KFC & Pizza Hut Post Sales Growth In India In Q1

Pizza Hut has introduced its latest menu innovation in India, the Momo Mia pizza, combining its signature cheesy pan pizza with spicy Schezwan sauce and street-style momos. This unique offering is available in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, with prices starting at Rs 269.

The vegetarian version features a crispy pan pizza base topped with capsicum, onion, and sweet corn, encircled by vegetable momos. The non-vegetarian variant includes Schezwan chicken meatballs, capsicum, and onion toppings, with chicken momos around the crust. Each momo is paired with an additional layer of Schezwan sauce, adding a spicy twist to the dish. The combination of bold Schezwan flavors with the richness of pizza and the texture of momos offers a unique dining experience.

Rohan Pewekar, Managing Director of Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent said, “Innovation has always been at the heart of Pizza Hut. The Momo Mia pizza is a perfect example. We’re excited to bring this unique fusion of two of India’s most loved food items—momos and pizzas—to our customers. We’re confident that Momo Mia will delight those seeking new and exciting food experiences.”

Momo Mia pizza is available at all 890+ Pizza Hut locations across India for dine-in, delivery, and takeaway. Additionally, Pizza Hut is offering value deals such as the ‘Momo Mia Meal for 1’ starting at Rs 299, which includes one Momo Mia pizza and a Pepsi PET bottle.

Pizza Hut, division of US-based Yum! Brands has announced the appointment of Rohan Pewekar as the Managing Director, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent.

Based in Gurgaon, Rohan will lead the brand across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, as Pizza Hut sets the stage for its next phase of expansion in the region.

“Pizza Hut has seen incredible growth, now reaching close to 900 restaurants across 200+ cities in India, and I am honoured to lead the brand in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. As we set our sights on the future, we’re not just expanding—we’re reinventing the experience with bold partnerships, industry-first products, and innovative marketing that connects with the next generation, unlocking new possibilities in the Indian market,” shared Rohan by thanking Merrill Pereyra for his invaluable mentorship, which has been key in preparing him for this next chapter.

An alumnus of IIM Calcutta and The Wharton School, Rohan has been with Pizza Hut for over four years, during which he played a pivotal role in driving the brand’s rapid growth in the region, serving as Chief Strategy and Finance Officer.

With nearly 15 years of experience in B2C sectors across countries, Rohan brings cross-functional expertise in finance, go-to-market strategies, channel expansion, and more.

Before joining Pizza Hut, Rohan worked with Samsung Electronics India, where he led several high-impact strategic initiatives. Earlier, at Accenture Strategy Consulting, he advised clients on market entry strategies, brand launches, network expansion, and digital transformation across multiple consumer industries.

EYM Group that’s one of the largest Pizza Hut franchisee in the Texas and other neigbouring areas has traded lawsuits with its franchisor and closed 15 restaurants has filed for bankruptcy in Texas.

EYM Pizza operates close to140 locations in Indiana, Illinois, Georgia, Wisconsin and Texas has filed for Chapter 11 debt protection in a handful of filings in Texas on Monday, reported Restaurant Business Online.

According to reports, Pizza Hut sued EYM, seeking to terminate its franchise agreement over underperformance and not paying its royalties on time.

Started by Eduardo Diaz, a former president of McDonald’s Mexico, in 2015 EYM Group started purchasing Pizza Huts in several deals in various states. 

According to the report, EYM owes Pizza Hut more than $2 million and $21 million to Manufacturers Bank. The franchisee is being sued by Pizza Hut but blames the parent company for its financial woes, saying that the chain hasn't updated its menus or app to help it compete in the market.

EVM also operate Denny’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Panera Bread restaurants in locations.

Pizza Hut has launched its latest menu innovation, the Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza, and revamped its toppings selection in the biggest overhaul in over a decade. This makes Pizza Hut the first global pizza chain to offer Tavern Pizza, and the first to introduce Chicken Sausage, Pesto Swirl, and Spicy Sauce as permanent toppings. Led by Rachel Antalek, Pizza Hut's new Chief Food Innovation Officer, this update brings a fresh approach to the brand's menu nationwide.

The tavern-style pizza, originating in Chicago in the 1930s, became popular in local taverns where bartenders served thin-crust pizza cut into squares, often for free, to encourage patrons to stay longer. Its crispy thin-crust and shareable format have made it a favorite among pizza lovers. Pizza Hut's version offers a modern take on this classic style with edge-to-edge toppings in four new recipes: Pesto Margherita, The Ultimate, Spicy Chicken Sausage, and Double Pepperoni.

Rachel Antalek, Chief Food Innovation Officer at Pizza Hut said, "These menu additions represent a bold step forward as part of our culinary mission to bring our guests modern innovation that embraces what we know our customers are loving and looking for in a pizza. Tavern is not just a pizza; it is a culinary trend that reflects the excitement of today's pizza scene. We perfected these recipes to truly pay homage to Chicago and the hundred-year-old style in a modern way while pushing the boundaries of what's possible in a pizza with fresh new toppings and flavors."

Alongside the new Tavern-style pizzas, Pizza Hut has introduced eight new toppings and sauces as permanent additions to its menu. These include Spicy Marinara Sauce, Pesto Sauce Swirl, Chicken Sausage, Fresh Diced Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, Fire Roasted Peppers, and Crispy Cupped Pepperoni. Customers can enjoy these new options on the four new Tavern-style pizza recipes or add them to custom pizza orders.

Here’s a look at the new Tavern-Style Pizza offerings:

1. Pesto Margherita Tavern Pizza: Features sweet marinara, grape tomatoes, garlic, and basil pesto, topped to the edge and served square-cut on Thin 'N Crispy crust, finished with parmesan-oregano seasoning.
2. The Ultimate Tavern Pizza: A Thin 'N Crispy crust topped with sausage, pepperoni, fire-roasted peppers, onions, grape tomatoes, and parmesan-oregano seasoning, served square-cut.
3. Spicy Chicken Sausage Tavern Pizza: Combines spicy marinara, chicken sausage, fire-roasted peppers, caramelized onions, and parmesan-oregano seasoning on a Thin 'N Crispy crust, served square-cut.
4. Double Pepperoni Tavern Pizza: Includes sweet marinara, classic pepperoni, and crispy cupped pepperoni, topped to the edge on Thin 'N Crispy crust, and finished with parmesan-oregano seasoning.

This menu update showcases Pizza Hut's commitment to innovation in the pizza retail market in India, offering customers new flavors and a contemporary take on a classic pizza style.

Pizza Hut has announced two significant marketing appointments. Kalen Thornton will assume the role of Global Chief Brand Officer starting June 10, reporting to Pizza Hut Division CEO Aaron Powell. In his new role, Thornton will lead Pizza Hut's global brand strategy, overseeing marketing efforts across 110 markets and territories. He will focus on enhancing the brand's relevance through strategic customer connections across both physical and digital platforms.

Thornton previously served as Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Marketing for PepsiCo North America, where he developed brand partnerships and drove growth through media and content initiatives. He also held the position of Chief Marketing Officer at Gatorade and had various marketing leadership roles at Nike and Jordan, where he spearheaded significant brand initiatives.

Powell said, "Kalen is a visionary leader with a proven track record in building global brands. He understands how to create memorable moments for consumers, and I'm excited for him to help us connect with a new generation through the joy of pizza."

Thornton expressed, "I believe creativity, community, and culture bring people together. I'm honored to contribute to Pizza Hut's long legacy and eager to help shape the future growth of this iconic brand."

