Buffalo Wild Wings entering India with Mirchi Group

Buffalo Wild Wings®, Inc. will now reach the sports hungry fans in India with the successful signing of a 15-location exclusive development agreement with Mirchi Group for the entire South India region. The franchisee - Mirchi Group - has committed to open the first Indian Buffalo Wild Wings in Hyderabad and Bengaluru within the next 12 months. After the launch of the flagship location, the franchisee will open multiple BWW restaurants across South India within the next 7 years.  “We are very excited to be working with Mirchi Group and bringing the Buffalo Wild Wings experience to India. We look forward to becoming a part of this dynamic Indian community,” said Tim Murphy, Vice President of International for Buffalo Wild Wings.  Mr.Sam Reddy - CEO of Mirchi Group said that “we do strongly believe in the BWW mantra of Wings, Beer and Sports. The Buffalo Wild Wings franchise will be amazingly successful in India due to its spicy and bold flavor profile in comparison with other Western brands. Buffalo, New York – styled spicy chicken wings will perfectly match our Indian palate. 

Additionally, Indians are Cricket fanatics along with global awareness and rapidly increasing fan following of other international sports - Soccer, NBA, Tennis, Formula One, etc.  It was an elaborate and very stressful 10-11 month process to secure the exclusive Franchise Development Agreement with Buffalo Wild Wings. We are very excited and grateful for this opportunity to be their first franchisee partner in India.”  Mr.Kedar Selagamsetty - Partner of Mirchi Group says “we have done extensive research in India about the viability of Buffalo Wild Wings and are very confident of the brand success hence we have aggressively committed to opening 15 restaurant locations across South India. 

We are now looking to open 12,000+ SF locations of BWW in prime free-standing space of Hyderabad and Bengaluru.”  Buffalo Wild Wings is a very popular American restaurant chain known for its draft beer and exciting sports viewing atmosphere. Their namesake Buffalo, NY-style chicken wings are served with a choice of multiple signature sauces and seasonings, which pair nicely with their extensive array of draft and bottle beer options. Buffalo Wild Wings is the recipient of hundreds of "Best Wings" and "Best Sports Bar" awards from across the country. Founded in 1982 by two friends in Ohio, USA, Buffalo Wild Wings has grown into a global restaurant brand with over 1,100 locations in the United State, Canada, Mexico and the Philippines.  Aside from its winning combination of chicken wings hand-spun in signature sauces and seasonings, the restaurant also offers burgers, sandwiches, salads, wraps, and more. Its restaurant design provides the ultimate sports viewing experience, while bringing the look and feel of a stadium into the restaurant. Gaming will also be in an integral piece of the puzzle, as Buffalo Wild Wings aims to connect their guests in multiple ways while visiting the restaurant.

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.

Nation’s Fastest Growing Pizza Franchise to Break Ground in India

Marco’s Pizza, the fastest-growing pizza franchise in the United States, recently announced its first franchise deal in India with plans to open 400 stores over the next 10 years.

Leading the expansion in India are DJ Patel and Monaliza Patel who have a combined 33 plus years of experience working in the pizza and franchise sectors. 

“We are thrilled to launch operations in an untapped market such as India with two phenomenal Marco’s Pizza area representatives native to the area,” said Bryon Stephens, President and COO of Marco’s Pizza. “We look forward to the expansion goals DJ and Monaliza have put in place in India, based on their sound market research, with their first store opening before the close of the year.”

Marco’s Pizza’s recipe for growth has been a culmination of a robust authentic product, a strong community image, and a mission to delight customers. As the only national franchise chain founded by a native Italian, Marco’s Pizza has carved out a niche in the industry as experts in authentic Italian pizza. With 500 locations strong and more than 1,500 new franchise deals signed in 2013, the company is on track to quadruple its store count in the coming 5-7 years.

Canadian chain Pita Pit to open 50 stores in India

Canadian quick service restaurant chain Pita Pit will open over 50 outlets in India over next five years to expand footprint in the northern and eastern regions to being with.

