Chandigarh to soon get 1st outlet of healthy food store 'The Date House'

Barbeque Nation has strengthened its presence in Mumbai with the launch of its latest outlet at Growels Mall in Kandivali East.

The 158-seater outlet is spread over an area of 5,072 sq ft.

Suman Mukherjee, Regional Manager, Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd, said, “What really captures the essence of Mumbai is its food. We have successfully delivered on variety, quality, taste and comfort, making Barbeque Nation a favourite among food lovers in this magnificent city.”

“It delights us to add more outlets, particularly in Mumbai, as the people here have dearly acknowledged our hospitality, encouraging us to expand and serve them better. We hope to entice foodies in and around Kandivali with our new restaurant,” he further added.

Menu Offering

The casual dining restaurant chain’s menu is drawn from the Mediterranean, American, Oriental, Asian and Indian cuisines. Besides offering a delectable menu, Barbeque Nation has sizzling skewers on tables that double as a live kitchen.

Barbeque Nation serves eat-all-you-can buffet, showcasing an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian spreads.

For starters, the restaurant offers non-vegetarian delicacies like Mutton Kadhak Seekh, Chilli Garlic Prawns, Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Murg Boti Kebab, etc. For vegetarians, the restaurant provides mouth-watering Hariyali Kumbh, Pineapple Chaat, Cajun Spice Baby Potato and Punjabi Paneer Tikka, among others.

The restaurant’s main course includes non-vegetarian dishes like Chicken Dum Biryani, Kashmiri Mutton Rogon Josh and Murgh Makhani, and vegetarian ones including Paneer Tikka Masala, Kashmiri Pulao, Dal-E-Dum, and Mushroom Ka Josh.

Its dessert section consists of Walnut Brownie, Assorted Pastry, Angoori Gulab Jamun, Marvel Cake, and Kesari Phirnee. The restaurant’s popular Kulfi Nation counter also offers a wide range of Kulfis.

Casual Dining Restaurants Industry

In India, the Casual Dining Restaurants Industry is the second most popular category within the food and beverage (F&B) space. 

At present, the Indian restaurant industry is worth Rs 75,000 crore. Growing at an annual rate of 7%, this segment is majorly driven by a young population aged between 15-44 years. Other factors that drive the growth of the casual dining market include disposable incomes, growth of consumers in smaller towns and broadening the exposure of new cuisines, rapid urbanisation and the higher frequency of eating out has evolved the market for the food services industry in India.

Casual Dining Restaurant demand is driven by the shifting lifestyle trends with a wide variety of menu offerings and flavours. Eating out has now transformed from occasion driven to becoming a regular activity even on weekdays besides weekends only and they are gradually moving from fine-dine to enjoy more of casual dining culture.

Tablez has launched two outlets of Cold Stone Creamery, the iconic American ice cream brand, in Hyderabad. These outlets are located at HSR Eden Building, Banjara Hills, and SP Road, Begumpet, respectively.

With the launch, Cold Stone Creamery ventures into Hyderabad. These new outlets are the 26th and 27th outlets of Cold Stone Creamery in India.

Tablez holds franchise rights for Cold Stone Creamery.

Adeeb Ahamed, Managing Director, Tablez, said, “Hyderabad is known for its rich gastronomic traditions, and we are glad to bring the popular American ice-cream brand to the city. Cold Stone’s range of ice-creams is made fresh and is expected to add flavour to the taste-buds of all age-segments.”

“The new stores strengthen our growing presence across the cities in South India. Hyderabad is developing at a rapid pace, and the discerning local crowd will definitely enjoy Cold Stone’s Ultimate Ice Cream Experience. We plan to launch 3 more stores in Hyderabad by May 2020,” he further added.

Ice cream market in India

In India, the ice cream industry is one of the fastest growing segments of the dairy or food processing industry. The country has a low per capita ice cream consumption of ice cream at 400 ml as compared with per capita consumption of ice cream of 22,000 ml in the United States and 3,000 ml in China.

The ice cream sector in India has great potential for growth with the improving cold chain infrastructure in the country coupled with increasing disposable income and the changing lifestyle.

In India, the ice cream industry generated revenue of over $1.5 billion in 2016 and is projected to generate revenue of approximately $3.4 billion by 2021.

Ice cream franchise

In modern times when franchising has become the best option to start a business, the ice-cream franchise provides a great opportunity to establish oneself as a capable entrepreneur and earn handsomely.

The organised ice-cream industry constitutes just 4-6% of the total industry, therefore, there is a large scope of growth in the coming years.

For those aspiring franchisees that feared that the diet conscious people would no longer care for this lip-smacking dessert, there is good news! With the growing popularity of ice-creams among health-conscious consumers, one can find an array of frozen desserts fitting various dietary regimes like reduced-fat, fat-free, low-carb, no sugar added or lactose-free ice creams. So, with this development, there is an increased need for more franchise owners in the ever-growing ice-cream franchise segment.

The growth in this sector can be envisaged by the ever-increasing players and their expansion pan India through the franchise route. The brands like Kwality Walls, Vadilals, Amul, Mini Melts, Baskin Robbins, Gelato Vinto, etc, are some national and international players that have prospered from one outlet to hundreds and thousands within a span of a few years, showing the popularity of franchising in this sector.

Barbeque Nation has expanded its presence in Andhra Pradesh with the launch of a new outlet in Kakinada. This is the brand’s 144th outlet in India.

With this launch, India’s leading casual dining restaurant chain offers the opportunity to Kakinada people to experience the joy of grilling their own vegetarians and non-vegetarian barbeques on the tables.

The newly launched outlet can serve 94 guests in one sitting.

Barbeque Nation’s Eat-All-You-Can Buffet

Barbeque Nation’s eat-all-you-can buffet showcases an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian spreads.

For starters, the restaurant offers non-vegetarian delicacies like Mutton Kadhak Seekh, Chilli Garlic Prawns, Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Murg Boti Kebab, etc. For vegetarians, the restaurant provides mouth-watering Hariyali Kumbh, Pineapple Chaat, Cajun Spice Baby Potato and Punjabi Paneer Tikka, among others.

The restaurant’s main course includes non-vegetarian dishes like Chicken Dum Biryani, Kashmiri Mutton Rogon Josh and Murgh Makhani, and vegetarian ones including Paneer Tikka Masala, Kashmiri Pulao, Dal-E-Dum, and Mushroom Ka Josh.

Its dessert section consists of Walnut Brownie, Assorted Pastry, Angoori Gulab Jamun, Marvel Cake, and Kesari Phirnee. The restaurant’s popular Kulfi Nation counter also offers a wide range of Kulfis.

Naresh Naidu, Cluster Manager, Barbeque Nation, said, “The ‘Eat-all-you-can’ buffet at the restaurant offers the people a plethora of dishes in vegetarian and non-vegetarian spreads.”

Casual Dining Restaurants Industry

In India, the Casual Dining Restaurants Industry is the second most popular category within the food and beverage (F&B) space. 

At present, the Indian restaurant industry is worth Rs 75,000 crore. Growing at an annual rate of 7%, this segment is majorly driven by a young population aged between 15-44 years. Other factors that drive the growth of the casual dining market include disposable incomes, growth of consumers in smaller towns and broadening the exposure of new cuisines, rapid urbanisation and the higher frequency of eating out has evolved the market for the food services industry in India.

Casual Dining Restaurant demand is driven by the shifting lifestyle trends with a wide variety of menu offerings and flavours. Eating out has now transformed from occasion driven to becoming a regular activity even on weekdays besides weekends only and they are gradually moving from fine-dine to enjoy more of casual dining culture.