In addition to Thornton's appointment, Melissa Friebe will become the Chief Marketing Officer for the U.S. market, reporting to incoming Pizza Hut U.S. President Carl Loredo. Friebe joins Pizza Hut from Taco Bell, where she held various positions over nearly three decades, most recently serving as Chief Brand Strategy Officer. She will succeed Lindsay Morgan, who is leaving after more than eight years in various marketing leadership roles.

Powell said, "I am proud that Pizza Hut is attracting top talent in the industry. Kalen and Melissa bring a wealth of experience and I'm confident they will achieve great things in their new roles. I'm also grateful for Lindsay Morgan's contributions, including our record-breaking World's Largest Pizza activation and the successful launch of Melts."

These leadership changes at Pizza Hut underscore the brand's commitment to innovation and growth in the competitive global and U.S. markets.

Pizza Hut has hired ex. Chief Marketing Officer at Wendy’s, Carl Loredo as president of Pizza Hut US.

He will be reporting to Aaron Powell, Pizza Hut Division CEO, effective June 3, shared a press release.

Loredo's previously served as global chief marketing officer at The Wendy's Company for eight years. Loredo also served as VP of Account Services at The Marketing Arm (a part of Omnicom Media Group).

"Carl comes to Pizza Hut with a strong track record of positioning brands for success and delivering results in highly competitive markets. He is adept at helping brands show up in novel and authentic ways at the right intersection of customer need and culture," shared Powell.

"I love a good story, and Pizza Hut's journey from one restaurant in Wichita, Kansas, to global cultural icon status is tremendously inspiring," Loredo said in the release. "It is an honor to lead Pizza Hut's U.S. business and be a part of taking this beloved brand forward for the next generation of customers. I am eager to partner with Aaron and the leadership team, our best-in-class franchisees and our talented team members around the country to unlock growth for this powerhouse brand."
 

Pizza Hut's introduction of its global hit, Melts, signifies the brand's venture into a fresh category within the Indian market.

The freshly introduced Melts has a crispy, cheesy, and filled profile. Melts has been customized to cater to the specific taste preferences of Indian consumers.

It presents six variations: Loaded Veggie BBQ, Loaded Chicken BBQ, Cheesy Cheese, Cheesy Cheese Chicken, Magical Makhni Paneer, and Chicken Tikka and Keema Supreme.

 “Melts is a product unlike any we have ever had in India, and marks our entry into a brand-new category.We are thrilled to launch such a versatile food item that is so convenient to eat, anytime, anywhereensuringno interruption, only satisfaction for our customers who are always on the go. The variety of flavours and a great value price point will surelydelight and surprise all Pizza Hut lovers, and we are eagerly awaiting their response.” said Merrill Pereyra, Managing Director, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent.

Melts is offered at an economical starting price of Rs. 169 and can be found at over 850 Pizza Hut outlets throughout India, catering to dine-in, delivery, and takeaway preferences.

Furthermore, Pizza Hut presents various combinations for Melts including options like the Melts Meal for 1 and the 3-course Meal for 2.

Alongside Melts, Pizza Hut has revealed its Thin N' Crispy crust, showcasing a variety of topping combinations, providing customers with an array of choices for their pizza crust preferences.

Pizza Hut has joined forces with Yeastie Boys, a bagel food truck concept based in Los Angeles, to introduce an exclusive Big New Yorker Pizza Bagel.

This unique creation will first appear at Yeastie Boys' food trucks located in both L.A. and New York City.

The unveiling is set to take place during Rolling Loud in Los Angeles from March 15th to 17th, as detailed in a press release.

Following its debut at Rolling Loud in Los Angeles, the Big New Yorker Pizza Bagel will be available at the NYC truck from March 22nd to 23rd, and in Los Angeles from March 22nd to 24th.

We are excited to collaborate with Yeastie Boys to unveil the Pizza Bagel, which adds an even more pronounced New York flair to our Big New Yorker pizza," said Rachel Antalek, Chief Food Innovation Officer at Pizza Hut.

Continuously seeking inventive ways to delight our customers, this partnership epitomizes our dedication to daring flavors and culinary ingenuity.

At each truck site, customers can enjoy the Big New Yorker Pizza Bagel for free, subject to availability, with a one-per-customer limit.

Moreover, some Pizza Bagels will include a scratch-off card offering codes for Pizza Hut gift cards valued up to $25 or exclusive Yeastie Boys x Pizza Hut merchandise.

Pizza Hut has a presence in over 100 regions worldwide, with a network of over 19,000 restaurants.

Owners and operators of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, Yum Restaurants India is planning to exit quick service restaurant giant Devyani International by selling a 4.4 per cent interest in a block sale on Wednesday, shared reports.

According to the reports, with this, Yum Restaurants expects to raise around Rs 815 crore from the deal.

The floor price for the sale has been set at Rs 153.5 per share, which represents an almost 8 per cent reduction to the current pricing.

Devyani International’s shares closed 0.6 per cent higher at Rs 166.20 on the National Stock Exchange.

As of 31 December, Yum Restaurants owned more than 5 crore shares in Devyani International. Yum Restaurants acquired 4.41 per cent of Devyani International in September 2021.

Devyani International’s stock has risen by more than 7 per cent during the last year.

Devyani International, which manages the KFC and Pizza Hut restaurant franchises in India, announced disappointing results for the December quarter, with consolidated earnings falling 87 per cent to Rs 9.6 crore. The company’s sales increased by barely 7 per cent YoY to Rs 843 crore.

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Pizza chain Pizza Hut has opened its most sustainable store yet in India at Mahim, Mumbai.

This initiative aligns with the global mission of ‘Recipe for Good Growth’, which prioritises people, the planet and food. This initiative is one of the many steps taken by Pizza Hut to help Yum! Brands reach net-zero emissions by 2050. 

“At Pizza Hut, we are dedicated to running a purpose-driven business, where our foremost commitment is providing our customers with the best taste and service. Simultaneously, we are deeply invested in cultivating practices that not only enrich the present but also contribute to a brighter future for our customers, the community, and the environment. The Mahim store serves as a model for us and has given an impetus to our efforts in pioneering a green future,” shared Asif Mahmud, Chief Development Officer at Pizza Hut, Yum! Restaurants India.

The restaurant at Mahim integrates energy efficiency, usage of responsible materials and wastewater management. The restaurant is fitted with 17 kWP capacity solar plant installations generating 58 kWh of solar units every day, saving INR 300K annually while reducing carbon footprint by 35-50%. 

The restaurant is also equipped with an Energy Management System (EMS) to monitor and control power usage, saving 5-6% on average. The rainwater harvesting system at the store utilizes RO wastewater for cleaning purposes, saving 3.9 lakh litres of water annually.

Cognizant of the impact of businesses on society at large, Pizza Hut has been adopting several sustainable practices. The brand believes in choosing ‘Made in India’ suppliers for key equipment which leads to boosting the local economy while simultaneously reducing carbon footprint. In its daily operations too, the brand has been demonstrating environment consciousness by ensuring 100% removal of single-use plastic from packaging, use of paper straws and wooden cutlery, and responsible sourcing of ingredients.  
Pizza Hut, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM), serves and delivers more pizzas than any other pizza company in the world. Founded in 1958, Pizza Hut has become the most-recognized pizza restaurant in the world, operating more than 18000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. 

Pizza chain Pizza Hut has once again wowed the audience with its new film for its new brand campaign. 

Featuring two emoji avatars, the film personifies varying moods of people in their daily life situations and elucidates how Pizza Hut’s exotic range of 10 new pizzas offers them ample variety to match their every possible mood. 