"We are looking at opening 50 plus Pita Pit outlets in the country in the five next years," Pita Pit India Chairman Pramod Dhawan told PTI.
The company, which entered Indian market in November, operates three outlets in the Delhi NCR region through its master franchisee Mentor Hospitality for North & East region.
Dhawan said expansion will be through a mix of company- owned and franchised stores.
"We are looking at sub-franchisees to expand operations here. We are yet to finalise on sub-franchisees yet," he added.
For store expansion, Pita Pit will open more outlets in Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.
Pita Pit is yet to finalise a franchisee for West and South regions.
Founded in 1995, Pita Pit has 500 stores in countries like New Zealand, Panama, France, South Korea, Trinidad & Tobago, Brazil, UK, Australia, France and India. It is a privately held company and does not share financials.

When asked if Mentor Hospitality will look at the possibility of signing up with the Pita Pit to open stores in West and South region, Pita Pit Director Anun Dhawan said: "Once we complete expansion in the North and East region we may look at that as well. It will be interesting to look west as well but not in the immediate future."

India will soon become the largest overseas franchise for Domino’s Pizza

Jubilant FoodWorks, the company that operates a number of US brand-name restaurants in India, announced on Friday that they intend to make India the biggest worldwide market for Domino’s Pizza next to the US. Earlier in the week, India got its 700th Domino’s Pizza franchise, as Gurgaon welcomed yet another installation of the pizza giant. Jubilant FoodWorks, which also operates Dunkin’ Donuts and other such commercialized restaurant labels, told the Press Trust of India that the UK still leads India with 720 franchises, but says that the very small gap should be closed very soon.
Jubilant is also investing in a small number of high-output factories across India, at a cost estimated to be as high as Rs. 200 crore. Factories are going to open up in hot spots like Hyderabad, Nagpur, and Guwahati, with the latter being ready soonest. The Guwahati plant should be operational by September at the latest, while the Nagpur and Hyderabad facilities should open either towards the tail end of this year or early next year.
“In the last one year, Domino’s Pizza has aggressively strengthened its presence in tier II and tier III cities,” the company said in a press release. “The brand has constantly focused on winning a loyal customer base across India through its tasty Pizza offerings, unmatched delivery promise and warm guest service approach.”
The company also stated that “Domino’s Pizza India operations are the fastest growing operations in the Domino’s global system. The company also continues to be market leaders in the organized pizza market with a 67% market share in India (as per latest Euro monitor report).”
Jubilant said that it also plans to aggressively expand its Dunkin’ Donuts operations. The company opened 20 outfits over the last year, and just opened its first location in Mumbai. Jubilant said that the next major metropolis it has its eyes on is Bangalore, where it hopes to have a fully function Dunkin’ Donuts opened by the end of 2014. The Bangalore franchise will be the company’s inaugural excursion into south India, and will stand as a litmus test for future branches in Hyderabad and Chennai.

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.   

Manhattan Pizza Hires Sparkleminds to Roll Out International Pizza Franchises In India

Bangalore, India (PressExposure) October 25, 2012 -- Manhattan Pizza ( http://www.manhattanpizza.com )a U.S.A based restaurant group, with expertise in making gourmet pizzas plans its strategy to enter the Indian market. Manhattan Pizza is well-known for its award winning New York Style preparation of Pizzas and their entry into the lucrative Indian market seems opportune as the Indian audience has now matured to the authentic taste of Pizza.

In July of 2009 and 2011 Manhattan Pizza was voted as the best pizza by readers of the Washingtonian Magazine. This is an honour bestowed to only the finest dining establishments in the Washington DC area.Along with serving delectable NY Pizza,Manhattan also offer Subs, Salads, Sandwiches, Calzones, Souvlaki, Gyros and Pastas making the menu both extensive and scrumptious. When one enters a Manhattan Pizzeria they experience a little bit of Italy, a wee bit of Greece and Americana in the comfort of their own neighbourhood.

The Azar brothersstarted operations in 1997 and with several years of prior restaurant experience developed Manhattan Pizza into a neighbourhood "fast casual" pizzeria that is second to none. Ever since its start Manhattan Pizza's loyal customer base has grown exponentially. Manhattan has been serving delectable New York style pizza by combining the freshest, highest quality ingredients with authentic original Italian and Greek recipes for over a decade. The décor of the outlets are New York themed with wooden floors and a cosy ambience and sounds which currently is lacking in the Indian market where all the chains have a similar look and feel.

