Charcoal Eats set to enter Middle East and Europe

Curated Catering By Design, the top luxury catering company in India, revealed a noteworthy 60% increase in income for the fiscal year 2023–2024. 

Mayank Prasad founded the business in 2015; it has rapidly expanded and become the preferred caterer for prestigious events and affluent clients in India and beyond. With a reputation for providing outstanding culinary experiences, the brand has established itself as a reliable name in luxury catering.

Partnerships with international brands including Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover, Paytm, Tata, Zoho, Google, Lenskart, Khaitan & Co. Law Firm, Adobe, Hewlett Packard, Hindustan Times, DDECOR, Quintessentially, ROHIT GANDHI + RAHUL KHANNA FASHION, India, and others have contributed to this remarkable growth. SpringHouse is establishing Curated Catering By Design as a reliable brand for destination weddings, corporate events, and luxury brand launches. The company has served more than 10,000 guests across India, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore while catering to more than 200 high-profile events in the last 12 months.

"We are proud to announce that Curated Catering By Design has reached a significant growth milestone, 60% revenue growth in annual revenue. This achievement underscores our dedication to delivering world-class culinary experiences, and our ability to meet the growing demand for luxury catering at prestigious events worldwide. With our highly experienced and professional team, we are well-equipped to scale even further," commented Mayank Prasad, Founder and CEO. 

The firm has unveiled a new line of handcrafted premium bar accessories under its brand "THE PRINCE," celebrating the beauty of individuality. The brand has already signed 40 contracts in 2025.

In addition, the company intends to make significant investments in sustainability since it is committed to avoiding food waste and lowering its environmental impact by obtaining 70% of its components locally. In order to increase revenue by 80% over the next two years, they plan to extend their services into new markets in Thailand and the Maldives.

Chai Sutta Cafe (CSC), the world's largest tea chain established by Anubhav Dubey and Anand Nayak in 2016 has recently revealed its latest venture in Dubai, located near the iconic Preatoni Tower in JLT, United Arab Emirates.

This move represents a significant achievement for the brand as it reinforces its position in the Middle East, providing tea enthusiasts in the area with a wide selection of unique tea flavors and a rejuvenating tea experience.

Brand have achieved success with two thriving outlets in Dubai, this locally founded tea franchise has left a remarkable impression on the Dubai market.

The latest addition in Dubai is strategically positioned at Preatoni Tower, Cluster L, JLT, Dubai. This prime location ensures easy accessibility for both residents and visitors, offering them a convenient destination to relish the flavors of Chai Sutta Cafe's teas.

"We are excited to open our new outlet in Dubai, further expanding our footprint in the Middle East. Chai Sutta Cafe has been warmly welcomed by tea lovers in Dubai, and we are committed to delivering exceptional tea experiences to our customers," said Anubhav Dubey, Co-Founder, and CEO of Chai Sutta Cafe.

Chai Sutta Cafe's decision to enter the Dubai market underscores its commitment to addressing the increasing demand for its products in the Middle East.

Through the introduction of its renowned kulhad tea and a diverse array of flavorful chai, the cafe aspires to establish a welcoming and cozy environment, encouraging customers to come together, unwind, and indulge in their cherished tea preferences.

Chai Sutta Cafe has brought about a revolution in the tea industry through its creative method of serving tea in traditional kulhad, clay cups.

This approach not only elevates the tea-drinking experience but also plays a pivotal role in empowering over 500 potter families by offering them sustainable employment prospects. With a staggering daily usage of 4.5 lakhs kulhad across their franchise outlets throughout the country, Chai Sutta Cafe has made a substantial impact on the local economy.

Zoca, a café chain in India, has recently inaugurated its biggest café, Zoca Courtyard, located in sector 104 of Noida.

The cafe, spanning over 3500 sq. ft with a seating capacity for up to 85 people, presents a dining encounter with its live sushi belt.

The menu at the café is diverse such as vegan, vegetarian, Jain, and non-vegetarian, using fresh and high-quality ingredients at reasonable prices.

"We are dedicated to ensuring that Zoca continues to grow and succeed, with plans to open 100+ cafes in India this year and expand internationally in the near future", said Mr. Karan Makan.
 

Zoca has bigger plans and is actively seeking prospects to expand globally.

The company is considering opening branches in Dubai, London, Canada, Australia, and Mauritius.

Curry Up Now, the Indian fast-casual restaurant franchise, has ventured into the New Jersey market. The brand has opened its first location in Hoboken, New Jersey, with plans to launch another four locations.

This is Curry Up Now’s first spot east of Atlanta. It is situated at 91 Washington St. The brand will be introducing a restaurant in Newark this spring at 58 Halsey Street.

The restaurant franchise is eyeing locations in Central and North Jersey for its other three restaurants.

Rana Kapoor, Co-Owner of Curry Up Now, said, “The Hoboken restaurant opening is especially exciting for us, as it marks Curry Up Now’s debut on the East Coast. Pritesh [Benjamin, the New Jersey franchisee] has been a great partner for us so far, and we are excited to continue growing with him as we open Hoboken, Newark, and at least three more restaurants across New Jersey.”