“We understand the role of emotions in determining our food choices. This inspired us to introduce emoji avatars to further strengthen our bond with the audience. Pizza Hut acknowledges customer’s fluctuating moods and greets them with ample options to satisfy their cravings. Emojis have become a universal language today and our emoji avatars stand out to bring our customers together under one roof, making them experience best-tasting pizzas enveloped in our warm service,” shared Aanandita Datta, Chief Marketing Officer, Pizza Hut India.

The new flavours like Makhni Paneer, Dhabe Da Keema, Cheezy Mushroom Magic, Mexican Fiesta, Awesome American Cheesy, and Nawabi Murg Makhni, among others give abundant options to people to satisfy their food cravings triggered by their varied moods.  

The brand has also rolled out its value offer, wherein pizza lovers can relish 2 personal pizzas starting at Rs. 299, with 2 free Pepsi glasses at all 800+ Pizza Hut restaurants. 

Pizza Hut’s new film, conceptualized and shot by Creativeland Asia Pvt. Ltd, is part of Pizza Hut’s massive 360-degree marketing campaign which is being rolled out across television, digital social media platforms, involving PR and influencer outreach, OOH and in-store branding to connect with consumers at every touchpoint. The film is being promoted across TV, OTT platforms, as well as key new-age social media platforms and apps such as Glance, Saavan, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Snapchat, Amazon, PhonePe, Uber and others.
 

Yum! Brands Inc has appointed Brett Biggs, former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Walmart Inc., and Susan Doniz, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President of Information Technology & Data Analytics of The Boeing Company, to its Board of Directors, effective August 10, 2023.

“Brett and Susan bring deep leadership experience and proven track records driving performance and innovation for well-known customer-oriented and technology-centric companies, making them outstanding additions to the Yum! Brands Board,” said Brian Cornell, Chairman of the Yum! Brands Board of Directors and Chairman and CEO of Target Corporation. 

“Brett’s impressive background leading global finance, corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions at one of the world’s most iconic and customer-focused retailers positions him perfectly to contribute to the Yum! Board and help shape our future growth and performance,” said David Gibbs, Chief Executive Officer, Yum! Brands. 

Yum! will also benefit from Brett’s experience in global operations and digital transformation as we continue to prioritize initiatives that strengthen operational execution, accelerate digital sales and provide great experiences for their customers and restaurant team members.

Gibbs continued, “Susan has strong expertise in adopting new, cutting-edge technologies and leveraging agile digital solutions and data analytics capabilities to drive business growth and support customer needs. Her wealth of knowledge will be invaluable as we pursue our bold goal of powering 100 percent of our sales by digital and investing in technologies that enable easy experiences for customers, easy operations in restaurants and easy insights to accelerate profitable growth for Yum! and our franchisees.”
 

Yum! Brands, Inc. has announced the latest step in the Company’s strategy to enhance the digital experiences of customers by selecting Treasure Data™ as its Customer Data Platform provider to help drive customer acquisition, growth and retention.

Many Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) have unknown diners in their customer base, and being able to personalize marketing to them is important in order to increase brand loyalty and frequency. Treasure Data’s advanced AI and machine learning capabilities can provide rich, actionable insights that deliver engaging, personalized content to customers.

The Treasure Data Customer Data Cloud is designed to unify all first-, second- and third-party data, creating a single view of a customer across multiple brands. The data unification and enrichment are designed to help discover unknown audiences and will assist in achieving a centralized view of customer data across the Yum! Brands concepts.

“This is the latest advancement in our strategy to drive toward enhanced digital experiences and deliver exceptional value to our customers, as the company remains focused on our vision to have 100% of sales powered by digital,” said Cameron Davies, Chief Data Officer, Yum! Brands by adding that treasure data’s state-of-the-art CDP solution brings unparalleled capabilities to unify, manage and activate customer data across our four brands and third-party platforms, empowering our ability to gain deep insights into customer behavior and preferences.

Powered by its global scale, Yum! Brands is investing in technologies that enable easy experiences for customers, easy operations for restaurant teams and easy insights to drive outsized growth. The company’s strategy is to build in-house, acquire or partner on technologies that provide a strategic advantage. While Yum! is focused on owning the majority of its tech solutions, it does partner with select third-party tech providers like Treasure Data.

“Yum! has built some of the most loved and trusted brands in the world, and they know the importance of understanding customer needs,” added Kazuki Ohta, CEO and co-founder, Treasure Data.

QSR chain Pizza Hut recently tested ‘Underground Deliveries’ as part of a tie in with the upcoming feature film "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: Mutant Mayhem" premiering on Aug. 2.

As per the reports, the pizza chain has partnered with Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and Point Grey Production held in New York City only.

Since the home of the title characters is an abandoned subway, it was fitting for the underground deliveries to take place at a local NYC subway station.

Select pizza lovers in Manhattan experienced an underground delivery by texting the turtle emoji to a dedicated hotline number which then placed an order for Pizza Hut pizza. Once ordered, Pizza Hut prepared and delivered the pizza within minutes directly to the marked "Pizza Drop Zone".

"Pizza Hut and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a longstanding history that goes back to the'90s. Bringing the two together again for a new generation was a no brainer," shared Lindsay Morgan, CMO, Pizza Hut.

Pizza Hut operates about 19,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries.

Flynn Restaurant Group LP is acquiring Pizza Hut Australia, purchasing about 260 Pizza Hut restaurants in the country.

Terms of the agreement were not announced, as per the report.

Flynn Restaurant Group, owner of eateries including Applebee’s, Taco Bell, Paners, Wendy’s and Pizza Hut, will have more than 2,600 quick‑service, fast casual and casual dining restaurants, generating $4.5 billion in sales and employing more than 75,000 people post the acquisition.

"This is an incredibly exciting moment for Flynn Restaurant Group. We spent our first 12 years growing in Applebee's, and then the next 12 years diversifying as a domestic franchise operator. In this next chapter, we're layering on international expansion, and the growth potential is essentially unlimited,” shared Greg Flynn, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Flynn Restaurant Group.

Under the leadership of CEO Phil Reed, Pizza Hut Australia has delivered 50 consecutive months of positive same store sales growth, creating record revenues and value for the business.

"Flynn Restaurant Group's investment is a strong endorsement of our high-caliber team and the brand's success, marking the beginning of an exciting new growth chapter for Pizza Hut in Australia," added Reed said in the press release.

The purchase is expected to be completed by the end of June 2023.

"We are thrilled to see a highly valued, capable, and committed U.S. franchise partner, Flynn Restaurant Group, expanding their relationship with Pizza Hut through the acquisition of the Master Franchisee license in Australia," pointed Aaron Powell, Pizza Hut Global CEO.

Devyani International, the operator of KFC restaurants in India, experienced a 21% decline in fourth-quarter profit.

The company attributed this decrease to increased expenses and reduced consumer spending on fast food due to inflation.

According to an exchange filing, the consolidated net profit for the quarter ending on March 31 amounted to 607.2 million rupees ($7.4 million).

In recent quarters, consumers in the world's most populous country have been heavily impacted by soaring prices of everyday necessities like milk and fuel.

As a result, they have been compelled to tighten their purse strings when it comes to discretionary expenses.

Additionally, Devyani International's Pizza Hut outlets are encountering fierce competition from local brands that provide more affordable alternatives, as well as from Domino's Pizza, operated by Jubilant Foodworks in India.

Devyani International, the exclusive franchise holder for Costa Coffee in India, witnessed a significant 32% increase in total expenses compared to the previous year.

Despite this, the company achieved a notable 28% rise in revenue from operations, amounting to 7.55 billion rupees, mainly driven by the opening of 66 new stores.