The Beer House Café has launched a new outlet in Shipra Mall in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. It is one of its kind properties in Indirapuram and survives on the philosophy that an excess of a good thing is a very good thing, the greatest plan is no plan made at all, and that quest of pleasure is a noble one.

Starting from its humble roots in Indirapuram, the brand has been building its café in the heart of Delhi’s most colourful and prominent neighbourhood. The Beer House Café is an amalgamation of a Lounge bar, pub; an eatery they reckoned that every great neighbourhood deserves.

The Beer House Café’s desire for classic gastronomy and a strong influence of its fellow-travellers pushed it to voice the passion by projecting some of the world-renowned 30+ beer brands in its little space, fondly call as a “Beer Paradise”.

A bold multi-faceted venture, where you can choose to either unwind, party, or indulge in social gatherings, aims to be a haven for foodies projecting a multi-cuisine menu consisting of Italian, Mexican & Continental. The ambience is second to none with emphasis on classic modern décor, suitable for corporate meetings as well as social gatherings and late-night musical session.

Taxation on Beer

In India, the alcoholic-beverage industry, including beer, is heavily regulated, with excise and other taxes forming an important source of revenue for state governments. Due to this, it is difficult for most companies and retailers to register higher profits.

The beer attracts the highest taxation of any beverage in the country, with only 5% alcohol in beer on average. Furthermore, beer retails from as low as Rs 36 for a Kingfisher beer bottle in Goa to Rs 115 in Madhya Pradesh, indicating how there is a huge price disparity for the same brand.

“With equity infusion of just Rs 84 crore till now, we have done gross revenue of over Rs 500 crore since we started. The burn has come down significantly and the leverage is kicking in,” Singh stated.

Indian Beer Market

As per the report, India Beer Market Overview, 2018-2023, The Indian Alcoholic beverages market observed the highest market share of Whisky which is followed by brandy & beer. Indian Beer market has a market share of 17%, being third in the Indian alcohol beverages market.

The rise in disposable income of the Indian population has somewhere led the consumers to shift from standard beers to premium and craft beers. The population is turning more brand conscious, offering numerous business opportunities to entrepreneurs.

The beer consumption in India, in volume terms, is less than 1.5% of global beer volumes, while spirits consumption is as much as 12%. Also, the country’s per capita beer consumption at around 2 litres per annum remains materially below other markets.

Little Caesars Pizza has forayed into the Indian market with the launch of two outlets in Ahmedabad. The US-headquartered company aims to unveil more outlets in Gujarat and across the country in the coming months.

In Ahmedabad, the brand’s first outlet has been opened near the Iskcon crossroads, while another one is inaugurated near LD College.

Little Caesars Pizza claims to be the third largest pizza chain in the world. It is operating in 26 countries, works on a franchisee-based model.

Ashok Lal, Regional Managing Director, Little Caesars Pizza, said, “Both these outlets will offer only vegetarian pizza as the market research exercise suggested keeping only vegetarian varieties and dropping chicken or any other non-vegetarian variety from the menu. However, non-vegetarian pizza varieties may be introduced in the future as per customer demands.”

“We have started with these two outlets and we have plans to open stores in other cities of Gujarat and India in the coming months. Affordable price is our main USP,” he added.

The newly launched outlets are owned and operated by franchisee firm Phoenix Enterprise Nexus India Pvt Ltd, managed by Nandish Patel, who also owns several Little Caesars Pizza restaurants in the US.

Paula Vissing, Senior Vice President (International), Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc, stated, “We believe in delivering value for affordable pizza to the customers. Our pizza varieties are cheaper than other players offering pizza in the city. We have been expanding internationally over the last several years and we will open more such outlets in the months to come.”

Growing Pizza Market

The Italian food format stood third in preference after Indian and Chinese five to six years ago. However, recent studies show that pizza is the biggest and the most profitable segment in the Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) format.

The Indian pizza market is dominated by Jubilant Food Works and Yum Brands, who own the widely recognisable brands Domino’s and Pizza Hut, respectively. However, other brands such as Sbarro, Papa John’s and Marco’s Pizza are also competing to spread their base in India. Thus, with the increase in the number of players, the market is ripe for investors.

Serving pizza via franchise route

Global and domestic pizza brands in India are expanding their stores through the franchise route throwing many opportunities for entrepreneurs in the country. Be it Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s,  Sbarro, Neopolitan Pizza or any other pizza brand, the majority of them are spreading their footprints via a franchise model in India. Domino’s Pizza has Jubilant FoodWorks Limited as it Master Franchisee.

Prospects in smaller cities

The Indian fast food market, which used to concentrate only in the metropolitan cities, has been witnessing a robust growth pan-India over the past few years. Tier-II and III cities are the focus of the leading pizza makers due to huge opportunities there.

In the pizza segment, competition is getting intense as franchisors are significantly ramping up their presence across tier-II and tier-III cities of India. There exists a tremendous growth opportunity for franchisors in these areas as an educated middle-class population is becoming more sophisticated with respect to standardised food consumption.

Looking for a whole new experience in South Delhi? Rejoice in the South Delhi vibe at TRUTH Restro & Bar that has recently opened its door with a grand launch in one of the poshest localities in Delhi, the Greater Kailash 2 market. Kanika Chaudhary & Azaan, famous celebrity performers, wooed everyone present there with their euphonic voice.

Having a huge open terrace area and flaunting its bespoke dining experience, TRUTH offers a soothing aura to chill out & have serene conversations with friends & families. The uber-stylish ambiance of the outlet is a must for your Instagram feed.  

The extensive food menu brims with the all-time favorite food and TRUTH’s very own European twist to handle your brunch scenes.

TRUTH regales partyholics with its indoor area which turns into a concert when the sun goes down. Delhi loves to party & this place has everything a partyholic can ask for. With multiple DJs playing through the weekend catering EDM, Trap, Reggae and House music to the most happening crowd, this outlet offers tantalizing cocktails to help you to sway away on the beats till you drop.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, tricky & fun games for couples and exclusive offers for the ones who want to make this day a little more special, are soon to be revealed.

Barbeque Nation has expanded its presence in Mumbai with the launch of its latest outlet at Phoenix Market City, Kurla (West). This launch coincides with the 14th anniversary celebrations of India’s leading casual dining restaurant chain.

Spread over an area of 2,600 sq ft, the newly opened restaurant has a seating capacity of 110.

Suman Mukherjee, Regional Manager of Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd, said, “With the launch of our latest outlet in Kurla, we are also celebrating our 14th anniversary.”

“Barbeque Nation’s journey started in this very city, and we feel privileged to have served the people of this country, for the last 14 years. We would like to welcome diners around this region to our new outlet and allow us the opportunity to serve them with our lip-smacking menu offerings,” he further stated.

Barbeque Nation’s Eat-All-You-Can Buffet

Barbeque Nation’s eat-all-you-can buffet showcases an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian spreads.

For starters, the restaurant offers non-vegetarian delicacies like Mutton Kadhak Seekh, Chilli Garlic Prawns, Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Murg Boti Kebab, etc. For vegetarians, the restaurant provides mouth-watering Hariyali Kumbh, Pineapple Chaat, Cajun Spice Baby Potato and Punjabi Paneer Tikka, among others.

The restaurant’s main course includes non-vegetarian dishes like Chicken Dum Biryani, Kashmiri Mutton Rogon Josh and Murgh Makhani, and vegetarian ones including Paneer Tikka Masala, Kashmiri Pulao, Dal-E-Dum, and Mushroom Ka Josh.

Its dessert section consists of Walnut Brownie, Assorted Pastry, Angoori Gulab Jamun, Marvel Cake, and Kesari Phirnee. The restaurant’s popular Kulfi Nation counter also offers a wide range of Kulfis.