Offerings by Curry Up Now

Curry Up Now provides unique dishes, and even kids' meals, in a casual setting. These meals include the traditional Indian ingredients and sauces like chicken, lamb, paneer cheese, and vegetables. However, the menu offers a variety of bowls, naan bread dishes, including naan pizza, and scrumptious "Sexy Fries", which are sweet potato waffle fries with a kick.

Curry Up Now’s signature dishes include tikka masala burritos, deconstructed samosas, Indian-style tacos, naughty naan, and more traditional dishes such as Thali Platters, Kathi Rolls, and Bhel Puri.

Its menu gives traditional Indian food an interesting twist. Dishes are converted into street-food concepts like tikka masala burritos, deconstructed samosas, and Indian-style tacos.

Blimpie is growing its global footprint with the expansion into the Southeast Asian region. Kahala Brands, the parent company of Blimpie, has tied up with Deelish Brands Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based restaurant management company, to launch the Blimpie brand in Singapore. 

Deelish Brands operates in the fast casual restaurant sector, focusing on brands that believe in using only the freshest ingredients and preparing cooked to order meals.

As part of the agreement, Blimpie will be working with Deelish Brands to launch and expand the brand in Singapore with plans to unveil 5 stores within the next five years.

Moe Ibrahim, CEO of Deelish Brands, said, “For more than 50 years, Blimpie has been America's beloved neighborhood deli, and that's why it's known as America's Sub Shop. The brand has perfected the art of a bigger, better sandwich, using the freshest ingredients and doing it at an affordable price.”

“We believe that the Blimpie Way fits nicely with Deelish Brands' strategy of bringing the world’s most beloved and fastest growing restaurant brands to Southeast Asia. We are excited to bring Blimpie to the region as we are confident it will soon become Asia's sub shop as well,” Ibrahim added.

With this global expansion, Blimpie fills the need of Singapore consumers looking for fresh food options.

Eddy Jimenez, Senior Vice President of international operations and development, Kahala Brands, stated, “Continuing to build the brand's international expansion with highly esteemed companies such as Deelish Brands has been a pleasure for us at Blimpie. Their passion and commitment to developing such a great and successful F&B business in the market is very impressive, and we are thrilled to introduce America's Sub Shop and our hearty portions of fresh-sliced meats, fresh-baked breads and robust offerings to all consumers in the Singapore market.”

Flower Burger, an Italian vegan burger chain, is planning to launch 45 outlets across UK. The brand has signed a master franchise agreement that will see the new sites unveil in key cities across the UK within the next decade.

Founded in 2015, Flower Burger presently has sites across Italy, France, and the Netherlands.

Flower Burger is targeted at both vegans and omnivores. It provides a range of burgers, on buns dyed with food-based colorings like a turmeric yellow bun and cherry-dyed red option.

As per the brand, “In October 2015, Flower Burger was born in Milan as the first gourmet vegan burger restaurant in Italy, a new destination for burger lovers, vegans and simply those who cannot resist the trends and want to try new flavors. A year after its opening, Flower Burger doubled in Milan, and expanded to Rome, Monza, and Turin.”

“The bread is homemade, just like our sauces and patties. From pink cherry-based bread through an iconic black bun, to the turmeric-based yellow one. The restaurant has colorful and kaleidoscopic colored walls of Yellow Submarine, mixed with natural wood furnishings and enameled iron,” it added.

As part of its pan-India expansion, Dineout is venturing into several tier-2 cities in the country. Dining out and restaurant technology solutions platform is also strengthening its international presence.

The company is catering to four million diners a month through 40,000 restaurants in 20 cities.

Dineout operates in overseas markets like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kenya. It is live in these countries with B2B software with plans to launch B2C software soon.

The firm is foraying into strategic partnerships in global markets with local partners.

Ankit Mehrotra, CEO & Co-Founder, Dineout, said, “We have emerged today as the largest F&B tech support system in India. Through the B2B channel, we are processing about six million diners a month. And overall, we are seating about 10 million diners every month and this number is set to grow. We are not only catering to consumers, but also large corporates across banking, financial institutions, consulting, and other verticals.”

Offerings by Dineout

Dineout raised $50 million so far. It offers B2B and B2C services that include Dineout Pay, Gourmet Passport, Torqus POS and InResto.

The Noida-based food-tech company provides solutions to 10,000 restaurant partners through its software as a service (SaaS) platform, providing 10 software modules such as customer relationship management, billing, supply chain and feedback management.

Through its B2C vertical, Dineout last year catered to 40 million diners resulting in cumulative savings of $200 million to them.

“We have partnered with OYO and are working with aggregators such as MakeMyTrip and Goibibo. We have made acquisitions in the B2B space and are building in-depth consumer profiles on our platform. We are working with restaurants using millions of data points to help them create menus intelligently with the help of machine learning, and recommend consumers with interesting combos with the help of artificial intelligence,” Mehrotra added.

Dine Brands International has opened the first IHOP restaurant in Lima, Peru, through an agreement with Percapitals S.A.C.

The company is planning to unveil 25 IHOP restaurants in Peru through 2028. These launches are projected to bring over 600 new jobs to the regional economy.

Steve Joyce, CEO and President, International, Dine Brands Global, Inc, said, “South America is an important growth market for Dine Brands and we’ve seen great success there so far this year.”