 However, the company experienced a decline of approximately 5% in revenue compared to the previous quarter.

This decline in profit aligns with the performance of its competitors, Sapphire Foods India Ltd (a Yum Brands franchisee) and Westlife FoodWorld Ltd (the local operator of McDonald's), highlighting the impact of both rising expenses and a slowdown in demand.

Non-Executive Chairman Ravi Jaipuria expressed optimism for a recovery in consumer spending during the latter half of the upcoming fiscal year, citing early indications of inflation stabilization.

However, Devyani's shares experienced a decline of up to 8.6% following the release of their earnings report. As of the latest update, the shares were down 4.8% at 173.3 rupees.

In line with their new “Your Mood, Your Pizza” campaign, Pizza Hut has once again wowed consumers by installing a one-of-its-kind AI-powered mood detector device that studies facial cues and expressions of customers and gives them recommendations for pizzas that best match their moods.

Pizza Hut becomes the first-ever QSR brand to use the power of AI to understand the mood of its consumers to help them choose what they crave for.

This device is installed in select restaurants across Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

“At Pizza Hut, we believe that dining is more than just eating - it's about the entire experience. With our new AI-powered mood detector, we're taking that experience to the next level by offering personalized pizza recommendations based on our customers' moods. We're thrilled to bring this innovative technology to our customers and offer a new and exciting way for them to interact with our brand,” shared Aanandita Datta, CMO, Pizza Hut India.

The mood detector uses innovative technology that offers a unique and personalized ordering experience. All you need to do is stand in front of the device, look into the screen and leave it on the detector to calibrate your mood and flash its pizza recommendation before you.  The device uses a statistical model that detects facial expressions by analyzing landmarks on the face such as eye movements, smiles, frowns, etc. captured by the camera. The model compares these patterns against a database of hundreds of thousands of publicly available images.

Customers' privacy is protected because the AI only stores face patterns as numbers and does not save any images in any format.

The AI-enabled device gives pizza recommendations in both veg and non-veg variants from Pizza Hut’s new range of 10 exciting and unique flavours like Mazedar Makhni Paneer, Dhabe Da Keema, Cheezy Mushroom Magic, Mexican Fiesta, Awesome American Cheesy, and Nawabi Murg Makhni, among others. 

Pizza Hut is introducing a diverse range of 10 pizzas that are designed to cater to different moods of consumers.

To promote the new range, the brand has partnered with popular stars Saif Ali Khan and Shehnaaz Gill for a quirky "Mood Badle, Pizza Badle" campaign.

The new pizzas will be available across all 800 Pizza Hut restaurants in India for a great value price, starting at Rs. 299 for two personal pizzas, through dine-in, delivery, and takeaway options.

Pizza Hut's latest pizza range consists of 10 unique and thrilling flavours, such as Mazedar Makhni Paneer, Dhabe Da Keema, Cheezy Mushroom Magic, Mexican Fiesta, Awesome American Cheesy, and Nawabi Murg Makhni, among others.

Each flavour of the range has been carefully curated to make the pizzas irresistible, such as the buttery Makhni sauce used in Mazedar Makhni Paneer, or the creamy and cheesy base sauce of Cheezy Mushroom Magic with distinct flavours of mushrooms and olives.

“Our mood plays an important role in deciding our food cravings and we wanted to give consumers different options for their varied moods. This was our inspiration behind launching an extensive range of 10 new pizzas with so many added flavourful ingredients, for the first time. We are confident that consumers will love the wide variety being introduced and elevate their mood anytime, any day with Pizza Hut pizzas.” said, Aanandita Datta, Chief Marketing Officer, Pizza Hut India

Pizza Hut aims to engage with customers through an extensive 360-degree "Mood Badle, Pizza Badle" marketing campaign.

This campaign will be rolled out across various mediums, including television, digital and social media platforms, public relations and influencer outreach, out-of-home advertising, and in-store branding.

Pizza Hut has achieved a milestone by launching its 800th store in India, and has now extended its reach to a total of 199 cities.

The brand is committed to its new brand platform, 'Dil Khol Ke Delivering', which guarantees fresh, delicious, and heart-satisfying pizzas made with fresh dough every day.

Quick service restaurant operator Devyani International Ltd on Thursday reported a 7.63 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 71.03 crore for the third quarter ended December 2022.

Devyani International, the biggest franchisee of Yum Brands in India that operates brands such as Pizza Hut and KFC, had a net profit of Rs 65.99 crore in the same period the previous year.

Devyani International Ltd (DIL) reported a 26.61% increase in their revenue from operations during the third quarter of the current fiscal year, reaching Rs 790.59 crore compared to the previous year's figure of Rs 624.42 crore, according to a regulatory filing.

According to DIL's earnings statement, the rise in revenue was due to a sustained strong increase in the number of store additions and growth in volume, which helped to drive the performance.

The total expenses of DIL during the latest quarter saw a year-on-year increase of 29.02%, reaching Rs 725.10 crore.

According to the company, they maintained their momentum in adding new stores by opening 81 net new stores in the third quarter of the fiscal year 2023, bringing their total number of stores to 1,177 as of December 31st, 2022.

As of December 2022, the company was operating 103 stores of Costa Coffee.

In addition to its operations in India, DIL also manages 36 KFC stores in Nigeria and a combined total of 21 KFC and Pizza Hut stores in Nepal.

“Innovation continues to play a crucial role in their growth strategy for all the brands within their portfolio” said, Ravi Jaipuria, Chairman of DIL.

He also stated that the company remains optimistic about their brands and the Indian market, despite a temporary slowdown in consumer demand. He believes that once inflation stabilizes, consumer spending will pick up, which will positively impact their businesses.

In the meantime, Jaipuria stated that the company will stay focused on improving their processes, ensuring product quality, and refining their execution abilities.

The shares of DIL ended the day at Rs 159.25 per share on BSE, which was a 0.25% increase from the previous close.

Yum! Brands Inc has reported for the fourth-quarter and year ended December 31, 2022.

The group recorded 4^th quarter GAAP EPS was $1.29, an increase of 17%. Fourth-quarter EPS excluding Special Items was $1.31, an increase of 29%. Full-year GAAP EPS was $4.57, a decrease of (12)%. Full-year EPS excluding Special Items was $4.51, an increase of 1%. Full-year GAAP Operating Profit growth was 2%. Full-year Core Operating Profit1 growth was 6%, including a 2-point headwind from the removal of Russia profits.

“2022 was a landmark year for Yum! as we beat our own industry record for unit development, opening an incredible 4,560 gross new units. Despite a challenging environment, we achieved widespread system sales growth of 8% excluding Russia with $24 billion in digital sales, demonstrating that our iconic brands are more relevant, easy and distinctive than ever,” shared David Gibbs, CEO.

Worldwide system sales grew 8% excluding foreign currency translation, with KFC at 6%, Taco Bell at 14%, and Pizza Hut at 4%.

The brand also repurchased 4.1 million shares totalling $486 million at an average price per share of $119.

Foreign currency translation unfavourably impacted divisional operating profit by $42 million.

KFC Division opened 997 gross new restaurants during the quarter, Taco Bell Division opened 253 gross new restaurants and Pizza Hut Division opened 571 gross new restaurants during the quarter.

“Our fiscal 2022 results delivered on our raised long-term growth algorithm with record-setting net new unit growth and 4% same-store sales growth. Despite inflationary pressures and a 2-point negative impact from Russia, we delivered 6% Core Operating Profit growth – a testament to the strength of our enterprise. We remain focused on executing the strategies underlying our Recipe for Good Growth to drive our business forward. I'm also pleased to announce our Board of Directors approved an increased quarterly dividend of $0.605,” added Chris Turner, CFO, Yum! Brands.