Casual Dining Restaurants Industry

In India, the Casual Dining Restaurants Industry is the second most popular category within the food and beverage (F&B) space. 

At present, the Indian restaurant industry is worth Rs 75,000 crore. Growing at an annual rate of 7%, this segment is majorly driven by a young population aged between 15-44 years. Other factors that drive the growth of the casual dining market include disposable incomes, growth of consumers in smaller towns and broadening the exposure of new cuisines, rapid urbanisation and the higher frequency of eating out has evolved the market for the food services industry in India.

Casual Dining Restaurant demand is driven by the shifting lifestyle trends with a wide variety of menu offerings and flavours. Eating out has now transformed from occasion driven to becoming a regular activity even on weekdays besides weekends only and they are gradually moving from fine-dine to enjoy more of casual dining culture.

Fine dine, bar and rooftop chain M.I.T.R.O.N has launched two new outlets in Mumbai. These outlets are situated in Bandra and Fort.

With these new additions, M.I.T.R.O.N now has four outlets. The fine dine’s outlets are the brainchild of Rahul Shetty, Director of Peninsula Franchise.

Bandra outlet

Located at Linking Road, the brand’s Bandra outlet is spread over an area of 7,000 sq ft. It has been designed by one of India’s leading architects, Umesh Desai and Associates. The outlet boasts of a specially-designed lounge area, and a menu that encapsulates the quintessential dishes from the major cuisines across the world.

The outlet’s menu is crafted by chef Arindam, who has more than 24 years of culinary experience. It consists of an array of classic and elaborate Indian and Chinese soups and Salads of Paradise like Lobster Coral, Avocado Nachos Crunch, Scamorza Spinach and Cold Mezzah.

The menu’s starters and tandoor section feature dishes such as Mushroom Duxelle, Water Chestnut Spring Roll, Zaatar Chicken, Crab Cake, Squid Ala Plancha or the classic BBQ Chicken Wings. Its mains range from Indian dishes and Continental Shepherd's Pie and Polenta in Mushroom Ragu to Spanish Paella and some Asian delicacies.

Guests can end their meal with off-beat desserts, including Melba Pudding and Carrot Laddu in Hot Coconut Payasam.

Fort outpost

Situated at Hutatma Chowk, the Fort outpost of M.I.T.R.O.N boasts of a menu that is unique to the branch.

The menu is curated by chef Md Mirajul Molla, offering multiple variants across courses and cuisines. The menu consists of soups, salads, starters, Italy’s finest dishes, flatbreads, kebabs, pastas, risottos and Caribbean Lamb Stew.

The outlet’s all-day sandwich and burger section start with something as simply genius as a Peanut Butter and Jam sandwich, and carry its way through a Chunky Tuna Boiled Egg Sandwich.

Its all-day diner also takes care of your mid-morning cravings with its modern breakfast component, serving classics such as Toast Breads and Eggs Benedict on one hand, and Barley Avocado Lassi on the other.

The outlet has a beverage menu consisting of tipsy cocktails, refreshing mocktails and other fine beverages, including fizzy beers, classic malts, tequila shots, whiskey by the bottle and breezers for the light drinkers.

Right in the heart of the city, Palladium Mall at Phoenix Mills is a sanctuary for those with an evolved taste. Adding more spunk to it is one of Mumbai’s favorite spots for great food, The Nutcracker. With its eclectic menu of all-day breakfast and home-style fresh global cuisine, The Nutcracker opens doors to its spanking new Palladium Mall outlet.

Founded in 2014 with a boutique nook in the gorgeous heritage district of Kala Ghoda, The Nutcracker soon found popularity with its fresh menu. In 2018, it expanded footprints in the tony suburb of Bandra.

With its latest outpost at The Palladium Mall, The Nutcracker readies to welcome more gourmands in its largest outlet. The 74-seater restaurant welcomes guests with its warm and relaxed vibe. Touches of quirkiness reflect its distinctive menu that’s dotted with surprises. Patterned flooring, wooden shutters, windows bedecked with lots of green and large community seating ensure you feel instantly at home.

Annie Bafna, Founder of The Nutcracker, said, “We are thrilled to open at Palladium Mall, that houses so many prestigious brands.  We are also happy to have a much larger space to be able to offer much more to our guests as they unwind and get comfortable. The Nutcracker is designed carefully to be an all-day spot so that no matter what time you walk in, your comfort food is on the table.”

The Nutcracker Menu

The Nutcracker’s spunky menu offers a wide variety of all-day breakfasts, egg preparations, bagels, waffles, pancakes, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, rice bowls, and desserts. Their signature specials include Buttermilk Pancakes, Blackbean Burger, 7-Layer Cookies, Truffle Eggs, Nutty Spaghetti, Akuri, Handmade Pasta, Healthy Brunch Bowls and distinctive Parsi touch to add some spice to the mix.

The inviting bar menu that will be introduced a couple of months down the line will bring a vibrant mix of refreshing cocktails, boozy brunches, alcohol-infused foods, and small plates.

“Our menu is egalitarian because we strongly believe in the power of healthy, egg-based and vegetarian food. We are very particular about sourcing only the best and freshest ingredients that go into all our food. Our chefs have innovated with styles, cuisines, and ingredients to offer our diners the comfort of the classic with a twist of the new. There’s ample light, great music and welcoming staff that’s always around to help. As we open doors, we welcome everyone to soak in the spirit of The Nutcracker,” Bafna added.

The Nutcracker has a rotational menu that keeps things new and allows room for innovating with seasonal fresh produce. International and local flavors blend beautifully to create a fresh palate that surprises and comforts. It will soon offer a special high tea menu, perfect for tired shoppers to unwind over refreshing tea and snacks.

Jumboking, a leading QSR company, launches its first store with indoor seating in the Charbagh locality of Lucknow. Currently, the newly opened store offers seating for approximately 28 customers.

The QSR chain follows a ‘stand-in’ and takeaway format in western India. It has now set up a seat-in store in Lucknow.

Dheeraj Gupta, Founder & Managing Director, Jumboking, said, “Lucknow is known for its educational institutions. It is a centre for entertainment and multi-cultural experiences. With a growing progressive population, Lucknow is emerging as the new IT hub and a young population on the move using its metro network.”

QSR’s Statistical View

As per a recent report, the Food Industry is no doubt booming at a fast rate, with Full-service restaurants and Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) together accounting for around 73% of the total restaurant industry.

According to the report by the National Restaurant Association of India, the overall restaurant market will touch Rs 510 billion in the next four years, from the current Rs 205 billion. It said that QSR space would be amongst the fastest-growing, touching nearly Rs 250 billion of the overall market in the next few years. This segment is expected to witness increased activity via market expansion and entry by various players.

Popularity of QSR in India

QSRs have gained popularity with evolving lifestyles, urbanisation, and growing nuclear families. They are growing faster than the full-service restaurants across the globe due to their quick deliveries and competitive pricing that attract consumers. McDonald’s was the first QSR in India followed by various others such as KFC and Dominos.

QSRs have always been a zone of attraction for both consumers and business investors, making its franchises a lucrative segment for investment. QSR can be a one-stop destination for budding entrepreneurs that are stepping in this industry for the first time.

The Changing Behavior of Customers

Standardization across food outlet chains in terms of ambiance, hygiene, easy accessibility, and service has caused an instant interest in the mind of the customers, increasing the QSR’s footfall. QSR’s are helping Indians to warm up the western cuisines.

Despite Indian food being the ultimate winner, cuisines like Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and American are gaining significant popularity because of the curious customers who are willing to experiment with their taste buds.

Seeing the potential of the Indian food industry, more franchisors could be seen entering the QSR segment for marking their existence as a brand.

Tata Starbucks Private Limited has expanded its presence in Gujarat with the launch of an outlet in Vadodara market. The new outlet is located at Centre Square Mall.