The new launch in Peru marks the 62nd restaurant in the Latin America region. Dine Brands International is continuing to place emphasis on growth in markets like Central America, Colombia and Chile.

“IHOP’s friendly, come as you are philosophy expands borders and cultures. It’s the place where people can simply come together to enjoy world-famous pancakes and a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items at affordable prices, any time of day,” Joyce added.

Eyeing expansion across the US

IHOP Restaurants has entered into a franchise development agreement with TravelCenters of America Inc. Both companies plan to launch up to 94 IHOP restaurants over the next five years in TA and Petro branded locations across the United States.

At present, there are four IHOP restaurants already in TA’s travel center network. TA Restaurant Group, a division of TravelCenters of America, will operate IHOP restaurants in the portfolio.

Jay Johns, President of IHOP, said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with TravelCenters of America to open up to almost 100 new IHOP restaurants over the next five years in TA and Petro travel centers across the US.”

“The TA brand, a trusted hospitality leader in the industry and with consumers, shares the same values as IHOP when it comes to delivering an outstanding experience to guests on-the-go. We’re looking forward to serving the great-tasting, freshly made menu items we’re known for at breakfast, lunch and dinner, to the millions of guests who stop at TA and Petro locations each year,” he added.

The new agreement is the single largest IHOP development deal in the brand’s 61-year history.

Barry Richards, President and Chief Operating Officer, TravelCenters of America, stated, “When it comes to serving our customers, IHOP and TA's missions and cultures align. Adding such a highly regarded brand like IHOP to our restaurant group shows our commitment to bringing the best possible dining options to both professional drivers while they're away from home and to local families living in the communities we serve. An important part of our restaurant strategy is focusing on growing our partnerships with trusted brands like IHOP that appeal to broader audiences, and today’s agreement will enable us to accelerate that process.”

Presently, there are over 1,700 IHOP restaurants in the US and another 100+ restaurants globally.

Chili’s Grill & Bar has unveiled its first Vietnam store in Saigon. With this launch, the American casual dining chain is aiming to tap the country’s growing middle-class market.

Situated at SV VivoCity mall, the new restaurant has been opened in Vietnam as a part of the Golden Gate Restaurant Group, an operator of more than 20 restaurant chains in the country.

Ha Thuc Tu, CEO of Golden Gate Red Hots, a unit of Golden Gate Restaurant Group, said, “The chain targets middle-income customers, especially office workers and families.”

“These customers have high standard demands in food and entertainment and prefer a multi-functional location which suits the needs of all family members,” he added.

Chili’s Footprint

Chili’s is operated by Texas-based hospitality company Brinker International. Founded in 1975, the restaurant chain specializes in Texas and Mexican food, with steaks, ribs and burgers among its signature dish.

Chili’s has more than 1,670 restaurants and serves over one million customers a day in 29 countries and territories.

David Weston, a representative of Chili’s, stated, “Vietnam was an important part of its business in Asia, where over 60 Chili’s outlets have been opened in eight countries.”

Vietnam: A lucrative market for global brands

Euromonitor, the market research firm, stated that an increasing number of international chains are foraying into Vietnam, seeing it as a lucrative market.

Popular American brands like McDonald’s, KFC and Starbucks have already established their presence in the country.

According to Dcorp R- Keeper, a global company that provides technological solutions to food and beverage businesses, Vietnam had around 540,000 food and beverage businesses as of last year, 80% of them were street vendors.

Carmen’s Best has launched its first international store in Singapore. The new store has been opened at Capitol Singapore.

The store provides fresh milk-based ice creams in flavours like milk chocolate, butter pecan, and Sicilian-sourced pistachio.

The premium Filipino ice cream chain is introducing a Singapore-exclusive cheese flavoured ice cream that contains chunks of cheese. 

Paco Magsaysay, Owner and Founder of Carmen’s Best, has stated a goal to become a Filipino-made, world-class ice-cream brand.

Carmen’s Best started as a dairy farm serving a growing number of stores and partners before unveiling its ice-cream products.

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.

Continuing with its global growth momentum, Domino's Pizza has launched its first store in the Czech Republic. The new outlet has been opened by Domino's, through a partnership with master franchisee Daufood Czech Republic S.R.O.

Jose Marti, Chief Executive Officer of Daufood, said, “I am so proud of the team that helped bring the global Domino's brand to the Czech Republic. We look forward to sharing our delicious products, excellent customer service and prompt delivery with the citizens of Brno.”

Domino's first store in Czech Republic is unveiled at Vinohrady area of Brno. The new store features the new pizza theater design, a refreshing and inviting interior, stylish seating, as well as a front-row seat to watch all the action of pizza-making.

The pizza chain will launch the second location in Brno's city center, with additional locations planned for next year.

Joe Jordan, Executive Vice President of international, Domino's, stated, “Establishing ourselves in the Czech Republic provides an excellent opportunity for our brand to continue its global momentum. With a terrific, proven master franchisee like Daufood, we are confident that Domino's will be able to establish itself as the pizza delivery brand of choice in Brno.”

Also Read: Indian Pizza Market Offers A Mouth Watering Opportunity For Investors

Domino's is now operating in over 85 markets worldwide, with more than half of its global retail sales coming from international stores. It is the largest pizza company in the world based on global retail sales.