Jack Azar, Founder & CEO of Manhattan Pizza is eager to step into the Indian market and is confident of great response, "We don't feel like a monotonous Pizza chain and eating a pie at Manhattan is an experience around which memories are made, we are not just another Pizza joint, we are your friendly neighbourhood pizzeria where the food is always fresh and hot and the serving staff are always warm and jovial."

P.K. Goriparthi, Executive Director & Head of International Expansion for Manhattan Pizza had the following to say after completing an exhaustive tour across India in August 2012. "The timing looks optimum and the market still remains an open ball park even with the head start a few chains might have had. Wereceived very nice response already and see a lot of scope to grow not only in the tier I cities but also in tier II cities. I am optimistic and excited to bring Manhattan Pizza to India."

Landmark eyes $68 million plan to expand restaurant portfolio

Foodmark, the food and beverage arm of leisure and retail giant Landmark Group, is planning to have 100 restaurants in its portfolio by 2015. Having opened six new outlets in the past six months across the GCC, a further five new outlets will open before the end of 2011, the company said in a statement.

To reach 100 restaurants by 2015 Foodmark will invest in excess of AED250 million ($68 million), on top of the previously invested AED100 million to open the first 25 outlets.

Most recent openings include popular Italian chain Carluccio's in Kuwait and Qatar and Thai eatery Mango Tree in Qatar.

In addition to these, Foodmark's own brand Zafran has now opened in Kuwait, offering contemporary Indian cuisine, the company added.

The latest opening is in Dubai, with Chinese inspired Chi'Zen now open in Mall of Emirates following its growing popularity in Festival City.

Plans are in place to open an additional outlet in Doha, Qatar later in 2011, Foodmark said.

Naveed Dowlatshahi, general manager of Foodmark, said: "Foodmark's success in the UAE and GCC has been consistently growing year-on-year, and we continue the search for not only perfect venues and ideal locations but the ideal people to run those outlets.

"We are delighted to be launching the second and third Chi'Zen restaurants in Mall of Emirates and Kuwait, where our other outlets Mango Tree, Zafran and Carluccio's have already been extremely well received.

"It is an exciting time for us, and we look forward to developing the Foodmark brand significantly in the coming years."

Since forming in 2009, Foodmark now employs more than 700 members of staff across three countries.

Lite Bite Foods to open outlets in Singapore, Bangkok

Indian restaurant chain Lite Bite Foods will open an outlet each in Singapore and Bangkok, as part of its overseas expansion plan. The chain's overseas expansion would initially be driven through the franchisee route.

Lite Bite, promoted by Dabur India vice-chairman Amit Burman and entrepreneur Rohit Aggarwal, is also looking at options in London, Dubai, Hong Kong and Macau.

"We have finalised partners in Singapore and Bangkok and are evaluating other places. This will be the first time any Indian restaurant chain will venture overseas," Burman told Economic Times. The chain's overseas expansion would initially be driven through the franchisee route, with investments coming from partners and Lite Bite taking care of the management and driving profits, Burman said.

The company, which is the largest franchiser for fast-food chain Subway in India, has close to 50 outlets across the country and aims to grow to 200 outlets over the next three years.

Lite Bite plans to utilise its Indian cuisine brands 'Punjab Grill' and 'Zambar' for its overseas expansion.

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Crumby’s Hires Sparkleminds To Expand Its Quick Service Chicken Restaurant

‘Crumby’s, a leading small format, low investment, chicken restaurant chain, has hired Sparkleminds (www.sparkleminds.com) for expanding its business through franchise model. Sparkleminds is a specialized franchise consulting company offering franchise expertise to businesses seeking expansions, for over a decade now.

Crumby’s is focusing on providing customers with a 'fresh dining experience' through its small format restaurants (200-500 Sft). The main drawback of a large format outlet is the prohibitive cost of real estate and the over-all investment required by the franchisee for the infrastructure, which in turn, elongates the return on investment and the gestation period, making it a very risky business preposition. While, Entrepreneurs across the country are seeking reputed food opportunities with low investments and high returns, the company is also coming out with a Kiosk and a Food Court Model, to reach out to larger audiences and be present in High Street Retail. Its main attractions include Chicken Samosa (Crumbosa^TM), Chicken Shawerma (Crumberma^TM) and Pasta (Crumpasta^TM) along with Burgers (Crumburger^TM) and ice creams, including a VEG Shawerma. The company is eyeing 100 franchises in 3 years.