Vadodara outlet is Tata Starbucks’ seventh store in Gujarat and the 170th in India. This is the eleventh city for the coffee chain’s footprint in the country.

Navin Gurnaney, Chief Executive Officer of Tata Starbucks Pvt Ltd, said, “We have had an incredible journey in India so far; this year we have reached the 170th store milestone and set foot in three new cities in the same year, all in Gujarat. After having successfully opened our doors to customers across Ahmedabad and Surat, we are delighted and honoured to bring Starbucks to Vadodara and endeavour to continue to expand our footprint in India.”

New store offerings

The newly launched outlet will provide a wide range of Starbucks offerings. These include the Starbucks signature espresso-based beverages such as Cappuccinos, Americanos, Lattes and all-time favourites like Cafe Mocha, Java Chip Frappuccino, Signature Hot Chocolate and Caramel Macchiato.

The Vadodara outlet will be serving Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew, the latest in a series of coffee innovations highlighting the barista craft and high-quality coffee. It will further offer a range of Teavana teas, including the Starbucks signature tea innovation, India Spice Majesty Blend, available for those who seek a modern and reimagined tea experience.

Delighting customers in Vadodara

In order to enhance customer experience, Starbucks is serving food items that cater to all customer needs such as breakfast, lunch and everything in between with an extensive food menu comprising Indian and international favourites.

The new outlet will provide customers with more vegetarian food options as well. Starbucks’ extensive dessert range is sure to delight customers in Vadodara, celebrating the culinary expertise of the brand.

The company is also bringing to customers in Vadodara its loyalty programme, My Starbucks Rewards. This program offers members the opportunity to earn rewards and personalised benefits, ranging from a free beverage in the birthday month to free-size upgrades and special offers on food, beverages and merchandise.

The Vadodara outlet will also provide the unique Starbucks range of merchandise and Starbucks gift cards that customers across India love.

“Our aspiration is to delight our customers in Vadodara with the Starbucks Third Place experience that is built on three core fundamentals, the connection our partners (employees) have with our customers, our stores and our coffee,” Gurnaney further added.

Leo’s K’tchen has launched its outlet in Mumbai at Bandra, the Queen of the Suburbs. The new restaurant serves three of the most popular cuisines in the country, including North Indian, Chinese and Italian.

Leo’s K’tchen is the brainchild of Sharyar Jehani. The restaurant boasts of a menu comprising more than 200 dishes.

Sharyar said, “Coming from the Zoroastrian Iranian community of restaurant owners, I was raised in Mumbai city that had restaurants that belonged to most of my family. Both my grandfathers were restaurateurs. My father is a partner in Leopold Café at Colaba and New York restaurant at Hughes Road and from my maternal side was the Crown Bakery and Restaurant at Mahim. This business has always been my way of life. As a kid, we had such fond memories of dad and his daily days at the restaurant, and us joining him to watch him at work.”

“The thought of a cloud kitchen came after the completion of my education in hospitality and entrepreneurship at Les Roches Switzerland. Having many opportunities of doing business in the USA, I decided to carry forward my family legacy in India along with my father. My father has already left an indelible impression with his brands on one side of the sea link, and I hope to follow his footsteps and create a name for the family to be proud of by taking over the other side of the city,” he added.

Barbeque Nation has opened its 13th outlet in Bengaluru at Gopalan Mall on Bannerghatta Road. This is India’s leading casual dining restaurant chain’s 139th outlet in the country.

Spread over an area of 7,500 sq ft, the new restaurant has a seating capacity of 180. It will be open for lunch between noon and 3 pm, and for dinner from 7 pm to 11 pm.

Arup Chatterjee, Vice-President, Operations (South), Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd, said, “We are extremely thrilled to announce the launch of our new restaurant on Bannerghatta Road.”

Barbeque Nation’s new outlet is carefully designed keeping in mind the heritage and the philosophy of the Barbeque Nation brand. It also offers new experiences such as a barbecue pit, larger dessert stations, an egg station, and more than 100 dishes.

Barbeque Nation’s Eat-All-You-Can Buffet

Barbeque Nation’s eat-all-you-can buffet showcases an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian spreads.

For starters, the restaurant offers non-vegetarian delicacies like Mutton Kadhak Seekh, Chilli Garlic Prawns, Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Murg Boti Kebab, etc. For vegetarians, the restaurant provides mouth-watering Hariyali Kumbh, Pineapple Chaat, Cajun Spice Baby Potato and Punjabi Paneer Tikka, among others.

Its dessert section consists of Walnut Brownie, Assorted Pastry, Angoori Gulab Jamun, Marvel Cake, and Kesari Phirnee. The restaurant’s popular Kulfi Nation counter also offers a wide range of Kulfis.

“With over a dozen outlets across the city, we cater to every region, ensuring that food lovers do not miss a chance to enjoy our lip-smacking menu offerings. The new outlet has a 100-dish menu, enough to satiate every taste bud of the diner,” Chatterjee added.

Casual Dining Restaurants Industry

In India, the Casual Dining Restaurants Industry is the second most popular category within the food and beverage (F&B) space. 

At present, the Indian restaurant industry is worth Rs 75,000 crore. Growing at an annual rate of 7%, this segment is majorly driven by a young population aged between 15-44 years. Other factors that drive the growth of the casual dining market include disposable incomes, growth of consumers in smaller towns and broadening the exposure of new cuisines, rapid urbanisation and the higher frequency of eating out has evolved the market for the food services industry in India.

Casual Dining Restaurant demand is driven by the shifting lifestyle trends with a wide variety of menu offerings and flavours. Eating out has now transformed from occasion driven to becoming a regular activity even on weekdays besides weekends only and they are gradually moving from fine-dine to enjoy more of casual dining culture.

sbe, the leading international hospitality group that develops, manages and operates award-winning brands, has announced that Umami Burger, its world-renowned premium burger brand, is launching its sixth Japanese location. This marks Umami Burger’s meteoric rise in one of the world's most sophisticated markets.

Situated in Tokyo's Grandberry Park in Machida, the new location is the fifth Umami Burger to unveil in Tokyo and comes on the heels of introducing the brand's first location in Japan's second largest city, Osaka, this past September.

This move is part of sbe's recent commitment to launch four additional locations in Japan by 2020 and over 100 Umami Burger restaurants across the globe in the next seven years.

Sam Nazarian, Founder & CEO, sbe, said, “The global growth of Umami Burger has been nothing short of amazing. The fact that Umami Burger has been overwhelmingly embraced by the discerning taste of the Japanese consumer is a testament to the quality, innovation and, most importantly, delicious nature of the brand.  It has been an honor to work with our Japanese partners Tatsuhiro Kaiho and his team led by Paul Medeiros on building the Umami Burger brand in Japan.”

New Outlet Offerings

Umami Burger at Grandberry Park will be offering the traditional Umami Burger menu along with two all-new specialties, including the pulled pork "Limited Burger" and vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate "Fancy Milkshakes".

Tatsuhiro Kaiho, CEO of Umami Burger Japan, stated, “Umami Burger has been a resounding success in Japan and we're proud to continue our momentum by opening this sixth location. I'd like to thank Sam Nazarian and the entire Umami team for their continuous support and an incredible first year.”

Future Plans

Umami Burger is looking at launching new restaurants throughout the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and the Pacific region, as part of the next phase of its rapid global growth.

sbe has also announced plans to unveil its second New York City Umami Burger location in 2020 at the newly renovated Le Méridien New York on the iconic 57th Street. Spread over 4,900 square feet, the Umami Prime space will be designed by award-winning interior designer David Rockwell. Offering direct access to 57th Street, the new space will hold more than 130 seats.