Growth in 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 the country. Thus, with the increase in the number of players, the market is ripe for investors.

Also Read: Top 8 QSR Segments That Are Steaming Hot Franchise Opportunities

Prospects in smaller cities

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.

The Habit Burger Grill is planning to expand to South Korea. This will be the next international growth target for the burger-centric restaurant chain.

In line with this expansion plan, the company has partnered with Bridging Culture Worldwide, an experienced business development consulting firm, to attract multi-unit franchise development companies.

John Phillips, Chief Global Business Partnership Officer of The Habit Burger Grill, said, “South Korea, with its savvy consumers, open-minded culture and interest in global brands is an ideal marketplace for The Habit Burger Grill’s expansion. The people of South Korea appreciate quality food and enjoy the fast-casual experience. We look forward to working with Bridging Culture Worldwide to find the right franchise partner to ensure our mutual success.”

The South Korea entry will mark The Habit Burger Grill’s next phase in a larger international expansion plan.

Don Southerton, Founder and CEO, Bridging Culture Worldwide, said, “South Korea has embraced premium Western brands and The Habit Burger Grill delivers exactly what consumers are seeking – great food and excellent service. With their distinctive fresh off the grill Charburger and hand-crafted sandwiches, fresh salads and other menu items, we know South Korea will appreciate all that The Habit Burger Grill has to offer.”

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

American restaurant chain Johnny Rockets is planning to launch 23 new restaurants in 2019. These restaurants will be opened across Asia, South America, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Stephen O’Connor, Senior Vice President, International Business, Johnny Rockets, said, “Our success outside of the U.S. is a critical aspect of our company’s growth and is contributing to our current momentum. Our rapid expansion stems largely from our timeless all-American brand that deeply and instantly connects with consumers around the globe. The combination of our craveable menu items, engaging experiential elements and casual California-themed décor creates a unique dining occasion for our guests that keep them coming back for more.”

The restaurant chain has already unveiled eight restaurants this year in Brazil (2), South Korea (2), Chile, Mexico, Peru and North Cyprus. In addition to this, 15 openings are scheduled through December in Brazil (3), Italy (2), Nigeria (2), Spain, Oman, Chile, Indonesia, South Korea, Peru, Mexico and Bangladesh.

“Our new design is an opportunity to lean into the brand’s nostalgic elements like our jukeboxes, soda fountains and California heritage, and combine that with contemporary elements such as vibrant murals. We are also remodeling existing units with key Fusion elements that create a unique dining experience,” O’Connor added

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

Duck Donuts, one of America’s fastest growing donut franchise companies, has signed two master franchise agreements, with locations set to launch in the countries of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the next several years. The move is part of the continuation of the brand’s international expansion.

Anjal Arabia Trading & Contracting Co will be opening 10 locations throughout Saudi Arabia over the next five years. The first Duck Donuts location, likely to open early 2020, will be in the country’s capital, Riyadh.

Gold Peak Coffee Shop LLC has also inked a master franchise agreement to sub franchise and bring Duck Donuts locations to the UAE, with the first store planned for the city of Dubai.

Russ DiGilio, Founder and CEO, Duck Donuts, said, “We are delighted to enter into this relationship with Anjal Arabia Trading & Contracting Co. and Gold Peak Coffee Shop LLC, expanding our Duck Donuts brand to countries that demonstrate a strong family culture and enjoyment for coffee and sweets.”

“Through this master franchise agreement, we believe this will continue to generate interest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), giving us the opportunity to further enhance the Duck Donuts presence in the Middle East,” DiGilio added.

Mohammed Alshehri, Duck Donuts Kingdom of Saudi Arabia General Manager, stated, “We believe in the idea that a visit to Duck Donuts is about having a unique experience in addition to consuming an excellent quality product. The fact that the donuts are made to order in front of you makes them the ultimate in freshness and deliciousness.”

Mohammed Albaqami, Duck Donuts Master Franchisee of UAE, further added, “We love the always fresh and customizable approach. This will be a totally new concept for the Saudi and UAE consumer and one we’re sure will become a major success within the region as well as a chief competitor in the donut and coffee industry.”

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

Papa John's International, Inc. has forayed into Portugal by launching its first store in Lisbon's Amoreiras zone. With this, Papa John's Pizza has strengthened its global presence.

The new restaurant is being started by Drake Food Service International, who is the master franchisee in the Iberian Peninsula, Chile, Panamá, and Costa Rica.

Javier Aranguiz, CEO of Drake Food Service International, said, “We are committed to developing the Papa John’s brand in Latin America and Europe. We look forward to becoming the most beloved pizza brand, one neighborhood at the time.”

Jack Swaysland, COO, Papa John's International, stated, “The opening of this new restaurant in Portugal with Drake Food Service International shows the importance of building strong relationships with our global partners,”

“As highlighted in the past, international development is the long term growth engine for Papa John’s. Pizza is loved by consumers across the world. Friends and families gather around and have fun moments around the pizza. And at Papa John’s we are thrilled to deliver on our BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.® promise to customers in Portugal,” he added.

Currently, Papa John’s has a presence in 48 international countries and territories around the globe. The pizza franchise forayed into 12 new countries in the past three years, including France, Spain, Tunisia, Iraq, the Netherlands, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Bahamas, Pakistan and Portugal.