Sagar Ratna plans Gujarat entry; to open Jain restaurant in Delhi

The Delhi-based Sagar Ratna Hotels Pvt Ltd, which runs the Sagar Ratna chain of restaurants in northern India, is planning to expand its network in Gujarat, according to Mr Roshan Banan, Director of Sagar Ratna Hotels Pvt Ltd.

In an informal chat with Business Line here on the sidelines of the launch of ‘Kudlada Ruchi' (Taste of Mangalore) festival at the Ocean Pearl Hotel on Thursday, Mr Banan said plans are there to open Sagar Ratna Hotels in Gujarat in the next one to two years.

“We are pondering whether to go on our own or take the franchise route,” he said.

Mr Banan said that the company will open an exclusive Jain restaurant at Hotel Ashok in South Delhi in the next three to four months. The food served there will be devoid of garlic and onion, he said.

Stating that the company is also into industrial catering segment, he said it has been catering the needs of a major industrial house in Noida, a major hospital in Delhi and some of professional education institutions in northern India.

On the expansion plans of the company, he said plans are there to have a total 100 outlets in the next five years. Sagar Ratna made an entry into Bangkok three months ago, he said.

At present, the group runs around 75 Sagar Ratna chain of restaurants in various parts of northern India and in Mangalore. In Delhi National Capital Region alone, the company owns 25 outlets.

The company entered the hospitality market of Mangalore with Ocean Pearl (an 84-room luxury hotel) last year. Sagar Ratna has outlets in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu.

Source : The Hindu Business Line

BEAUTIFUL BRANDS TO EXPAND

TULSA — Beautiful Brands International is opening branch offices in India, Kuwait and Canada to support its franchise growth worldwide. “These three regions are absolutely essential to seeing the growth of BBI and its opportunities skyrocket,” said Shahab Bakhtiar, general manager over the Canadian and Middle Eastern offices. Beautiful Brands has a portfolio of restaurant concepts including Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe and FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt.

From staff reports

McDonald's to roll out 250 outlets in south, west India

Hardcastle India, which runs the south and west franchisee of McDonald's in India, is on in expansion mode ever since McDonald's Corp conferred it with the Development Licensee status. The company now plans to open 30 outlets this financial year, as well as clock 30-40 per cent year-on-year growth.

According to Amit Jatia, vice chairman McDonald's India (west and south), the company has earmarked Rs 500 crore to set up 250 restaurants in south and west India over the next three years, up from 110 restaurants it operates.

He added that the development licensee status will help the chain grow faster and it is working towards that on all possible fronts. "We intend to expand the breakfast service which was launched in select cities last year, to other parts of the country. Also, our home delivery service has become quite popular and we aim to grow on that as well. As far as becoming a convenient and accessible joint for customers is concerned, we plan to open 4550 restaurants across India during 2011, with an investment of Rs 150 crore," Jatia said.

Last month, McDonald's Corp said it was selling its 50 per cent stake in Hardcastle Restaurants (HRPL), one of McDonald's two 15-year-old equal joint ventures that run its outlets in India for an undisclosed amount and converting it into a franchisee operation. This meant that HRPL will have 100 per cent ownership of the operations, thereby allowing it to grow rapidly and sustainably, creating significant present and future opportunities for the expansion of the McDonald's Brand.

Hardcastle Restaurants owns the restaurant chain in west and south India. In northern and eastern part of the country, the chain is owned by Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited. Jatia, however, did not give details about the plans for the north and east. McDonald's is one of largest player operating in the quick serve restaurant (QSR) space The QSR industry in India, which is currently valued at $13 billion, is growing at a rate of 18 per cent annually and McDonald's aims to cash in on the huge potential in this category.

Further, the company said that its main focus right now are the Indian metros. "About 80 per cent of our revenue comes from the metros as they have a larger number of consumer preferring fast foods," Jatia said.