Presently, Umami Burger has over 28 locations globally, including 18 US locations in major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, in addition to restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, Nassau, Bahamas, Mexico City, Querétaro, and Pueblas, Mexico.

Sri Krishna Sweets is planning to reach 100 branches by 2020.

Currently, the company has 75 branches, including Tamil Nadu (48), Maharastra (4), Karala (6), Karnataka (7), UAE (5) and Telangana 4. Sri Krishna Sweets aims to add 25 new branches during the next two years across PAN India and UAE.

Vaishnavi Krishnan, Director of Sri Krishna Sweets, said, “For the year 2020 we would like to touch the milestone of 100 branches spread across India. We want to strengthen international presence especially in UAE and also strengthen the international supply channels. We want to introduce a new variety of products by understanding the new generation.”

Sri Krishna Sweets is the pioneer in launching sweets made out of 100% pure ghee and a stand-alone sweet stall with clean and well-done interiors. The company is also exporting sweets to the United States, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia through the supply channels.

Offering 250 varieties of sweets, Sri Krishna Sweets had introduced modern packaging system.

Outlet launch in Hyderabad

Recently, Sri Krishna Sweets has also opened its 75th outlet at Nacharam in Hyderabad. This is the brand’s fourth outlet in Hyderabad.

Sri Krishna Sweets has its outlets in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Maharashtra. It also has retail stores in international markets including UAE, United States, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.

Apart from the newly opened outlet at Nacharam in Hyderabad, Sri Krishna Sweets also has outlets at Ameerpet, Kukatpally and Secunderabad. With the new launch, the brand is offering 4 kg of sugar as a gift for every purchase of 1 kg sweet at their Nacharam outlet.

Sri Krishna Sweets was started as a small retail sweet shop in Coimbatore in 1979. It has over the years expanded and opened its outlets across the country and also abroad.

The company is known for its Mysurpa, the softer version of Mysrupak, which is made of 100 per cent pure ghee. Mysurpa was invented by its CMD, Dr M Krishnan. The CMD stated that standardisation of recipes for input and output products, rewarding HR policies are the foundation stones of the Sri Krishna Sweets growth story.

Ripsey, a Mumbai-based health-food tech startup, has opened new outlets in Powai and Chembur adding to its existing outlet in BKC. With this expansion, Ripsey is ready to offer delectable healthy food to the entire Mumbai region.

Ripsey offers a full-stack subscription solution where a top-class team plans, cooks, delivers and tracks the health goal journey for the consumers. In addition to the subscription, one can taste the tantalizing Ripsey flavors through food aggregators like Swiggy, Zomato, Uber Eats.

Ripsey’s current menu of subscription plans helps the consumers with their various health goals such as Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Stay Fit and Keto. The team tailors the food plan to one’s dietary requisites, cooks the meals, delivers the food as well as tracks the health goal progress.

Alekhya Boora, CFO and Head of Corporate Strategy, Ripsey, said, “We are very attentive to the consumers, and we constantly improvise on our recipe offerings and service based on our customer feedback. Both our product strategy and operational strategy is designed around providing a seamless experience to a consumer that is looking to ‘eat-healthy’.”

 Recently, the company has also raised funding from the Stand-up Government India Fund, which aims to support women entrepreneurs.

Also Read: Is Healthy Food The Next Big Thing

Silky Singh, CEO and CTO, Ripsey, stated, “The new outlets are a natural evolution in the business. We are extremely delighted to launch these outlets and spread the wonderful flavors of Ripsey. We make our own food, everything is made on-site in our kitchens, by a team of top chefs. Every operation is in-house, and thus we ensure the food quality, taste, and safety. We are constantly innovating, and we are looking to launch several new plans in the coming months.”

 “We are excited about our next roll-out and their launch is an answer to numerous feedback and requests that we have received from our customers. We are all geared up to launch Ripsey Athlete, a plan focused on folks with intense activity lifestyle, and Ripsey Cutter, a customized and personalized approach to Fat Loss that ensures the achievement of the health goals in an expeditious manner. The idea behind the new launch is to leverage our data insights and technology and create food that the customer is looking to eat. We have many more exciting plans in the works,” Alekhya further added.

Also Read: How healthy food segment is fuelling demand

Surging Demand for Healthy Food Segment

We have seen different concepts and trends coming to India over the last two years. With burgers becoming the QSR favorites and pizza capturing the party scenes, the health food segment has also grown eventually in the Indian market.

Nowadays, people do not only want to eat food, but they are much more focused on getting healthy food at a reasonable price with taste in it. With the growing awareness of healthy foods and healthy diets on the menu, the young office goers and the students are more attracted to the healthy food being offered in the market.

Experts say that consumption of healthy food is a part of a broader ‘lifestyle’, and with growing prosperity, the demand prospects do look bright in the years to come. 

Barbeque Nation has launched its first outlet in Cuttack, Odisha. This is a casual dining restaurant chain’s 138th outlet in India.

Situated at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Arcade, Dargah Bazaar, the new outlet is spread over an area of 4,250 square feet. It can seat and serve about 108 guests at a time.

Barbeque Nation’s eat-all-you-can buffet showcases an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian spread.

Suman Mukherjee, Regional Manager, Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd, said, “We are extremely delighted to launch our first outlet in the city of Cuttack and spread the wonderful experience and joy of grilling your own food on the table, to this historic city.”

“Barbeque Nation offers its patrons a perfect treat, with an amazing dining experience that embraces not just the food, but the ambience as well. We would like to welcome the people here to our outlet and allow us the opportunity to serve them with our lip-smacking menu offerings,” Mukherjee added.

Barbeque Nation, the largest casual dining brand in the country, is a pioneer of ‘DIY’ (do-it-yourself) cuisine with a concept of the live on-the-table grill. The restaurant chain provides a pre-fixed menu with a fixed price.  

Cold tea cafe chain T-Enjoy has launched two new outlets in New Delhi in Preet Vihar and Karkardoma.

The chain provides 20 different natural flavors and blends, which vary from healthy bubble teas, cheese teas, fruit teas and milk blend teas. Apart from cold teas, T-Enjoy also offers a variety of dishes, including pizzas and pasta.

BM Rastogi, Founder of T-Enjoy, said, “I observed the concept of cold green teas during my many international tours. Bangkok, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia have the concept of cold green tea.”

“I took inspiration from the healthy teas available in China, and decided to introduce them to our own tea-loving country, India. I initiated the process by first sending my team to China, to learn the process of preparing a fine cup of cold tea. The training took almost four months,” he further stated.

Rastogi added, “The first T-Enjoy cafe had opened at Kamla Nagar, New Delhi. A month after its inauguration, we added two more branches to the chain. By the end of 2020, we intend to open 20 more cafes across the country, in cities like Chennai, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mumbai.”

Tata Cha from the house of Tata Global Beverages is strengthening its presence in Bangalore with the launch of its anchor store at Cunningham Road.
 
With its state of the art outlet with plush interiors, Tata Cha acts as a destination for its visitors to relax, unwind and connect over a cup of tea. The new store is spread across a 1000 sq ft area with a lavish façade, and design language synonymous with chai warmth.
 
Sushant Dash, President (India and the Middle East), Tata Global Beverages, said, “Our existing six outlets are doing very well and have received an excellent customer response. They have also provided us with key insights which we will incorporate going forward. We are delighted to now expand into an upmarket and vibrant area with the launch of the Cunningham road store. This will make us even more accessible to consumers in Bangalore and we look forward to making it a great experience.”
 
Keeping the major part of the menu intact, the food and beverage list will range from a wide variety of hot teas like Ginger Tea, Masala tea along with innovative teas like Chatpata Churan & Gulkand tea. Dilliwali Kanji and Masala Shikanji are some of the local favorites along with Rasmalai Milk Shake, Peach Iced Tea and Chili Guava Ice Slush in the icy cold offerings.
 