Devyani International that operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee in India reported a net profit of 28.6% to Rs 58.76 crore.

It also saw a 44.8% jump in revenue from operations to Rs 747.43 crore in Q2 FY23 over Q2 FY22.

Consolidated profit before exceptional items stood at Rs 70.05 crore in quarter ended 30 September 2022, registering a growth of 46.36% from Rs 47.86 crore posted in Q2 FY22. The company reported an exceptional item of Rs 11.29 crore in Q2 FY23.

EBITDA improved by 34.23% to Rs 165.5 crore in Q2 FY23 from Rs 123.3 crore in Q2 FY22. EBITDA margin stood at 22.1% in Q2 FY23 as compared to 23.9% reported in same period last year.

“DIL opened 88 net new stores in Q2 FY23, which is the highest store openings recorded in a quarter, taking the total count to 1,096 as of 30 September 2022,” shared the BSE filing.

According to the filing, KFC revenue grew by 47% year on year to Rs 443 crore, while Pizza Hut expanded by 36% year on year to Rs 1,81.2 crore.

Brand contribution at KFC came in at 21.5%, while Pizza Hut stood at 17%.

“I am pleased to share that DIL has maintained its store expansion pace and opened 88 net new stores in the quarter - the highest ever. We are making consistent progress in expanding our reach and investing in our Core Brands to capitalize on the growth opportunities available,” shared Ravi Jaipuria, Chairman, Devyani International.

He also shared that in line with the brand’s strategy, they have continued their focus on consolidating their presence in metro cities along with the expansion in non-metros towns.

“At the end of Q2, our total store count stood at 1,096 stores across our portfolio, with a split of 52% in non-metros and 48% in metro cities,” he added.

Devyani International is the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India that operates 884 stores across more than 224 cities in India, Nigeria and Nepal, as of 31 December 2021. In addition, DIL is a franchisee for the Costa Coffee brand and stores in India.

Shares of Devyani International declined 1.44% to Rs 184.70 on the BSE.

Operator of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Hobbit Burger globally, Yum! Brands has recorded a strong Q3 result driven by high performance at KFC and Taco Bell.

The brand also missed Wall Street’s earnings estimates and has beaten quarterly revenue expectations.

Same store sales rose at its KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains. Yum executives said that consumers generally haven’t been changing their behavior, and that more premium menu items in the U.S. are proving popular.

Yum! Brands overall system sales grew at 7 per cent whereas that of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell grew at 8, 9 and 4 per cent respectively.

Same store sales at KFC and Taco Bell that performed better this quarter rise at 7 and 6 per cent respectively.

Total system sales of Yum! Brands stood at $14,543 mllion.

Third quarter also reported net-new unit growth of 644 stores.

Present in over 293 countries, Yum! Operates 53,994 restaurants across globe.

Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM) has announced an update on its ongoing process to exit the Russian market.

Yum! Brands has entered into a sale and purchase agreement to transfer ownership of its Russian KFC restaurants, operating system and master franchise rights, including the network of KFC franchised restaurants, to Smart Service Ltd., operated by one of the Company’s existing KFC franchisees in Russia, Konstantin Yurievich Kotov and Andrey Eduardovich Oskolkov.

Under the agreement, the buyer will be responsible for rebranding locations to a non-Yum! concept.

In addition, the buyer will be responsible for retaining the Company’s employees in Russia.

Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory and governmental approvals, as well as other conditions agreed to by the parties.

Following the completion of the transaction, Yum! Brands will have ceased its corporate presence in Russia.

This builds on Yum! Brands’ prior announcement that it was transferring ownership of KFC to a local operator in Russia. In addition, the Company previously announced that it had completed the transfer of ownership of all Pizza Hut franchise assets to a local operator who initiated the process of re-branding locations to a non-Yum! concept.

Pizza chain Pizza Hut has launched its new Flavour Fun range offering 12 new pizzas starting at an unbelievable price of Rs. 79 only.

The pizza range comes in 5 craveable sauce flavors like Tandoori, Schezwan, Italian, Cheezy and Classic - paired with seven vegetarian and five non-vegetarian topping combinations.

Flavour Fun pizzas will be available at all 700+ Pizza Hut stores in India, across dine-in, delivery and takeaway.

“I am tremendously excited about the launch of our Flavour Fun range at a never-before price point from the brand. With Flavour Fun, we are offering ‘more for less’ to our young consumers, so that they can enjoy their favourite pizza brand as often as they like, with enough variety to keep them coming for more,” shared Neha, Chief Marketing Officer, Pizza Hut India.

The entire Flavour Fun range is available in the personal pizza size. The Vegetarian variants include a wide range of topping combos across Paneer, Sweet Corn, Mushroom, Onion and Capsicum. Non-vegetarians too have several topping options to try such as Chicken Sausage, Chicken Meatballs, Chicken Tikka and Chicken Pepperoni.

Pizza Hut has launched this range keeping Gen Z in mind, especially the college goers and early jobbers who are on a budget. Since these young consumers order food several times a week, they seek a variety of flavours at a cost that is not prohibitive, and the Flavour Fun range perfectly matches this need for variety and value.

Pizza Hut has also launched a massive 360-degree Flavour Fun marketing campaign across leading digital and social media platforms, mobile apps, OTT video and audio platforms, PR and influencer outreach, OOH and on-ground activation in youth centric locations like colleges, coaching centres, co-working and co-living spaces, in-store branding, radio and print publicity.

The plan includes innovative collaborations with its partner brand, Pepsi, as well as aggressive promotions on Zomato and Swiggy. A series of fun digital films launched by the brand features Pizza Hut’s magnetic ambassador Anuradha Menon and a quirky Shut Up and Take My Money tagline to highlight the sheer affordability and variety of the new range.

Pizza Hut recently crossed the 700th store milestone in India, coinciding with the launch of its Flavour Fun range.

Yum! Brands is suspending operations of KFC company-owned restaurants in Russia and finalizing an agreement to suspend all Pizza Hut restaurant operations in Russia, in partnership with its master franchisee.

According to the Yum! Brands website, this action builds on their decision to suspend all investment and restaurant development in Russia and redirect all profits from operations in Russia to humanitarian efforts.

“Those humanitarian efforts include a $1 million donation from the Yum! Brands Foundation to the Red Cross to support those affected by the crisis, activating the Yum! Disaster Relief Fund to support Ukrainian franchise employees, and matching donations from employees to the following charities providing relief in Ukraine: UNICEF, Red Cross, World Food Programme and International Rescue Committee. In addition, our franchisees in the surrounding regions are providing food for refugees,” shared the release.

As always, Yum! Brands remain focused on the safety of their people in the region and will continue to support their teams in Ukraine while evaluating the ways Yum! Brands can make a positive impact in the region.

Yum Brands first opened KFC in Russia in 1995 and operate close to 1,000 restaurants.

Devyani International Limited has achieved the milestone of opening its 1,000th outlet.

The company operates restaurants across India, Nigeria and Nepal, and its newest Pizza Hut at Sion, Mumbai, is testament to DIL’s commitment to business growth across geographies.

“This is an important milestone in our aspiration of building India’s largest QSR company. From our first restaurant in 1996, today we are a strong team of 12,000 building brands across cities and countries. We are confident that we are on the path to accelerated growth driven by our flagship brands- KFC, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee and our own brands Vaango and The Foodstreet. It took us 25 years to get to this important landmark, and we are on track to add the next 1,000 by 2026,” shared Ravi Jaipuria, Non-Executive Chairman, Devyani International Limited.