Papa John's will continue with its rapid global development and is seeking potential franchisees in Brazil, Australia, Taiwan and Southeast Asia.

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

Los Angeles-based Halo Top Creamery will soon launch its ice cream tubs in the UAE, each containing only 320-360 calories. The brand will be made available at Carrefour, Spinneys and Choithrams.

Founded by former lawyer turned ice cream aficionado Justin Woolverton, Halo Top is sold in over 20 countries across the globe. It has even been named one of TIME Magazine’s “25 Best Inventions of 2017”.

The Los Angeles-based company will establish its UAE presence against the backdrop of a growing ice cream market.

Doug Bouton, President and COO, Halo Top Creamery, said, “We’re thrilled to be entering the UAE with the first ice cream that tastes great and actually is good for you. We think that Halo Top ice cream and the Halo Top brand are going to be a natural fit here and can’t wait to see what Emiratis think.”

The ice cream brand will introduce seven dairy and two non-dairy flavors, giving ice cream lovers a wide range of delicious options to choose from. Its dairy flavors contain 320-360 calories and 20 grams of protein per tub. Halo Top’s non-dairy and vegan friendly flavors are made with coconut milk.

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

The Bombay Churros is planning to venture into the international markets, becoming the first-ever Indian churro brand to go overseas. The dessert start-up has Dubai, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and Nepalese markets in the pipeline. 

Punit Ghadge, Co-Founder, The Bombay Churros, said, “The Asian and Middle-Eastern markets are still untapped for churros, so our goal is to penetrate these regions to make them officially churrofied.”

The Bombay Churros, which has had a presence for more than two years, is the brainchild of dessert lover and passionate foodie, Ghadge, and his partners, Nikkhil Borkar and Nitesh Oza. The startup is successfully running over 10 outlets across four states.

At The Bombay Churros, every ingredient is tested personally and then made into this crunchy delicious dessert. The brand targets to offer a pocket-friendly yet extraordinary dessert experience.

Dadu’s, the sweets and snacks maker, is planning to make its international debut by mid-2020. The Hyderabad-based company is eyeing markets such as Singapore, Thailand, Dubai and eventually UK and US for its global foray.

Dadu’s is also investing Rs 30 crore in setting up a centralised kitchen as part of its plans to enter into the ready-to-eat segment by August 2020.

Rajesh Dadu, Managing Director of Dadu’s, said, “The company is close to clinching a deal to acquire 2.5 acres of land on Hyderabad’s outskirts for its proposed centralised kitchen that will not only make ready-to-eat items like items like frozen kulchas, parathas, samosas, packaged chole, rajma chawal as well as long-shelf-life products like pickles, relishes, snacks and sweets.”

“Once we have the centralised kitchen up and running, we intend to set up our outlets in Dubai, London, US, Singapore and Bangkok through the franchisee route. We also plan to have at least 20 branches of our contemporary cuisine fine dining brand Masala Republic in Hyderabad alone,” he added.

American burger franchise The Habit Burger Grill will soon enter to the Kingdom of Cambodia. The Habit Restaurants is planning to expand its fast food chain to the Kingdom market with a planned 25 Habit Burger Grill outlets set to open across the country.

The Habit Restaurants signed an agreement with Amory F&B Company, a sister of Kampuchea Tela Company, LTD based in Cambodia, for the franchisee, with which the company can operate Habit Burger outlets.

A 25-stores development agreement has been reached between Amory F&B Company and The Habit Restaurants. The first store is likely to launch in Phnom Penh by 2020.

OKHNA Chhun On, Chief Executive Officer of Kampuchea Tela Company, said, “We quickly developed a passion for The Habit Burger business when we saw how much focus there is on great customer service. This is something we strongly believe in, and we are excited to bring the Habit experience and great food to the people of Cambodi.,”

Madam Chhun Sophearoth, CEO of Amory F&B Company, stated, “The Habit’s excellent brand, best-in-class systems, and experience will help us to go the extra distance to become national leaders in the burger segment. As an organization we keep developing and investing in our people, much like The Habit Burger, and this will be an important part of our success.”

Russ Bendel, President and CEO, The Habit Restaurants, added, “We are thrilled to continue to expand our brand internationally and to see Amory F&B Company bring our unique style of hand-crafted-to-order food, chargrilled burgers and high-quality customer service to the people of Cambodia. Amory is comprised of a team of experienced, committed operators who share our dedication to customer satisfaction and enthusiasm for The Habit brand.”

Rebel Foods, the cloud kitchen startup, has raised $125 million in the ongoing Series D round from Coatue Management, Goldman Sachs, Indonesia’s Go-Jek, and others. Post this round, the Mumbai-based company’s valuation is said to be $525 million.

Started out as a quick-service restaurant (QSR), the company is now a multi-brand cloud kitchen model. It has established brands such as Faasos, Oven Story, Firangi Bake, Mandarin Oak, Kettle & Eggs, and Behrouz under Rebel Foods.

Rebel Foods is now planning to expand its footprint into Southeast Asia and the Middle East. 