The food menu includes dishes inspired by Punjab like Butter Chicken Khichdi to Cafreal Pocket Parathas from Goa. Indigenous recipes such as Chatpata Matar Kulcha and forgotten delicacies like Dal Pakwaan also form a part of the menu, introducing them to the new-age millennials. Many of the offerings from the food & beverage menu aim to revive lost Indian recipes and evoke nostalgia in the minds of customers.

Honey & Dough has launched a new outlet in East Delhi. The bakery chain already has 6 flourishing outlets across the capital.

Aavika Chhawchharia, Owner of Honey & Dough, said, “We are ecstatic about our newest outlet in East Delhi. The cafe is much bigger and all the more better than our previous bakeries because here we’re serving more than just cakes. Guests can come in and enjoy cheesy pasta or a meat loaded pizza with their pals.”

The new cafe has a very colorful and vibrant ambience. It can house around one hundred people at a time. The bakery is also open to hosting birthday parties and baby showers as well.

Honey & Dough’s menu includes Mediterranean Salad with a sweet honey-lime dressing, topped with feta and caramelised walnuts; White sauce Pasta; Spicy Jalapeno Potato Burger; Pomodoro Pesto Pizza; Sunny Side Up with an in house salsa toast accompanied with sausages and baked tomato, Summer Blossom Salad and more.

New York City-based Magnolia Bakery has launched its first Indian outlet in Bengaluru. The brand has been brought to the country by Spago Foods, a franchisee for the bakery.

Magnolia Bakery is popular for its freshly baked desserts like cupcakes, cakes, pies, cheesecakes, ice box desserts, cookies, and its signature banana pudding.

Zonu Reddy, Partner, Spago Foods, said, “We are so excited to be opening the very first Magnolia Bakery in India in Bengaluru. Now, we are able to bring the same wide variety of classic American desserts featured at Magnolia Bakery’s iconic shops in New York City to fans in India.”

Nischay Jayeshankar, Partner at Spago Foods, stated, “Bangalore proved to be a perfect fit for opening our first outlet, the city has a very well-travelled customer base, expats and a massive IT crowd that has experienced international food brands like Magnolia Bakery. We have worked very closely with the team from New York to ensure that we bring the same quality of scrumptious goodies to the Indian market.”

Steve Abrams, Chief Executive Officer, Magnolia Bakery, added, “We are excited to be bringing Magnolia Bakery’s iconic bakery experience to Bengaluru. With our newest location, we are committed to sharing the same New York City experience with guests in India, making freshly-baked desserts by hand in small batches, the live theatre of icing cakes and cupcakes and a warm, inviting customer service.”

Barbeque Nation has opened its 15th outlet in Mumbai at Center One Mall, Vashi. This is India’s leading casual dining restaurant chain’s 137^th outlet in India.

Spread over an area of 6,500sq ft, the new outlet can seat and serve more than 160 guests at a time. This outlet is carefully designed keeping in mind the heritage and the philosophy of the brand.

Barbeque Nation’s eat-all-you-can buffet showcases non-vegetarian starters such as Mutton Kadhak Seekh, Chilli Garlic Prawns, Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Murg Boti Kebab, and vegetarian ones like Hariyali Kumbh, Pineapple Chaat, Cajun Spice Baby Potato and Punjabi Paneer Tikka, among others.

Suman Mukherjee, Head, Operations (Central), Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd, said, “We are extremely delighted to announce the launch of our new restaurant in Vashi, the fresh hotspot in Mumbai, brimming with energy and activity.”

“Our patrons from the region travel long distances to dine with us, and the 15th outlet here will make it extremely convenient for them to enjoy a special time with friends and family in their neighbourhood. We have introduced several innovative additions for the new outlet, offering experiences like no other,” Mukherjee added.

Tea cafe chain Chaayos has ventured into Bengaluru. The Tiger Global-backed company is aiming to launch 15 cafes across the city by March next year.

The company said in a statement, “Chaayos made its debut in Bengaluru with 3 cafes. It further plans to add 12 more stores across the city by March 2020.”

Presently, Chaayos is operating 65 cafes across Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Chandigarh and Mumbai. It was started by Raghav Verma and Nitin Saluja in November 2012.

Nitin Saluja said, “Today we spread our wings to the seventh city. The potential of Bengaluru market is immense. We plan to have 15 stores by March 2020. We also expect delivery, which currently constitutes about 20 per cent of our overall business, to play a significant role in Bengaluru too.”

Raghav Verma stated, “Given the city's passion for technology, the company is looking forward to Bengaluru's response towards its tech stack.”

Tablez has launched a new outlet of the iconic American ice cream brand ‘Cold Stone Creamery’ at Eros City Square in Gurugram. With this launch, Cold Stone Creamery now has 24 outlets in India.

Cold Stone Creamery is a pioneer in hand-crafted ice cream with delicious ingredients.

Spread across 2,200 sq ft, the store will launch two newly-added flavours, viz. Rasmalai and Paan, along with Rasmalai and Gulab Jamun cake this season.

Adeeb Ahamed, Managing Director, Tablez, said, “We expand with great pleasure in NCR, where the audience has a high level of awareness and an evolving taste for ice cream.”

“Thanks to the brand’s unique range of flavours and offerings, we are confident our new outlet will enjoy the same popularity that Cold Stone locations enjoy globally. The brand has expanded in India steadily, and the reception is overwhelming. We are excited to be a part of Gurugram’s cosmopolitan setting, and look forward to serving our amazing new range to the customers,” he further added.

Cold Stone Creamery provides a perfect blend of Indian elegance and international standards with its amazing in-store experience. The ice cream brand helps customers indulge in a wide spectrum of innovative flavours of ice cream.

Barbeque Nation has opened its seventh outlet in Hyderabad. Situated at Doctors Colony, Kothapet, the new outlet is spread over an area of 6075 square feet.

The newly launched outlet can seat and serve about 150 guests in a go. The buffet at Barbeque Nation showcases an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian spread.

Barbeque Nation is one of the largest casual dining brands in India. It is the pioneer of 'DIY' (do-it-yourself) cuisine with a concept of the live on-the-table grill. The restaurant provides a pre-fixed menu with a fixed price. The menu is curated from the Mediterranean, American, Oriental, Asian and Indian cuisines.

Mansoor Memon, Regional Manager, TS & AP, Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd, said, “Our endeavour is to reach out to every Hyderabadi, because of the popularity we have here, people from all over the city want us to be closest to them. This is the 7th outlet and 3 more are in pipeline in Hyderabad. At Barbeque Natio, we are always evolving our menu with newer flavours to match the changing tastes of our customers.”

“It has been an absolute delight serving the people of Hyderabad and their love for us has prompted us to launch our seventh outlet in the city. At Barbeque Nation, we lay special emphasis on the overall dining experience and the time our guests spend with us, apart from an exhaustive menu of starters, main course and deserts. We are confident of spreading this joy to the people in and around Kothapet and urge them to join us for a special culinary ride,” Memon added.

Pita Pit has entered into western India with the launch of an outlet in Phoenix Market City, Kurla in Mumbai.

Muvi Concept Restaurants has taken the master franchisee of the Canadian quick service restaurant for South and West India. The company is planning to expand the count to at least 20 stores in the region by December 2020 and 50 by 2022.

The brand’s menu provides customized, healthy and nutritious Pita wraps, Salads and Brown Rice Salads. Pita Pit offers a healthy alternative to high carb, high fat, and fast food.