The company also hosted 25 specially-abled children supported by Mumbai-based Shrimati Kamla Mehta NGO at the restaurant’s opening.

“DIL has always championed a culture of equity and inclusion, and is committed to providing access to opportunities and skill development to all. Today, we operate 21 all-women restaurants and have 66 specially-abled employees with us,” added Virag Joshi, CEO, Devyani International Limited.

Samir Menon, Managing Director, Yum! Restaurants India also congratulated the team and pointed that DIL has been a valued partner for Yum! for over 2 decades.

“Heartiest congratulations for reaching the 1,000th store landmark in India, which is a testament to DIL’s unwavering commitment to Yum! since the last 26 years,” said Merrill Pereyra, Managing Director, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent.

DIL is the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India and are among the largest operators of chain quick-service restaurants (QSR) in India, on a non-exclusive basis, and operates more than 1,000 stores across more than 200 cities in India, Nigeria and Nepal, as of June 30, 2022. In addition, DIL is a franchisee for the Costa Coffee brand and stores in India. Yum! Brands Inc. operates brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands and has presence globally with more than 53,000 restaurants in over 155 countries, as of December 31, 2021.

Pizza chain Pizza Hut has opened its first all-women operated outlet in India.

The store is located at Gangtok empowering more women in the workforce and ensuring an ‘Equal Slice for Everyone’.

From store function, food preparation and customer service to day-to-day management, everything will be managed by the all-women team.

“2021 has been a marquee year with many firsts for Pizza Hut. Earlier this year we had unveiled our bold new brand platform called ‘Dil Khol Ke Delivering’ to let everyone know that Pizza Hut delivers the best taste and value, easiest access along with our signature warm service across every channel – Dine-in, Takeaway or Delivery. To bring our ‘Dil Khol Ke Delivering’ message alive in a unique way, we have also roped in popular actor and comedian Anuradha Menon as our magnetic ambassador, making Pizza Hut one of the first few QSR chains in India to use a female ambassador as the face of the brand,” shared Chitra D Ram, Director – Capability & Culture, Pizza Hut at Yum! Restaurants International by adding that they are proud to begin a new chapter by opening the first all-women store in India that puts women at the front and centre of action.

The store will have a staff of over 10 women employees to start with, including store managers. A majority of these women employees are freshers, making this an excellent stepping-stone for them to start their professional career with a highly respected brand like Pizza Hut.

“It is an honour to be associated with a brand that not only advocates gender equality and inclusion but also demonstrates it in an equally strong manner. Dil Khol Ke salute to this all-women power team of the Gangtok store as they set foot on this bold and adventurous journey,” added Menon.

Pizza Hut’s parent company Yum! Brands has also been setting diversity and inclusion benchmarks consistently.

Yum China Holdings, Inc, has announced that the Top Employers Institute has certified the company as a Top Employer China for the fourth consecutive year, with Yum China the only restaurant company named among the top 20 employers.

In 2021, as the challenges of COVID-19 continued, Yum China adhered firmly to its "People First" philosophy, further upgrading employee benefits and striving to support sustainable career development for over 400,000 employees.

"We are proud to be named as a Top Employer China for the fourth consecutive year, a recognition of our continuous efforts to create an industry leading sustainable workplace," said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China by adding that he is grateful to his employees for the diligence and resilience they have shown in their day-to-day work.

Despite the challenges brought by the resurgences of COVID-19 outbreaks in 2021, Yum China continued to place top priority on the health and safety of employees and further upgraded employee benefits. This included upgrading medical insurance coverage for its approximately 10,000 Restaurant General Managers ("RGMs") and upgrading its "Family Care Fund" plan for the restaurant management team (RMT) and restaurant service team leaders, helping eligible employees and their families mitigate the financial risks brought by critical illness.

To further protect the health and safety of employees and customers, Yum China encourages and rewards employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. As of the end of December 2021, over 90% of all Yum China employees were fully vaccinated.

"People is one of the three pillars of Yum China's sustainability strategy. The cmpany is committed to accelerating employee growth guided by our principle of Fair, Care and Pride," added Aiken Yuen, Chief People Officer of Yum China.

As of the end of September 2021, Yum China operated 11,415 restaurants and over 400,000 employees in over 1,600 cities across the country.

The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. The survey covers six HR domains consisting of 20 topics including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being and Diversity & Inclusion and more.

The initial public offer of Sapphire Foods India Limited, the largest operator of KFC and Pizza Hut outlets, was subscribed 6.62 times on the last day of subscription on 11^th November.

The Rs 2,073-crore IPO received bids for 6,39,45,000 shares against 96,63,468 shares on offer, according to BSE data.

The portion for Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) was subscribed 7.50 times, while those for Retail Individual Investors (RIIs) 8.70 times and non institutional investors 3.46 times.

Also Read: 6 things to know before you take a bite of Sapphire Foods IPO

The company's initial public offer (IPO) was of up to 1.75 crore (1,75,69,941) equity shares and it fixed the price band at Rs 1,120-1,180 per share. Sapphire Foods India Ltd on Monday raised Rs 933 crore from anchor investors.

An omni-channel restaurant operator and the largest franchisee of Yum Brands in the Indian sub-continent, Sapphire Foods is backed by marquee investors such as Samara Capital, Goldman Sachs, CX Partners and Edelweiss.

As of March 31, 2021, Sapphire Foods owned and operated 204 KFC restaurants in India and the Maldives, 231 Pizza Hut restaurants in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and two Taco Bell restaurants in Sri Lanka.

JM Financial, BofA Securities, ICICI Securities and IIFL Securities are the lead managers to the company's public issue. The equity shares of the company will be listed on BSE and NSE.

The largest franchisee of Yum Brands in India, Sapphire Food’s initial share-sale will open for public subscription on November 9.

The three-day initial public offering (IPO) will conclude on November 11, according to the red herring prospectus (RHP).

The initial share-sale will be entirely an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 17,569,941 equity shares by promoters and existing shareholders.

As a part of the OFS, QSR Management Trust will sell 8.50 lakh shares, Sapphire Foods Mauritius Ltd will offload 55.69 lakh shares, WWD Ruby Ltd will divest 48.46 lakh shares and Amethyst will offer 39.62 lakh shares.

In addition, AAJV Investment Trust will sell 80,169 shares, Edelweiss Crossover Opportunities Fund will offload 16.15 lakh shares and Edelweiss Crossover Opportunities Fund-Series II will divest 6.46 lakh shares.

According to market sources, the IPO is expected to fetch Rs 1,500-2,000 crore.

Backed by marquee investors such as Samara Capital, Goldman Sachs, CX Partners and Edelweiss, Samara Capital operate 204 KFC restaurants in India and the Maldives, 231 Pizza Hut restaurants in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and two Taco Bell restaurants in Sri Lanka.

JM Financial, BofA Securities, ICICI Securities and IIFL Securities are the lead managers to the company's public issue. The equity shares of the company will be listed on BSE and NSE.

Pizza-chain Pizza Hut has unveiled its bold new brand platform called 'Dil Khol Ke Delivering' to let everyone know that Pizza Hut doesn't just deliver, it delivers 'Dil Khol ke'.

Known for its superior dine-in experience, they have witnessed consistent growth in delivery, which as of now, is contributing to more than 60% in sales.