Last month, Go-Jek, Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing major, also infused $5 million in Faasos through its venture capital arm Go Ventures. With this agreement, Rebel and Go-Jek is looking to set up 100 Indonesian cloud kitchens that will process biryani, pizza, Chinese food, and locally popular dishes like nasi goreng.

Rebel is further eyeing to launch 20 kitchens in the UAE by year-end.

Currently, the firm is operating a network of 235 cloud kitchens in 20 Indian cities with an order volume of two million per month. Rebel has also introduced 1,600 internet restaurants in India across 11 brands. 

Founded by Jaydeep Barman and Kallol Banerjee in 2010, the company was earlier known as Faasos Food Services Pvt Ltd. It rebranded its parent entity to Rebel Foods Pvt Ltd in 2018.

Sumo Sushi & Bento, a Dubai-based Japanese cuisine restaurant chain, is eyeing to foray into India. The restaurant chain has partnered with FranGlobal for its India expansion.

The first restaurant of Sumo Sushi & Bento is expected to launch within six months in either Delhi or Mumbai, with plans to open up to 25 stores in the next five years.

Julianne Holt Kailihiwa, Chief Executive Officer, Sumo Sushi & Bento, said, "India is a vibrant and exciting country and people are demanding new cuisines and we will hit the mark on it. There’s already awareness, interest and curiosity among Indians around Japanese cuisine, especially fusion oriented food. Sumo has been successfully running its chain of restaurants for 20 years catering to Middle East customers who have a very cosmopolitan taste. There’s also a big Indian customer base in Dubai hence we feel that India reasonably should be a scalable market for the brand."

The restaurant chain is serving in Dubai and throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for over 19 years, offering a unique family-friendly, authentic Japanese restaurant.

Sumo Sushi & Bento is catering to a cosmopolitan mix of customer base providing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

In India, the chain will be focusing on major urban hubs including cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad.

Venus Barak, Chief Executive of Franglobal, added, "Our biggest challenge is to provide a good quality product at a competitive price because the raw material used in Japanese cuisine is expensive. Our quality matches the ones offered in a five-star hotel. We also plan to introduce beer and wine on the menu."

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Inc (Popeyes) is eyeing to launch more than 1,500 restaurants in China over the next 10 years. The franchise has over 3,100 locations in more than 25 countries worldwide, including the United States and Canada.

Josh Kobza, Chief Operating Officer of Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the parent company of Popeyes, said, "We're very excited to grow the Popeyes brand in the Chinese market. We look forward to bringing our great tasting chicken, biscuits, sides and beautiful new restaurants to our guests in China with our partner, TFI TAB Food Investments (TFI)."

Korhan Kurdoğlu, Vice Chairman and CEO, TFI, added, "We are proud to bring this famous brand to China and we look forward to introducing its bold new flavors to our guests. We plan to build on years of experience of growing successful businesses in China and around the world."

US-based Popeyes is the last of RBI's three brands to enter the Chinese market. RBI’s Burger King is operating in China since 2005 and has partnered with TFI since 2012. There are now over 1,000 Burger King restaurants in China.

Philippines' largest food service network operator, Jollibee Foods Corp is acquiring the US-based coffee chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) for $350 million. This deal is part of the fast-food company’s plan to expand outside its home market.

Jollibee, which has a market value of nearly $5.5 billion, will buy the coffee chain through a Singapore-based holding company. It will be acquired from private equity firm Advent International and other investors including the Sassoon family, a large shareholder in CBTL.

The coffee chain has 1,189 outlets spread across the United States, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and is rapidly growing in Asia. The brand’s nearly three-fourth outlets are franchised.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, owned by California-based International Coffee and Tea, posted $312.95 million in revenues and $21 million in net losses last year. The comapny had a debt of $83.56 million as of end-2018.

Tony Tan Caktiong, Chairman of Jollibee, said, “The acquisition of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will be Jollibee's largest and most multinational so far with business presence in 27 countries.”

“The deal allows Jollibee to be a key player in the large, fast-growing and profitable coffee business. The priority is to accelerate Coffee Bean's growth in Asia. The acquisition will add 14% to Jollibee's global system-wide sales and 26% to its total store network,” he added.

Jollibee is known for its sweet-style spaghetti, burgers and fried chicken. It is operating the largest fast-food chain in the Southeast Asian nation with 3,195 restaurants.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, the American fast-casual restaurant chain, has opened its first international location at the Dubai Mall in the UAE. The brand’s second location is slated to launch at the Mall of the Emirates in the coming weeks.

These restaurants are owned and operated by Tastebuds Group, a food & beverage (F&B) arm of Dubai-based Younata Investment. In an effort to drive Freddy’s growth across the Middle East, the franchisee company plans to open new locations in the UAE,  Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar.

Yousef Khattar, Managing Director of Tastebuds Group, said, “The training and support that we’ve received from Freddy’s since signing our initial master franchise and development agreement has been incredible and a true testament to the level of passion and commitment they devote to each venture. It has been a pleasure working alongside the team to ensure that all aspects of the family-friendly concept will be received well by our guests in Dubai.”

“We are truly elated to celebrate the opening of Freddy’s first international location, and to be able to bring the taste of Freddy’s authentic steakburgers and frozen custard to the Middle East for the first time,” he further stated.