Rashi Agarwal, Managing Director, MuVi Concept Restaurants, said, “We currently have two outlets in Bangalore, both in IT parks and two in Hyderabad. Both the cities have accepted the product well as there was a gap in the market due to a lack of healthy fast food.”

“We are looking forward to the response to Mumbai. So Mumbaikars, get ready to binge on some yummy food,” Agarwal added.

At present, Pita Pit has 567 outlets across 10 countries. In India, the chain has 20 outlets across the Delhi-NCR region, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

India’s first cold tea outlet ‘T-Enjoy’ has been unveiled in Kamla Nagar, New Delhi. Founded by BM Rastogi, T-Enjoy’s range of teas is not only refreshing, but also healthy.

The new outlet offers teas in flavours including cheese teas, fruit teas and milk blend teas. They are priced at Rs 120 onwards.

Rastogi said, “I observed the concept of cold green teas during my many international tours. Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia have the concept of cold green tea. I took inspiration from the healthy teas available in China, and decided to introduce them in our own tea-loving country, India. I initiated the process by first sending my team to China, to learn the process of preparing a fine cup of cold tea, the training took almost four months.”

“The first T-Enjoy cafe has opened at Kamla Nagar, New Delhi, by the end of 2020, we intend to open 20 more cafes across the country in cities like Chennai, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mumbai. But before that, there will be a few more outlets opening across Delhi NCR, the next café will be opening soon in Preet Vihar. On an experimental basis, an e-rickshaw, which is an extension of the cafe on wheels, will also be functional at Preet Vihar,” he further added.

Want to invest in a tea franchise? Visit Franchise India 2019, Asia’s Biggest Franchise & Retail Show, and give wings to your entrepreneurial dreams.

Society Tea has unveiled its flagship tea café ‘Tea Terminal’ in Mumbai. The outlet promises to provide patrons a great cup of tea even outside their homes.

Society Tea brand’s Tea Terminal will also be serving lunch and dinner thalis, grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches (which are nutritious), snacks and Mumbai-style street food.

Karan Shah, director, Blue Kettle (holding company for Tea Terminal), said, “When the realisation happened that a great cup of tea is wishful thinking for many outside of their homes (be it in office or otherwise), Tea Terminal came into being.”

“At Tea Terminal, we are revolutionising tea by making a great cup of tea available outside your home. When was the last time you enjoyed a really nice cup of tea in office? While the chai-tapri near the office is a regular fixture, what if there was a thoughtfully designed place where you got a smile-inducing cup of tea and lip-smacking food that perfectly complimented it. Or, better still, both delivered right to your desk,” he further stated.

Want to invest in a food and beverage franchise? Visit Franchise India 2019, Asia’s Biggest Franchise & Retail Show, and give wings to your entrepreneurial dreams.

Restobar Derby has launched its second outlet in Mumbai at Kamala Mills, Lower Parel. Earlier, the restobar opened an outlet in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).

The restobar menu offers cuisine from around the world, taking the patrons on a journey with one-of-its-kind eatertaining experience supported by artificial intelligence- (AI) driven software. It will serve a blend of specially curated dishes and drinks.

Derby has bought experts like chef Mitesh Rangras and mixologist Mariki Sayles together.

The restobar’s dishes comprise of Guacamole Sev Puri, Smoked Salmon Toast, Derby-fried Chicken and Waffles, and Amritsari Soya Chaap. The bar menu includes enticing cocktails such as Secretariat, Starfire Girl, Domination, Thunder Snow, and Smarty Jones, all of which are must-tries.

Saloni Rupani, Founder, Derby, said, “The brand has received an overwhelming response, and we are glad to be launching another outlet in just three months. Derby has received the Times Hospitality Icons award for Noteworthy Newcomer Innovative Resto Bar. Our eatertainment concept has been happily accepted, and we are sure that our new offering will also receive a similar response.”

Want to invest in a restobar franchise? Visit Franchise India 2019, Asia’s Biggest Franchise & Retail Show, and give wings to your entrepreneurial dreams.

Fine dining restaurant Bayroute, which serves Middle-Eastern cuisine, has launched its fifth outlet in Mumbai at Palladium Mall, Lower Parel. This is Bayroute’s largest outlet yet.

The restaurant’s tables are inspired from the bustling street cafes of Morocco. It prepares cuisines from Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, Greece and Egypt, with the freshest ingredients sourced from the Middle-Eastern souks, and served on chic rose-gold cutlery sets.

Arjun Raj Kher, Brand Head, Bayroute, said, “The runaway success of our outlets in Cuffe Parade, Juhu, BKC and Powai encouraged us to come to Mumbai’s business hub.”

“Bayroute not only goes beyond standard hummus and falafels, but it genuinely recreates the majestic Middle-Eastern gourmet experience too. We are thankful to our patrons all across Mumbai, and hope that they will shower as much love on this outlet, as they have on others,” he added.

Want to invest in a restaurant franchise? Visit Franchise India 2019, Asia’s Biggest Franchise & Retail Show, and give wings to your entrepreneurial dreams.

Following the successful launch of its outlet in BKC, Copper Chimney has now come up with another outlet in Mumbai at Bandra West. The new outlet is located at Turner Road.

Copper Chimney is the restaurant brand with the best cuisine from the North-West Frontier. It was established by JK Kapur in 1972. The restaurant is most loved for its traditional recipes passed down by generations of ustads (culinary experts) from the United North Indian Frontier days.

The restaurant chain’s ustads have curated a flavourful menu including signature dishes like Kadak Roomali; Char-grilled Cheese Mushrooms; authentic grills such as The Copper Signature Veggie Plate (which includes fresh grilled paneer tikka, vegetable seekh kebab, tandoori dhaba aloo and pickle spiced achari mushroom). 

Copper Chimney’s non-vegetarian comprises of Grilled Burrah Chops; Slow-Cooked Frontier Raan; and Copper Chimney-styled Indian Chelo Kebab.  

Wrap It Up! is opening its second outlet in India in the northern state of Haryana. With this launch, the casual-dining brand continues to push its international expansion.

Spread across 651 sq ft, the new outlet will be the third global store for the franchise chain, following stores in Gurugram, India, and Lahore, Pakistan. This outlet also represents the 17th store for the chain globally.

The new restaurant will be situated at the Elements One Mall in Gurugram, Haryana.

Tayub Mushtaq, Managing Director at Wrap It Up!, said, “India has proven year-on-year to be a rapidly-growing food delivery market, seeing growth at around 15 per cent each quarter in 2018, and we are excited to see how our new store can ride this impressive wave of growth in the country.”

Gargi Aggarwal, Owner of the new Wrap It Up! store, stated, “The new store will provide a refreshing alternative to other casual dining brands in the area, and I have no doubt that locals will take a loving for our delicious and international menu.”

McDonald’s has launched new mini outlets with a reduced menu in order to serve its meals faster. The fast food giant’s first mini outlet is opened on Fleet Street in London.

These new outlets will be helping those who don’t have long for lunch, or who need to grab lunch super quickly so that they can get back to their desks. The outlets doesn't have in-store seating as it focuses on takeaways.

In a mini outlet, people don’t have to wait in queues, they will have to order food using a touchscreen. The outlet offers a more limited menu of favourites like Big Macs, McNuggets and Big Flavour Wraps, all of which staff will have ready at peak times.

Henry Trickey, Head of IT for McDonald’s, said, “Changing tastes, new technology and more competition mean we need to continue to innovate. We know that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ and that’s exactly why we are launching McDonald’s to Go.”

“We want to trial different formats in different locations, depending on customer needs,” he added.

1441 Pizzeria has launched its outlet in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. With this launch, the brand is aiming to expand the horizons of flavoursome pizzas in the state.