Despite this shift, consumers continue to perceive Pizza Hut as a restaurant chain, which the brand now seeks to change with 'Dil Khol Ke Delivering', to make its association with delivery even stronger. Pizza Hut has roped in popular actor and comedian Anuradha Menon as its magnetic ambassador, to bring the 'Dil Khol Ke Delivering' message alive through a cheeky yet confident marketing campaign that positions Pizza Hut as a brand with a new story to tell, in delivery and beyond.

“We truly believe in taking the 'Dil Khol Ke Delivering' promise to every customer touchpoint.  In every interaction with the brand, whether it is in store, through home delivery or even on social media, we want to make sure they feel they have been treated to a truly 'Dil Khol Ke' experience,’ shared Merrill Pereyra, Managing Director, Pizza Hut India Subcontinent.

With 'Dil Khol Ke Delivering', Pizza Hut aims to set new benchmarks and elevate the overall pizza experience in India. That means consumers will always get 'Dil satisfying' delicious, restaurant quality pizzas which can satiate even the most discerning Indian taste buds.

'Dil Khol Ke Delivering' also stands for an easy, hassle-free customer experience of ordering through Pizza Hut's seamless and intuitive digital platforms like the mobile-app, m-site, and website, which have an easy-to-use interface and facilitate faster checkouts.

Founded in 1958, Pizza Hut has become the most-recognized pizza restaurant in the world, operating more than 18000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. 

Yum China has announced to promote balanced diets by offering customers more fruit and vegetable options.

The campaign was launched simultaneously on September 13 at over 6,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell stores nationwide, before gradually expanding to more stores.

A core component of the campaign is the "Fruit and Vegetables 100+" program that encourages customers to add at least 100g of fruit and vegetables to their meals.

KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell will also launch a series of new and updated fruit and vegetable based products in China, while leveraging their digital platforms to raise public awareness of nutrition and healthy eating.

As China's largest restaurant company, Yum China is committed to offering a wide variety of delicious and nutritious foods to customers. To achieve this, the Company focuses on food innovation, upgrading product offerings with recipe changes, using creative ingredient combinations, and adopting multiple cooking methods. For example, at KFC, approximately 80% of non-beverage breakfast menu items are made from the oven or other healthy cooking methods.

Yum China regularly reviews its ingredients and through ingredient optimization has reduced the amount of salt, sugar, and oil in its recipes. KFC alone eliminated about 118 tons of salt from its products between 2018 and the end of 2020. In addition, in 2020, Yum China became one of the first restaurant companies to introduce plant-based products to China when it launched plant-based beef burgers and chicken nuggets at KFC, plant-based beef burgers at Pizza Hut and plant-based beef and pork tacos at Taco Bell.

The latest campaign is designed to support recommendations outlined in the National Health Commission's Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents that adults require a daily intake of 300-500 grams of vegetables to maintain a balanced diet.

Elevating the iconic pan pizza experience like never before, Pizza Hut is collaborating with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) to add their bestselling Kwality Wall’s ice cream and desserts to its dine-in as well as the delivery and takeaway menu.

With this partnership, Pizza Hut becomes the first ever Pizza QSR chain to offer ice creams and desserts across its owned and aggregator platforms.

The brand expects to increase its average order value by approximately 10% for orders that have Kwality Wall's Ice-cream & desserts.

“We strive to always provide the best pizza eating experience to our customers and adding a perfect meal finisher like ice cream and desserts to our offerings is sure to bring immense joy to them,” shared Neha, Chief Marketing Officer, Pizza Hut India.

To serve its TG and cater to different occasions, Pizza Hut is launching several great combos inclusive of ice cream and desserts for solo, couple and group consumption, including a special meal for kids.

The brand will also provide exciting value, which consumers love, on ice cream and desserts as well including exclusive coupons across the company m-site, app and website.

In a bid to understand the market better, Pizza Hut conducted apreliminary research which uncovered several interesting insights. Almost 21% customers ordered desserts while opting for food delivery and icecream was regarded as a preferred meal finisher by many. Young millennials showed a higher preference for ice creamas compared to other desserts, andsoloindulgence occasions, late-night and afternoon snacking emerged as significant opportunities to be tapped.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Pizza Hut as there is tremendous synergy between our target audience sets. A meal that starts with piping hot pizzas and ends with delicious ice cream and desserts can never go wrong. I am confident that customers will enjoy this partnership,’ added Maya Ganapathy, General Manager, Kwality Wall’s India.

Pizza Hut currently operate 500 stores in India. The brand offers contactless services across delivery, takeaway and dine-in and follows all guidelines issued by the government, WHO and FSSAI to ensure maximum food safety and hygiene.

Pizza Hut and Unilever have a similar global partnership across 25+ international markets.

In other latest news, Yum! Brands franchisee for Indian subcontinent Sapphire Foods that operates KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell chain of restaurants in West and parts of south India, Maldives and Srilanka has filed papers with SEBI to raise IPO.

This comes at a time when its largest competitor and Yum!Brands another franchisee Devyani International is all set to go public after launching its public offerings last week.

Also Read: Yum! Brands franchisee Sapphire Foods bags Rs 1,150 cr from Creador, others

The issue comprises a pure offer for sale (OFS) of 17.57 million shares by existing shareholders and promoters. The OFS will see up to 8.50 lakh shares being sold by QSR Management Trust, up to 5.57 million shares by Sapphire Foods Mauritius Ltd, up to 4.85 million shares by WWD Ruby Ltd, among others.

At present, Sapphire Foods Mauritius holds 46.53% stake, QSR Management Trust has 5.96% stake, WWD Ruby holds 18.79%, Amethyst Pvt Ltd has 6.67%, AAJV Investment Trust 0.14%, Edelweiss Crossover Opportunities Fund 6.83%.

Sapphire Foods is backed by marquee investors such as Samara Capital, Goldman Sachs, CX Partners and Edelweiss. It operates 204 KFC restaurants in India and the Maldives, 231 Pizza Hut restaurants in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and two Taco Bell restaurants in Sri Lanka.

JM Financial, Bofa Securities, ICICI Securities, and IIFL Securities are the lead managers to the issue.

On Monday, Sapphire Foods has raised Rs 1,150 crore funds from private equity funds led by Creador, NewQuest Capital Partners and TR Capital.

One of the largest franchisee of Yum! Brands in Indian subcontinent Sapphire Foods has raised Rs 1,150 crore funds from private equity funds led by Creador, NewQuest Capital Partners and TR Capital.

The Samara Capital-promoted brand operates close to 435 stores of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants across India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

In addition, Sapphire Foods has also raised a direct round of growth capital from Creador and the new money is a mix of primary and secondary rounds, Sapphire said on Monday without disclosing the equity dilution.

The investment is flowing into its holding company, Sapphire Foods Mauritius, an entity promoted by Samara Capital, the statement said.

"The money will be used to fund the new store expansion as we feel the business has a strong foundation and is on an inflection point, apart from providing partial exit for a few investors," shared Sanjay Purohit, CEO, Sapphire Foods without disclosing the name of investors who have partially cashed out.

Avendus Capital acted as exclusive financial advisor to Sapphire and UBS Investment Bank acted as exclusive financial advisor to Samara Capital.

“The QSR chain segment, largely represented by global brands, is the fastest growing segment within the organised food services market in the country. Sapphire Foods, by leveraging customer loyalty to the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands is well-positioned to capture further opportunities and expand into other product lines or markets,” added Sumeet Narang, Founder and MD, Samara India Advisors.

Founded in 2007, Samara Capital, is a mid-market private equity firm and its investors include high quality institutional investors and family offices from around the globe. Sapphire Foods is backed by marquee investors such as Samara Capital, Goldman Sachs, CX Partners and Edelweiss.

