaurants in 111 countries.

Speaking on this occasion, Mr Abhishek Bahety, Development Agent, Madhya Pradesh, SUBWAY® India, said, ”SUBWAY’s franchise business model coupled with its globally appealing menu offerings make it an attractive investment opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs. This is the ninth SUBWAY restaurant in Madhya Pradesh and we hope to expand this number by exploring opportunities in other centres/cities within the state.” 

The new SUBWAY® restaurant is conveniently located in Dindayal City Mall, a popular landmark in the city. SUBWAY® restaurants are completely owned by local franchisees who are entrepreneurs that love the opportunity to work hands-on. Training to franchisees is provided through SUBWAY®’s world headquarters in Milford, Connecticut, USA; five regional offices and various country offices across the globe. The franchisees are supported by dedicated locally-based Development Agents, and their staff.

“This development is in line with our plans to widen SUBWAY’s footprint in metro and non-metro locations including tier II and tier III cities,” said Mr Ranjit Talwar, Country Head, Subway Systems India Private Limited.

SUBWAY®’s menu offers customers a wide array of low-fat vegetarian and non-vegetarian submarine sandwiches (subs) and salads options to choose from. Paneer Tikka, Veggie Delite and Aloo Patty are some popular vegetarian-subs offered at SUBWAY®. In the non-vegetarian category, Roasted Chicken, Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tandoori subs are well-loved by customers. The brand also has popular everyday-value offers for customers like Sub Of The Day and has recently introduced a new snacking product – SubWrap, at an attractive entry level price-point. SUBWAY® has also opened fully-vegetarian restaurants in select Indian cities. 

SUBWAY® has a strong presence in all the major Indian metros. The sandwich chain which celebrated its 50th anniversary in August 2015, presently operates 551 restaurants in India spread across more than 70 cities.

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.

Taco bell rings its bell in Mumbai

America’s Mexican fast food restaurant chain, Taco Bell recently opened two more outlets in Mumbai. The outlets are located in Ghatkopar and Thane. Taco Bell is a part of Yum! Restaurants India which is a subsidiary of ‘Yum! Brands’. Internationally, Taco Bell has over 6000 stores in 16 countries including India. In India, Taco Bell has four outlets in Bangalore and now three in Mumbai. ‘Yum! Brands’ owns three of the leading restaurant brands worldwide – Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell.

Launched in India in 2010, Taco Bell serves Mexican fast food that is both craveable and packed with flavours. With absolutely new food formats and bold flavours, Taco Bell is a delight for consumers who want to experience some ‘food adventure’.

Unnat Varma, General Manager, Taco Bell & Pizza Hut, India said: “At Taco Bell, we serve fast food that is crunchy, cheesy and extremely flavourful. Our experience both in Bangalore and Mumbai has been fantastic with consumers thoroughly enjoying new food formats like Tacos, Chalupas and Quesadillas. Though our food has familiar ingredients but they are done very differently.”

Taco Bell menu boasts of items that are hot and cold, soft and crunchy, all at the same time - a true multi-sensorial food experience. 

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. 

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.