After foraying into 4 cities, 1441 Pizzeria now eyes at launching multiple outlets, which will be both company-owned and franchisee-owned. 

This unique pizzeria was founded by Krishna Gupta and Istayak Ansari in 2015. It is built on the inspiration of offering its customers the true essence of the flavours of Italy.

1441 Pizzeria serves authentic and traditional wood-fired pizzas with unlimited toppings delivering a taste that stays lingering on the mind.

Krishna Gupta, Founder of 1441 Pizzeria, said, "Major QSR chains have stuck to the proven formula of a limited and focused menu. But we at 1441 Pizzeria wanted to try something different and spoil the customer for choice. Hence, more choices and personalized pizzas with unlimited toppings have managed to make the brand a favourite among the patrons in all the three cities we have our presence in. Now, with our newest outlet, we wish to bring the same taste and authentic flavours to Jodhpur."

Istayak Ansari, Director & Co-Founder, 1441 Pizzeria, added, "After establishing a strong presence in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore, we are all set to get our authentic Italian flavours to the city of Jodhpur. 1441 Pizzeria is on an expansion spree and we aim at growing our brand presence from 10 outlets to 50 in the next 2 years in cities like Hyderabad, Delhi and Chennai. With the brand’s success in the metros of the country, we are now penetrating in the tier 2 cities as we feel these cities have become more welcoming of the new age brands."

Ice cream chain Ibaco has opened its maiden outlet in Nerul West, Navi Mumbai. The new outlet is spread over an area of 500 sq ft.

Ibaco, a Hatsun Agro Product Ltd brand, has 150 outlets across India. The ice cream chain offers a range of 36 contemporary flavours inspired by exotic locations around the world, including the all-time favourites such as Bean Vanilla, Belgian Chocoholic, Butterscotch, etc.

The brand is famous for its concept of Make Your Own Sundae, where customers can choose their favourite ice cream scoops and select the toppings and sauces from a wide range of 21 options. These include brownies, almonds, chocolate sprinkles, waffles, raisins, etc., and sauces like black currant, chocolate, honey, etc.

Ibaco also offers its own signature range of ice cream cakes such as Swiss Choco Symphony, Chocolate Overload, Black Forest, etc. It also has a unique selection of ice cream cones.

McDonald’s has reopened its outlet at City Centre II in Kolkata. This is the first outlet to have relaunched in West Bengal after the US fast-food chain settled an almost six-year-long dispute with estranged partner Vikram Bakshi.

Since May 9, the eight outlets in Kolkata and Durgapur had remained closed. Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt Ltd (CPRL), which operates the chain of quick service restaurants in northern and eastern India, is now wholly owned by McDonald’s India. Earlier, CPRL was owned by Vikram Bakshi. 

Under the out-of-court settlement, McDonald’s bought out for an undisclosed sum Bakshi’s and his entities’ 50% in CPRL.

Rob Hunghanfoo, Head of CPRL, said, “We are thrilled to have started the re-opening process and look forward to serving our customers a more authentic McDonald’s experience. Our CPRL teams have been fully focused on the work needed to prepare the restaurants over the past few weeks, and these openings are the result of their dedication, collaboration and professionalism.”

“We will continue to work around the clock and plan to gradually reopen more restaurants in the coming days and weeks. While we are confident this will result in the best possible experience for our customers, we sincerely regret any inconvenience the continued temporary restaurant closures may cause,” he added.

McDonald’s has 38,000 locations in more than 100 countries, with over 90% owned and operated by local business partners.

Lite Bite Foods, one of India’s largest and most dynamic food and beverage retail companies, has opened an outlet of one of its brands, Shizusan, at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla in Mumbai.

The restaurant’s menu comprises delicacies from China, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea. These include Siricha Blush Sushi, Pulled Chicken Bao, Rainbow Maki Sushi, Crystal Vegetable Dumpling, Mapo Tofu, Slow-cooked silken tofu with pearl garlic sauce, Massaman Curry, Slow-cooked lamb shank with gallian, onions and potatoes, and Shui Zhu Yu Fish.

Shizusan’s desserts consist of Matcha Philli Cake and Colbert Muss Cake.  The restaurant is also offering a host of cocktails that incorporate Asian ingredients, including Thy-me, Genie in a Bottle, Cu-Cu, etc.

Rohit Aggarwal, Director of Lite Bite Foods, said, “Shizusan is all about the culinary journey that explores South-East Asian cuisine that we want our guests to enjoy, and we have made sure to go to our highest potential to be able to do that. Even our cocktails are infused with Asian ingredients, which have been a result of a lot of trying, failures with eventual success.”

Starbucks China has launched its first Starbucks Now store in Beijing, China. The Starbucks Now store is the company’s first express-retail format location that integrates Starbucks physical and digital customer touch points.

The new service combines the signature Starbucks cafe environment with mobile order and pay and Starbucks Delivers customer experiences.

Leo Tsoi, Retail President and COO, Starbucks China, said, “The Starbucks Now store is a testament to our unwavering commitment to delivering innovative customer experiences through new retail formats. This new retail format and design approach provides us with a platform to offer customers a fast and convenient retail experience to suit their on-the-go lifestyle.”

The store will greet the customers with a Starbucks barista at the elevated concierge counter for assisting with ordering or order pickup. An area has also been dedicated for delivery riders, enabling quick and easy pickup supported by baristas offering the unparalleled best-in-class Starbucks Experience.

In May, Starbucks China had launched the company’s mobile order and pay experience, Starbucks Now, across 300 retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai. Since its introduction, the program is now offered in more than 1,300 stores across four cities.

The launch of the first Starbucks Now store marks the latest milestone in the company’s continued efforts to bring its digital experiences for customers in China through unique and convenient store formats.

Starbucks is looking to launch new Starbucks Now stores across high-traffic areas including business and transportation hubs as well as to new cities in China.

Kashmir-based fast food chain Parsa’s has opened its 12th outlet in Kargil district of the Ladakh division. Parsa’s franchise is run by a young businessman Fayaz Ahmed, who is already in the hospitality industry for the last few years.

This will be the first-of-its-kind eatery in Kargil with a bank of more than 300 books available for reading and borrowing.

Javid Parsa, Founder of Parsa Foods, said, “It is a small step to give a platform for regional interaction. Apart from food, it will act as a hub of art and cultural exchange.”

Parsa’s already has its presence in all major districts of Kashmir. It has been one of the fastest growing food chains of state. Parsa’s is also the first valley based food chain to open up in New Delhi.

Upsouth Hospitality, a renowned Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chain, has opened its first outlet in Navrangpura, Ahmedabad. With this launch, the QSR chain has forayed into the Gujarat market.

The hospitality brand brings traditional South Indian vegetarian cuisine in a modern quick service format. Upsouth is successfully operating over 12 outlets across Bangalore and Pune.

Kumar Gaurav, Vice President of Upsouth Hospitality Pvt Ltd, said, “After the huge success in Bangalore and Pune, we see Ahmedabad as a potential target market for Upsouth. A major portion of the population in Ahmedabad is vegetarian. However, the real taste of South Indian food is not being served here which is why we planned to launch Upsouth. Navrangpura is a perfect target location for us due to the mixture of commercialization, working professionals and students.”

“We are planning to launch 4 to 5 more outlets by the year-end and are looking forward to create an impactful presence in cosmopolitan areas in Gujarat through franchising options. Beyond these locations, we are also planning to launch operations in Mumbai and Hyderabad,” he added.

Manu R Nair, Corporate Executive Chef, Upsouth Hospitality Pvt Ltd, stated, “We bring healthy, delicious, fresh and wholesome Indian and South Indian vegetarian food in a modern format. South Indian cuisine is recognized as one of the most popular cuisines, and as a product is also suitable for all day dining.”