Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen to be launched in Spain

Blanca, a beautiful two-floor café and re­staurant bar, welcome customers to discover unre­stricted creativity, where classic Victorian design meets a bohemian coastal aesthetic in Delhi.

The brainchild of its creator, Blanca, is more than only a dining spot. It's a blank canvas of moments carefully curated to ce­lebrate the joy of free living.

The very name "Blanca" holds a deep significance, representing the soul of the restaurant's vision – a white canvas, symbolizing an open, versatile space where individuals can explore their thoughts without any hesitation.

Blanca's vision behind the food and beverage menu is rooted in the belief that food is a universal language that unites people and places. Each bite is a brushstroke, creating a mosaic of tastes that celebrates the diversity of culinary traditions and ingredients. From serene mornings to vibrant evenings, Blanca allows you to explore and discover with every dish and sip.

Crafted by a team of visionary chefs, mixologists, and baristas, the menu is a flavorful journey that tells a story with every dish and drink. From signature breakfast creations to specialty coffees inspired by iconic destinations, each experience is a work of art.

With a total seating capacity of 88 covers, Blanca offers both outdoor and indoor seating, inviting guests to relax in the ambiance of their choice. The venue brings together a collaboration of brands, ensuring a diverse and exceptional experience for patrons.

Hyderabad-based Paradise Restaurants has opened its first restaurant in Kolkata. With this, Paradise is spreading its wings to the eastern part of India.

Situated in Southern Avenue, the newly launched restaurant will serve its renowned Hyderabadi Biryani along 28 other dishes. This is the brand’s 47th outlet in India.

Ali Hemati, Chairman, Paradise Food Court Pvt Ltd, said, “Over the years, Paradise has become an integral part of Hyderabad’s culinary culture and history as we host guests from across the world. We have been regularly complimented by our guest stating that a visit to Hyderabad is never complete without a meal at Paradise. This love has prompted us to expand our footprint to cities beyond Hyderabad.”

“Over the past few years, we opened restaurants in Chennai, Bangalore, Gurugram, Vizag, Vijayawada and Guntur cities. With this new restaurant in Kolkata, we are aiming to spread the taste of our Biryani to the Eastern region,” he added.

Gautam Gupta, CEO, Paradise Food Courts Pvt Ltd, stated, “The love for Biryani amongst the Kolkata citizens is evident with several eateries offering the dish. Paradise will add to it with its legendary Biryanis and Kebabs cooked by our experienced Chefs in the state-of-the-art kitchen. Paradise offers its award-winning cuisine loved for its purity and taste, true in every mouthful to its royal origins with 1 biryani served in every 3 seconds.”

Popularity of Biryani

India is a diverse country and its cultural diversity can easily be witnessed in its food. One such food is biryani, which is prepared differently in every region. There are over 20 types of biryanis in India, showcasing the craze for this dish in the hearts of the Indian population.

Biryani is considered the antithesis of fast foods. It is mostly preferred on special occasions or in fine dine-ins. However, one might not be surprised to learn that according to some food delivery apps Biryani is among the most popular dish ordered and its demand far surpasses western items. In fact, for fitness freaks and gym-goers, Biryani is their cheat meal.

With foodies showing insatiable love for this royal dish, franchisors serving different varieties of Biryani have forayed into the market.

Franchisors cashing in on the Biryani trend

Indian biryani market has largely been dominated by the unorganised sector & local shops. With the emergence of technology & food delivery platforms, entrepreneurs saw this as an opportunity for catering their services to a large number of audiences.

As per the industry reports, biryani’s dominance is unchallenged in the food ordering sector. In fact, industry estimate puts organised biryani delivery industry at a massive Rs 2500 crore.

Franchisors are cashing in on the trend of this biryani. The major reason for the success of these franchises is the uniqueness of their offerings; each brand has created a niche of its own, which is a contributing factor for success.

For instance, Biryani by Kilo (BBK), as the name suggests, provides biryani not by the plate but by the kilo. BBK is also the only biryani chain to make fresh biryani with every order in individual handis, which takes around 90 minutes to deliver.