KFC, Pizza Hut and Costa Coffee franchisee Devyani International, on Wednesday announced that it fetched Rs 825 crore from anchor investors.

It has decided to allocate 9.16 crore equity shares to 41 anchor investors at Rs 90 a piece, aggregating to Rs 825 crore, according to a statement.

A total of 28 foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) participated in the anchor book on Tuesday. Some of them were Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Fidelity, Goldman Sachs, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Government of Singapore, Jupiter Asset Management, Nomura and Macquarie.

In addition, 13 domestic investors including 6 mutual funds, 6 life insurance companies and one general insurance company participated in the anchor book too.

These included ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund (MF), Mirae Asset MF, Nippon Life MF, Tata Mutual Fund MF, Sundaram Mutual Fund, Aditya Birla Sunlife, HDFC Life Insurance, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, SBI Life Insurance, Bajaj Allianz, Max Life Insurance Co and SBI General Insurance.

The initial public offering (IPO) consists of fresh issue of equity shares worth Rs 440 crore and an offer-for-sale of up to 155,333,330 equity shares by promoter and existing shareholder.

Under the offer-for-sale, Dunearn Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, will offload 6,53,33,330 shares and promoter RJ Corp will sell 9 crore shares.

The company has fixed a price band of Rs 86-90 a share for its IPO and at the upper end of the price band, the public issue is expected to fetch Rs 1,838 crore.

The three-day initial share-sale opened for subscription on Wednesday. And, to much surprise the Rs 1,838 crore IPO by Devyani International was fully subscribed in just over three hours of the bidding process.

By 1 pm, the issue received bids for 11,50,95,915 shares against the issue size of 11,25,69,719 shares.

QSR chain Pizza Hut has announced the landmark launch of its 500^th store in the country.

Pizza Hut’s 500^th store was inaugurated in Moga, Punjab by actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood.

Also Read: Devyani International to launch IPO on Aug 4

The company also shared that it has ambitious expansion plans to considerably increase their footprint in India in the next five years.

“We are truly humbled and grateful for the unwavering love and trust of our customers and thank them for this momentous achievement. We also owe this success to our franchisee partners and the entire extended Pizza Hut family who work passionately and relentlessly every single day for the love of pizza,” shared Merrill Pereyra, Managing Director, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent by adding that they are deeply invested in India and look forward to growing the brand aggressively in the next few years.

Pizza Hut has been on a steady growth trajectory and plans to enter several new cities by the end of 2021 to expand its presence in tier-2 and tier-3 cities alongside metros.

On the business front, Pizza Hut has been focusing on a delivery-centric, digital-first approach in keeping with its R.E.D strategy to be Relevant, Easy and Distinctive.

The brand recently touched the highest delivery sales ever in India - this success was achieved on the back of a seamless digital ordering experience, industry best value deals and end-to-end contactless services which assured customers of maximum food safety and hygiene.

May Interest: How Pizza Hut has achieved 60% growth with delivery, takeaway

Pizza Hut opened its first store in 1996 in Bangalore, becoming the first international pizza chain to enter India. The brand has brought several product and service innovations to the country throughout its journey of 25 yearsand has been voted as the ‘Most Trusted Brand’ by consumers in independent surveys for over a decade in a row.  

Today, the brand operates more than 18000 restaurants in over 100 countries. 

Costa Coffee operator in India Devyani International which is also the largest franchisee of Pizza Hut, KFC in India, has received SEBI’s approval to raise Rs 1,400 crore through IPO.

The initial public offering (IPO) consists of fresh issue of equity shares worth Rs 400 crore and an offer of sale of up to 125,333,330 equity shares by promoter and existing shareholder, according to draft red herring prospectus.

Under the offer for sale, Dunearn Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, will sell 65,333,330 shares and promoter RJ Corp will offer six crore shares, it added.

Devyani International filed for its IPO papers with the regulatory body earlier this May.

Also Read: Pizza Hut, KFC franchisee Devyani International files for Rs1,400 crore IPO

According to merchant banking sources, the IPO is expected to fetch Rs 1,400 crore.

The proceeds from the fresh issue will be used to retire debt and general corporate purposes.

Devyani International is part of the largest bottling partner of PepsiCo in India, RJ Corp with interests and investments in the Indian retail food and beverages (F&B) sector.

Being the largest franchisee of KFC and Pizza Hut in India, it also operate company owned brands like Vaango, Food Street, Masala Twist, Ile Bar, Amreli and Ckrussh Juice Bar.

At present, Devyani runs 297 Pizza Hut stores, 264 KFC stores and 44 Costa Coffee in India.

Led by Ravi Kant Jaipuria, promoter of RJ Corp, and Virag Joshi, president and CEO, who been a key strategist to the expansion efforts by the company.

May Interest: Temasek to invest Rs 400cr in Devyani International

Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, CLSA India, Edelweiss Financial Services and Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors are the book running lead managers to the issue.

Global pizza chain Pizza Hut is bringing back one of its most iconic, handcrafted pizzas just in time for summer - The Edge® in the US.

The Edge is a premium thin-crust pizza packed with toppings all the way to the edge – leaving no room for traditional crust and making every bite the best bite.

"The Edge is a pizza our customers constantly ask us to bring back. Anyone who loves thin crust pizzas loaded with toppings will love the Edge," said David Graves, general manager, Pizza Hut by pointing that the bold flavor and aroma of the Edge Seasoning will instantly transport you back to a Pizza Hut.

Also Read: Pizza Hut launches Hut Lane, a digital-first carryout Option in US

The handcrafted pizza is perfectly balanced with a touch of sweetness from the signature tomato sauce and the savory flavors of the loaded toppings and exclusive, unique, garlic and herb seasoning ONLY available on The Edge.

The Edge uses Thin 'N Crispy® dough, the first type of dough ever used when Pizza Hut opened its doors in 1958. The Edge was first released in 1997 and is considered a "tavern-style" pizza because it's cut into 16 squares and comes on a cracker-thin crust that has a noticeable crunch and is sturdy enough to hold ALL the toppings, getting you optimal flavor in every bite. The combo of the toppings, thin, crispy, light crust and shareable square pieces makes it the perfect pizza for patio season.

May Interest: Pizza Hut, KFC franchisee Devyani International files for Rs1,400 crore IPO

All four of The Edge pizza recipes are available now for a limited time at participating Pizza Hut locations nationwide for contactless delivery, carryout, curbside and Hut Lane pickup for just $12.99.

The largest franchisee of Pizza Hut, KFC, Devyani International Ltd (DIL), has filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to raise nearly ₹1,400 crore through an initial public offering (IPO).

According to DRHP, the offer comprises a fresh issue of ₹400 crore and an Offer of Sale of up to 125.33 million equity shares by Investor Selling Shareholder, Dunearn Investments (Mauritus) Pte. Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings and Promoter Selling Shareholders, RJ Corp Ltd.

Devyani International is led by Ravi Kant Jaipuria who is also promoter at RJ Corp and Virag Joshi, President & CEO, Devyani International.

Devyani also operate Costa Coffee chains in India. It opened 109 stores across its core brand business in the last 6 months.

In FY21 DIL's business from the core brands (India & Internationally) accounted for 94.19% of its revenues from operations and delivery sales represented 70.20% of the said revenues, an increase from 51.15% in FY20. Between March 2019-2021 the core brand stores saw a CAGR growth of 13.58% from 469 stores to 605 stores and the company attributes its success and continuous growth effort to its 9,356 employees, reported Mint.

Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Ltd, CLSA India Pvt Ltd, Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd, Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Ltd are the investment bankers to the issue.