Nirula's to open 50 new outlets

In order to expand its presence across the country, Delhi-based quick service restaurant chain Nirula's is shifting its focus to tier II cities such as Patna, Baroda, Pune and Udaipur, among others. The company plans to open 50 new outlets in the next one year.

“We would open 50 new outlets in the next one year. The company will invest around Rs 15-20 crore for expansion,” said Samir Kuckreja, CEO and MD, Nirula's.

Fifty per cent of the new outlets will be company operated, while the remaining will be managed by franchisees, Kuckreja added.

Besides expanding its footprint in India, Nirula's is also planning to expand its global presence in countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Middle East region by 2013.

The fast-food chain is already present in Oman and Nepal.

California Pizza Kitchen to expedite Indian expansion

California Pizza Kitchen Inc is trying to step up its growth plans in India with the second restaurant in Mumbai. The restaurant will be opened in association with its franchise partner JSMGGC India Pvt Ltd, a joint-venture between Mumbai-based JSM Corporation and Dubai-based Gourmet Gulf Company.

California Pizza Kitchen opened its first restaurant in India in 2009, after it entered into an agreement with this franchise partner to do business here.

Further, the company plans to open at least 15 restaurants in India over the next 10 years.

The Los Angeles-based chain opened the first Indian restaurant in the commercial district of Bandra Kurla Complex. This is a 4,000 square feet restaurant, seating 180 guests. The new restaurant will have the same square feet coverage but an increased seating capacity. It will be located in High Street Phoenix, Mumbai’s largest shopping and entertainment destination. Both restaurants are strategically positioned for driving traffic.

California Pizza Kitchen currently owns and operates 207 restaurants and franchises 59 restaurants. The company is widening its presence internationally. There are currently 34 restaurants located in China, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, South Korea, Guam, India, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates.

Overseas development in Mexico, Asia and the Middle East is also on the cards. But California Pizza Kitchen will have to brave tremendous competitive pressure in the markets it is eying for expansion.

California Pizza Kitchen to expedite Indian expansion

Mar 11, 2011

California Pizza Kitchen Inc is trying to step up its growth plans in India with the second restaurant in Mumbai. The restaurant will be opened in association with its franchise partner JSMGGC India Pvt Ltd, a joint-venture between Mumbai-based JSM Corporation and Dubai-based Gourmet Gulf Company.

California Pizza Kitchen opened its first restaurant in India in 2009, after it entered into an agreement with this franchise partner to do business here.

Further, the company plans to open at least 15 restaurants in India over the next 10 years.

The Los Angeles-based chain opened the first Indian restaurant in the commercial district of Bandra Kurla Complex. This is a 4,000 square feet restaurant, seating 180 guests. The new restaurant will have the same square feet coverage but an increased seating capacity. It will be located in High Street Phoenix, Mumbai’s largest shopping and entertainment destination. Both restaurants are strategically positioned for driving traffic.

California Pizza Kitchen currently owns and operates 207 restaurants and franchises 59 restaurants. The company is widening its presence internationally. There are currently 34 restaurants located in China, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico, South Korea, Guam, India, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates.

Overseas development in Mexico, Asia and the Middle East is also on the cards. But California Pizza Kitchen will have to brave tremendous competitive pressure in the markets it is eying for expansion.

The Monk restaurant on expansion mode

Mar 01, 2011

The Monk restaurant has recently opened its first franchise outlet in Delhi. The 2,450-square feet at DLF Place, Saket is The Monk's second outlet in NCR -- the maiden restaurant is located at The Galaxy Hotel and Spa in Gurgaon.

The company has invested close to Rs 2.5 crore on the Saket outlet, which has a seating capacity of 80, and expects the average bill size to be around Rs 1,200 (excluding taxes) for two people, reports IndiaRetailing.

Asad Islam, CEO, Great Indian Hospitality Company, which runs The Monk, said, “We are currently in the process of opening the restaurant at TDI mall-Rajouri Garden in Delhi and Golf Course Road in Gurgaon. After this, we will open an outlet in Mumbai in the next three months.”

He further informed the company plans to take its restaurant to Bangalore and Hyderabad in South India.