Chinese Wok has now grown to 31 outlets. Starting as a dream to recreate a fantastic gastronomical experience, the Indianised Chinese restaurant chain is now a fast-growing start-up quickly becoming the favored brand for Indianised Chinese food aficionados.

Aayush Agrawal, Founder and Director, Chinese Wok, said, “Over the years, the taste of customers has evolved as they have been exposed to many flavours. With the increase in the number of outlets, there has been an organic evolution in the brand’s inherent personality.”

“There has been a streamlining of the menu and research data mined from our successful outlets' expansion has been applied to provide to our millions of patrons with the best selling options,” he added.

Wok Express reborn as Chinese Wok

Wok Express has now become Chinese Wok.

Agrawal stated, “Research has shown that Chinese is the most popular foreign cuisine in India, surpassing all others like Continental, Italian, and Mexican. In line with this learning, and demand of customers who are actively looking for branded and hygienic Chinese food brands, we have gone ahead with the renaming (from Wok Express).”

“Chinese Wok has become more focussed on Chinese cuisine, and it was a natural progression to move to a relatable name that will have an affinity with the target audience. Thus the brand is reborn as Chinese Wok,” he further said.

With this new avatar, Chinese Wok offers an extensive menu that presents the best and freshest popular Chindian cuisine at affordable prices. The restaurant serves a variety of dishes, including fried rice, hakka noodles, spicy gravies, momos, chicken wings, soups, etc., or consumers can make their own Wok Bowls.

Growth Plans

Chinese Wok is planning to launch 300 stores over the next three years. As part of its expansion plans, the restaurant chain is looking at expanding to other Indian cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Indore, etc. It is aiming to make investments to the tune of $415 million for its expansion plans.

The brand is having a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of more than 10% over the last four years, with 2020 looking bigger and brighter.

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

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

Bandra outlet

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

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

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

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

Fort outpost

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Casual Dining Restaurants Industry

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

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

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

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.

Taco Bell, the world’s leading Mexican-inspired restaurant brand, has launched its 50th restaurant in Bangalore at Mantri Square Mall, completing an important milestone in its India journey.

This milestone was achieved after Taco Bell’s announcement earlier this year, where the brand announced its collaboration with Burman Hospitality Private Limited (BHPL) as its Master Franchise Partner and committed to launching 600 restaurants in India by 2029.

Gaurav Burman, Director, Burman Hospitality Private Limited, said, “BHPL partnered with Taco Bell International for India in 2015. Over the last four years, we have had the good fortune of building a team of over 1,300 employees who have all worked tirelessly to deliver the best product and experience possible to our many loyal consumers. I am extraordinarily proud of what the team has achieved; they have innovated the offering, the food, the ambience and we now have the best casual dining offering in the country.”

Ankush Tuli, Managing Director of Taco Bell APAC, stated, “It gives us great pleasure to celebrate Taco Bell’s 50 restaurants in India with the newest launch in the city where our India journey started – Bangalore. We are extremely excited about this milestone as this achievement embodies the love and appreciation that our fans have shown us over the years.”

“We are grateful to have Burman Hospitality as our partners in India who have been instrumental in bringing Taco Bell’s unique social experience of food to life in India and we look forward to celebrating many more such milestones in partnership with them,” he added.

New Taco Bell in Bangalore

Taco Bell’s 50th restaurant is conveniently situated on the third-floor food court of the buzzing Mantri Square Mall.

The brand experience provides made-to-order and customizable tacos and burritos and other specialties with bold flavors, quality ingredients, breakthrough value, and best in class customer service.

Its extensive menu offers signature vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes like the Naked Chicken Taco, 7 Layer Burrito, Chickstar Wrap, and Cheese Quesadilla, as well as desserts including the iconic Chocodilla.

Taco Bell aims to make India largest market outside the US

Taco Bell’s association with Burman Hospitality Private Limited is targeted at making India its largest market outside the United States. The restaurant chain continues to expand rapidly, with a new restaurant being unveiled every 10 days.