The fast-casual restaurant chain is also eyeing to launch over 40 restaurants across the US by the end of this year.

Lassi n Café, one of the most prominent Lassi franchises in India, is planning to expand in international markets including Singapore, Malaysia, UK, Canada and USA. The company is already present in Dubai and Abu Dhabi globally.

In India, Lassi n Café has a presence in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Telangana, Manipal, Mysore and Bengaluru.

The Lassi n Cafe is the reality of a new era; a well-recognised brand offering authentically made fresh, healthy and tasty Lassi and Mocktails just the way the customers want. The brand is growing tremendously in the quick-service café market of India and abroad.

The brand aims to provide affordable products that stand out from our competitors without compromising on quality or quantity. It is offering more than 120 products, serving people of all ages.

The first outlet of ‘Lassi n Cafe’ was launched in Bangalore in May 2017.

Restaurant start-up Zorambo is looking to launch its first outlet in London in the next few weeks, making its international debut. Currently, the brand is operating four outlets in Gurugram and New Delhi.

Also, Zorambo is in talks with venture capital firms to raise about $5 million in Series-A funding, which it expects to close by September-October.

Dhruv Verma, Co-founder of Zorambo, said, “We aim to bridge the gap between premium cafés and fine dining restaurants. So, Zorambo is positioned in the premium casual dining restaurant space that not only offers a curated menu of Indian fusion food options but also has a wide array of beverage options.”

The start-up is planning to expand its footprint to 16 outlets in this financial year.

“By March 2020, we plan to have six operational outlets in Delhi-NCR, four outlets in Bengaluru and six outlets in London. We have aggressive plans to have 200 outlets in India and UK in the next 48 months with an investment of $50 million,” Verma stated.

He further added, “We are in talks with VCs to raise about $5 million. The brand is getting significant investor interest from both India and the UK markets. In the next 48 months, the focus will be to open company-owned restaurants and we will look at franchise-operated stores at a later stage.”

Restaurant Brands International Inc is planning to expand the global presence of its three brands, Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, to more than 40,000 restaurants over the next 8-10 years. With this, Restaurant Brands International will be one of the largest restaurant companies in the world.

Currently, these three brands have 26,000 outlets. Restaurant Brands aims to boost its businesses by deploying various initiatives ranging from app-based ordering to loyalty programs for its customers.

The company is expecting its coffee, burger and chicken markets to grow between 5% and 6% per year over the next 5 years.

Last month, Restaurant Brands posted a 0.6% drop in comparable sales at Tim Hortons for the quarter ended March 31, while same-store sales at Burger King grew 2.2%, less than 3.8% a year earlier. 

Jose Cil, Chief Executive Officer, Restaurant Brands International Inc, said, "RBI is fundamentally a growth company, with three amazing, iconic brands that we believe have a very long runway for growth, both at home and around the world. We have a proven history of generating very strong returns for our shareholders and today we are excited to share more insight than we ever have before to support our belief that all three brands have substantial growth ahead."

Dineout, India’s largest dining out and restaurant tech platform, is eyeing to expand its presence in India and international markets.

The company has recently expanded Saudi Arabia and East Africa. Now, it is operating in five countries across Asia and Africa including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia & East Africa.

Dineout further looks to enter Indonesia and the Philippines in the future.

Ankit Mehrotra, Founder and CEO, Dineout, "We have seen great acceptance for our restaurant tech product across several key international markets including Asia and Africa, and are currently focused on introducing our integrated restaurant management offerings to many more in the coming months. Our goal is to build the first truly globally scalable food tech product out of India."

"Given the global food tech market is set to exceed $250 billion by 2022, global expansion is no longer an afterthought for firms that operate at a scale like ours. Discovering new markets has helped us continuously innovate to improve the dining experiences of food lovers from varied cultures across the world," he added.

In India, the company plans to expand to smaller towns and cities such as Lucknow, Indore and Surat. Currently, the service is available in 11 cities across the country.

अमूल डेयरी, जिसे केरा जिला सहकारी दूध उत्पादक संघ लिमिटेड (केडीसीएमपीयूएल) भी कहा जाता है, संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका में अपना पहला डेयरी खरीदने के लिए तैयार है। अमूल, जो विदेशी भूमि पर डेयरी संयंत्र शुरू करने के लिए भारत में पहला डेयरी संघ होगा, विस्कॉन्सिन, अमेरिका में अपना विनिर्माण संयंत्र स्थापित करेगा।

कंपनी गुजरात सहकारी दूध विपणन संघ (गुजरात के सभी जिला डेयरी यूनियनों का शीर्ष निकाय है, जो ब्रांड अमूल का विपणन करती है) और अमेरिका में एक स्थानीय भागीदार के साथ त्रिपक्षीय समझौते में प्रवेश कर चुकी है। इस समझौते के माध्यम से, अमूल अपस्टेट न्यूयॉर्क में स्थित वाटरलू गांव में तीन डेयरी उत्पादों, अर्थात् पनीर, घी और श्रृखंड का निर्माण कर सकते हैं।

विस्कॉन्सिन कुल पनीर उत्पादन का लगभग 27% है और अमेरिका में पनीर का शीर्ष उत्पादक है।