Currently, Taco Bell has a presence in 11 key cities like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, and Mysore, among others.

Burman stated, “I could not be happier that we have hit the magnificent milestone of 50 restaurants with the opening of our Mantri Square Mall restaurant. We will continue to work feverishly to bring our offerings to the four corners of India and strive to open 600 restaurants by 2029, which means we are now launching a new restaurant every 10 days. We are hugely grateful to our customers without whom this journey would not have been possible.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kutumb is planning to expand its presence via franchising. For this, the multi cuisine restaurant is seeking franchise partners.

Manoj Chetri, Area Manager, Kutumb, said, “We have three outlets which are our own. However, we are now planning to provide this model as a franchise. Our growth has been around 30% in the past three years and we are actually focussing on our customer experience than the growth.”

Kutumb was originated from the roots of Rajasthani vibes and delivering a beautiful concept through its name, which means “Family”. Its journey starts with serving people with succulence and authenticity. All age-old recipes have been reconstructed to be closest to the most traditional ways and the dishes invented, clearly carry the original Indian legacy.

The restaurant introduced India’s largest and heaviest thali, conceptualizing “One Thali One Family” that weighs over 13.5Kgs, consisting of more than 45 items in it which can completely satiate any cravings.

With the huge success of the beautifully conceptualized way of presenting succulent cuisines at a single stop, Kutumb has received many awards like “Emerging family restaurant of India” by Indian Restaurant Congress & Awards 2019.

Moving ahead with an ambitious expansion plan, Chickpet Donne Biryani House is seeking franchises in North India. The Bengaluru’s most renowned Biryani restaurant chain is expanding through Franchise-Owned Franchise-Operated (FOFO) format by opening up QSR, fine dine and multi-cuisine restaurant outlets.

For this expansion, the brand is looking for young, ambitious & budding entrepreneurs and core investors as franchise partners across India. As part of the FOFO format, the Franchisor will be responsible for the operations and management of the franchised restaurant, while the partner would be the investor.

Pradeepa TK, Managing Director, Chickpet Donne Biryani House, said, “We have around 50 branches in South India. Now, we are seeking franchises in North India.”

Chickpet Donne Biryani offers a mouth-watering palate of a fantastic concoction of authentic and delicious kebab and chicken. It is the best option that gives you the ultimate taste of the spicy and hot varieties of chicken including Kshathriya Kebab, Maratha Chilly Chicken, Guntur Chicken, Kakinad Chicken, and other mutton specialties.

Kake Di Hatti, India’s most famous Punjabi food chain, will soon open 20 outlets around the world.

Kake Di Hatti, an iconic eatery located at Delhi 6 (Chandni Chowk), is serving authentic North Indian food across four generations since 1942. Kake Di Hatti’s signature Naans & dishes are prepared using traditional methods & blends of different herbs and spices, like Hamamdasta, providing unmatched dishes with a distinct taste in addition to serving the biggest Naan in the country, for which the restaurant is known as “King of Naan”.

At present, there are several Kake Di Hatti Restaurants operational, spread across India, UK and the USA.

For Kake Di Hatti franchise, the initial fee for an individual franchise unit is Rs 15 lakh. The initial setup investment for an individual unit ranges from Rs 30-60 lakh, which includes Training, Equipment, Furniture, All construction, POS systems, Signage, Opening food inventory.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Dine Brands International has launched three IHOP restaurants in Ecuador continuing its expansion in Latin America. While two IHOP restaurants are located in the port city of Guayaquil, one is situated in the city of Ambato.

Through an agreement with new franchisee Corporación El Rosado, 12 IHOP restaurants are likely to open throughout Ecuador by 2024.

Dine Brands International eyes to introduce American restaurant brand to Peru later this year through an agreement with Percapitals S.A.C. Peru’s first IHOP restaurant is expected to unveil in Lima, which will be followed by an additional 24 restaurants throughout Peru in the next ten years.

Steve Joyce, CEO of Dine Brands Global Inc and President of Dine Brands International, said, “International expansion is a growth engine for Dine Brands. Latin America continues to welcome the IHOP brand because of the great value it provides, its menu variety of American breakfast, lunch, and dinner favorites, and its ability to create memorable dining experiences.”

IHOP first ventured into Latin America in 2007 in Mexico, which is now the brand’s largest market outside of the United States.

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

Burger King has launched its first restaurant in Kolkata, strengthening its presence in East India. With this launch, the burger chain is now present across all Indian metro cities.

Burger King started its journey in India with the introduction of its first restaurant in November 2014 at Select CityWalk mall in South Delhi. Since then, the brand has been on a robust expansion strategy with presence across 46 cities and 212 outlets.

Burger King has a strong presence in metros and tier 1 cities and has also forayed into tier-II cities. Recently, it has achieved the 200th restaurant milestone in a short time span of five years.

Rajeev Varman, CEO, Burger King India, said, “We have had an incredible journey in India and we are happy to launch our operations in Kolkata today. We understand that people in Kolkata take immense pride in their food and we are very excited to offer Burger King’s signature Burgers through our first restaurant here.”

“This city has always been on our radar and we are confident that Burger King India, with its world-class quality, service and experience, will be welcomed here,” he added.

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

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

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

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

Charcoal Eats, the Quick service restaurants (QSR) chain, is planning to add about 10-12 outlets in Hyderabad and 250 outlets across India in the next one year. Apart from expanding in the 15 cities in which it operates, the Mumbai-based food company is also looking to enter into more tier-2 cities in the next 18 months.

Currently, Charcoal Eats is present with more than 50 dine-in and express outlets in 15 cities across eight states including Hyderabad, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Kolkata, Thane, Nashik, Gurugram, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Jamshedpur, Indore, Bengaluru and Jaipur. It spends about Rs 10-12 lakh per outlet.

Anurag Mehrotra, Co-Founder & CEO, Charcoal Eats, said, “We saw a vacuum in the Indian food sector for food on the go. We wanted to build a food company in the country that will address this gap so that we can reach out to as many consumers as possible and scale up our business efficiently. We started our business in Mumbai, which is a very heterogeneous market. We had spread to other cities gradually. Our strategy had been to enter each city and make deeper inroads.”

“In Hyderabad too, we see there are many players and the market is huge. We will focus on providing both food and convenience to consumers. Consistency, quality and hygiene are going to be integral in our growth strategy. We have created our first outlet in Jubilee Hills,” he further added.

Paradise restaurant group is looking to launch its 150th outlet worldwide by 2021, with an initial focus on Singapore.

Since January, the company has unveiled 10 outlets in Singapore, including three at Jewel Changi Airport, and branches at Westgate, Wisma Atria, and The Star Vista. In 2019, a Paradise Dynasty outlet will be started at Funan, and a Canton Paradise Tea House restaurant at Junction 8.

The Paradise restaurant group comprises of many brands, including Seafood Paradise, Paradise Inn, Taste Paradise, Paradise Dynasty, KungFu Paradise, Paradise Pavilion, One Paradise and Canton Paradise. The company already has outlets in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

Joyce Lao, Head of business development, Paradise, said, “Since 2016, we have been on the lookout for expansion opportunities. We have opened an average of 20 outlets a year, both locally and overseas, since then. But this year, our focus will be on Singapore, to gain a bigger foothold in the food and beverage industry here.”

The group is further eyeing at developing technology in its cooking process like a central kitchen, where ingredients can be cut and prepared; a noodle-cooking machine with a timer.

“Some processes cannot be replaced because we do not want to compromise on taste or service standards. We still believe in the human touch,” Lao stated.

Paradise restaurant group also aims to expand into non-Asian countries, starting with Los Angeles in the US by the end of the year.

Tata Starbucks has entered into the western state of Gujarat with the launch of five stores in the cities of Surat and Ahmedabad. The Seattle-based coffee chain now has 157 outlets in 10 cities including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru, among others.

The company is planning to open more than 30 outlets in India in the current financial year. This will be the largest number of store additions by the coffee chain in a year since it launched its first outlet in the country in Mumbai in 2012.