एक शीर्ष कंपनी के अधिकारी ने कहा, "हम अपने अमेरिकी परिचालनों का विस्तार करने के विकल्पों को देख रहे हैं ताकि हम बाजार को बेहतर तरीके से सेवा दे सकें। वर्तमान में, वाटरलू सुविधा से, हम पूर्वी तट पर सबसे अच्छी सेवा कर सकते हैं। सबसे अच्छा विकल्प है कि हम इसे शुरू करें, वहां अपने परिचालन हैं।"

अमूल डेयरी के अध्यक्ष रामसिंह परमार ने कहा, "अधिग्रहण के लिए एक डेयरी संयंत्र के लिए स्काउट करने के लिए पहले से ही अमेरिका में निदेशक, वापसी के बाद, हम यह समझने की स्थिति में होंगे कि अधिग्रहण के साथ आगे कैसे बढ़ना है।"

वर्तमान में, अमेरिकी बाजार में अमूल की कुल बिक्री लगभग 60 करोड़ रुपये है, जिसमें डेयरी उत्पादों का समावेश है, जो स्थानीय रूप से निर्मित होते हैं और भारत से निर्यात किए जाते हैं। 

Amul Dairy, also known as the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited (KDCMPUL), is all set to buy its first dairy in the United States. Amul, which will be the first dairy union in India to start a dairy plant on foreign land, will set up its manufacturing plant in Wisconsin, US.

The company has entered into a tripartite agreement with the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (the apex body of all district dairy unions of Gujarat that markets brand Amul) and a local partner in the US. Through this agreement, Amul can manufacture three dairy products, namely paneer, ghee and shrikhand, in Waterloo village located in upstate New York.

Wisconsin accounts for almost 27% of total cheese production and is the top producer of cheese in America.

A top company official said, "We are looking at options to expand our US operations so that we can service the market there better. Presently, from the Waterloo facility, we can at best service the eastern coast. The best option is to start our own operations there."

Ramsinh Parmar, Chairman of Amul Dairy, said, "Once the directors, who are already in the US to scout for a dairy plant for acquisition, return, we will be at a position to understand how to go ahead with the acquisition."

Presently, Amul’s total sales are at almost Rs 60 crore in the US market including dairy products that are locally manufactured there and those exported from India.

मिल्कशेक के हैदराबाद स्थित स्टार्टअप निर्माताओं ने अंतर्राष्ट्रीय बाजार में प्रवेश करके 2020 तक फ्रैंचाइजी श्रृंखला का विस्तार करने की योजना की घोषणा की है। स्टार्टअप वर्तमान में 75 आउटलेट संचालित करता है।

यह अगले महीने कैलिफोर्निया में अपना पहला आउटलेट खोलकर अंतर्राष्ट्रीय बाजार में प्रवेश करेगा। फ्रैंचाइजी आउटलेट के लिए इटली, दुबई, सिंगापुर और ऑस्ट्रेलिया में कुछ संभावित भागीदारों के साथ फर्म आगे वार्ता में है।

कंपनी के चीफ एक्जीक्यूटिव राहुल तिरुमलप्रगदा ने कहा, "हम इस साल 25 नए स्टोर खोलेंगे, दुकानों की संख्या 100 तक पहुंच जाएगी। हमारा इरादा 201 9 के अंत तक 200 स्टोर होना है। इस साल, हम छह नए सेट अप करेंगे चेन्नई में स्टोर और बेंगलुरु में 10, पुणे में 2 आउटलेट के साथ प्रवेश करने के अलावा। हमारा पहला विदेशी आउटलेट 15 अक्टूबर को अमेरिका में कैलिफ़ोर्निया में आएगा। हालांकि, अन्य देशों में स्टोर्स खोलने के बारे में चर्चा चल रही है। "

कंपनी ने आगे कहा "हमने राजस्व में 25 करोड़ रुपये के साथ पिछले वित्तीय वर्ष को बंद कर दिया है। हम इस वित्त वर्ष में 40 करोड़ रुपये का लक्ष्य रख रहे हैं। इसके चलते, हम उम्मीद करते हैं कि हमारी कंपनी के लिए 150 करोड़ रुपये का मूल्यांकन होगा। हम बहुमत हिस्सेदारी मे बेचने के लिए भी खोले गए हैं, अगर हम एक अच्छा सौदा करते हैं!

Hyderabad-based startup Makers of Milkshake has announced plans to expand the franchise chain to 200 by 2020 by entering into the international market. The startup currently operates 75 outlets.

It will foray into the international market by opening its first outlet in California next month. The firm is in further talks with a few prospective partners in Italy, Dubai, Singapore and Australia for franchise outlets.

Rahul Tirumalapragada, the company’s Chief Executive, said, "We will open 25 new stores this year, taking the number of stores to 100. Our intention is to have 200 stores by the end of 2019. This year, we will set up six new stores in Chennai and 10 in Bengaluru, in addition to entering Pune with 2 outlets. Our first overseas outlet will come up in California in the US on October 15. However, discussions about opening stores in other countries are on."

"We closed last financial year with Rs 25 crore in revenues. We are targeting at Rs 40 crore this fiscal. Going by this, we expect a valuation of Rs 150 crore for our company. We are opened for even selling a majority stake in the company if we get a good deal," he further added.