In India, Starbucks is operating through a 50:50 joint venture with Tata Global Beverages started its first store in India in October of 2012. The company added 25 stores in the country in the financial year 2017-18, and another 30 in the financial year 2018-19.

Navin Gurnaney, CEO, Tata Starbucks Private Limited, said, “So two years ago we built 25 stores, last year we did 30, and the plan this year is to substantially exceed last year’s number. We will open more stores in FY 20 than in any other year in the past in India.”

India is one of the top five fastest growing markets for the coffee chain globally.

“And we remain committed to the growth plans. We will be thoughtful but we will be aggressive as we go forward,” Gurnaney added.

The company invests Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore in opening a new outlet in the country. Starbucks will continue making such investments as it rolls out more cafes at malls, busy markets, metro stations, airports and office complexes.

Gurnaney stated, “We are going to rely on depth in the market where we exist already and breadth as we go out to new cities and states.”

Pizza Hut, the world’s largest pizza restaurant company, has celebrated its 11,000th international restaurant opening alongside its franchise partner Americana. The brand’s 11,000th restaurant has been opened in Dubai.

Located at Dubai Creek Harbour, Pizza Hut’s new restaurant will offer dine-in, carry-out, and delivery, with an open kitchen allowing pizza fans to watch their pies being made.

Pizza Hut now has 112 restaurants in the UAE alone, with local franchise partner Americana once more working alongside the American food giants.

Vipul Chawla, President of Pizza Hut International, said, “As the world’s favorite pizza, we are focussed on delivering the easiest, fastest and tastiest pizza experience to our customers. We have a great partner in Americana bringing this vision to life in UAE with the opening of the 11,000th international Pizza Hut at a truly landmark location.”

Amarpal Sandhu, Chief Operating Officer (Restaurants), Americana, added, “We are privileged to be part of this momentous occasion. Pizza Hut is an undisputed leader in its category in both the UAE and the Middle East region. We’ve come a long way since the first restaurant opening in Abu Dhabi 30 years ago and what better way to celebrate than with a milestone 11,000th opening in the dynamic city of Dubai.”

Americana is operating 1,900 restaurants with more than 40,000 employees in 13 markets across MENA and beyond.

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.

Absolute Barbecues, a leading barbecue restaurant brand, has launched its 29^th restaurant at Mayur Heights, ABC Point, GS Road, Guwahati. With this launch, Absolute Barbecues has made its venture in Eastern India.

Started in 2013, Absolute Barbecues is famous for its unique ‘Wish Grill’ concept which offers its customers a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) experience. It is already a well-known brand in the barbecue space with presence in 5 cities in India with multiple footprints. The brand runs two restaurants in Dubai as well.

Arup Chatterjee, Operations Head at Absolute Barbecues, said, “It has always been our endeavor to reach out to our customers. Guwahati was in our radar for a long time as we were getting serious trade inquiries from our guests in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune.”

“We are happy to have finally arrived in Guwahati and I am confident that with the exemplary food and services, we would be the most sought-after barbecue restaurant in the city soon,” he added.

Celebrity chef Aanal Kotak, one of India’s top 50 food entrepreneurs, has launched its restaurant, The Secret Kitchen, in Surat, Gujarat. This expansion comes after the restaurant’s resounding success in two other cities of the state, including Vadodara and Ahmedabad. 

The launch’s special feature has been Aanal Kotak’s collaboration with The Robinhood Army, wherein she has pledged to deliver at least 10 food packs from her newly-opened restaurant to underprivileged kids.

Kotak said, “I am delighted to open the newest branch of my restaurant, The Secret Kitchen, in Surat. It has been a long but eventful journey to where I am today, and I am thankful to everyone who supported me in my endeavors. While initially there was not much belief in my efforts, over time, my hard work and the fact that I chose to continue in this path proved people otherwise.”

“I am also very proud to be associated with The Robinhood Army for a cause that is very dear to me. I believe that if every restaurateur starts cooking for five underprivileged kids every day, along with their staff food, then at least 150 people can be fed every month from each restaurant,” she added.

Aanal’s cooking talent, entrepreneurial acumen, and passion led her to become the first chef to introduce Gujarati fine dining to the haute-cuisine world.

Rebel Foods, the world’s largest cloud kitchen brand, has launched its virtual restaurants in Kolkata. With this expansion, the Mumbai-based chain has ventured into eastern India.

Presently, the virtual kitchen giant has three stores in the city at Ballygunge, Chinar Park and Behala. Besides these three, the work is underway to open seven more outlets in Kolkata. Rebel Foods is planning to have a total of 10 outlets in Kolkata by December end. 

Founded by Kallol Banerjee and Jaydeep Barman, the brand has also forayed into the international market with the opening of a store in Dubai.

The Rebel Foods portfolio comprises of 11 brands, including Faasos, Behrouz Biryani, Sweet Truth, Firangi Bake, The Good Bowl and Lunch Box.

 Kallol Banerjee, Co-Founder of Rebel Foods, said, “Gastronomy comes naturally to Bengalis. It is therefore not a taste acquired, but science understood. Our progress across the globe, even as we grow our footprint in Kolkata, is a testament to that.” 

“Kolkata is one of the cities where the Rebel Group brands had the fastest acceptance. We are delivering at least 100 orders a day. Rebel Foods has been witnessing 100% growth for three consecutive years. In 2017-18, the company clocked Rs 200 crore and in 2018-2019, it’s Rs  400 crore,” he added.

Currently, Rebel Foods has over 1,500 virtual restaurants across 18 cities, delivering more than 50,000 orders in a day.

Hyderabad-based The Brew Kitchen is planning to expand pan India. The company eyes to open outlets in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Going further, it is also looking at international markets for expansion.

The Brew Kitchen is a combination of two best cuisines from the world i.e. Lebanese and continental along with premium blended coffee and beverages. It is a live kind of a kitchen where the restaurant showcases its products in front of the customers.

The restaurant is planning to expand through a franchise model.

Adarsh Vijayan, MD of The Brew Kitchen, said, “The main problem with the expansion is to reach the potential investors and the right people because there are a lot of people who are just exploring and there are a lot of people who are really serious. So, the bifurcation regarding this and reaching the right person to expand is the main Challenge.”

“We are open any idea about 300 square feet because we understand that India is a place with commercial property. We cannot just choose the exact location that we need, so we are open from 300 square feet,” he added.

With a unique concept of India’s longest lava stone barbeque on each table, Ministry of Barbeque, an exclusive global barbeque buffet restaurant, has been launched by Billion Smiles Hospitality Pvt Ltd in Wakad, Pune. The restaurant is serving extensive cuisines like Indian, Asian and world fusion. 

With unlimited global starters and hundreds of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, Ministry of Barbeque boasts of a live kitchen atmosphere, combined with unlimited barbeque servings to choose from at the customer’s table. Customers can choose an array of amuse-bouche, beverages and desserts in the restaurant.

Kumar Gaurav, Vice-President, Billion Smiles Hospitality Pvt Ltd, said, “Wakad is a potential area for hospitality due to the close proximity to the Mumbai-Pune Highway, along with the huge surplus of young IT and other reputed professionals. It gives us the advantage to target the right audience in terms of Global Barbeque Buffet offerings. We plan to upscale the food culture with a defined environment, lip-smacking food taste and reliable food quality.”

Manu R Nair, Corporate Executive Chef, Ministry of Barbeque, added, “We plan to redefine the experience of unlimited buffet serving beyond barbeque and tandoor. We bring the world, Asian and Indian cuisines in a modern format with an upbeat and contemporary touch. With a focus on keeping it modern with a variety of fusion dishes, we have traditional options too to make sure we serve everyone’s palate.”

Charcol Eats is planning to launch another 250 outlets in the next 12 months in India, bringing its modern Indian flavours to many more consumers. This expansion will take the total number of the restaurant chain’s outlets to 300 across 20 cities

Recently, the Indian food chain has opened its 50th outlet in Pune.

Anurag Mehrotra, Co-Founder & CEO, Charcoal Eats, said, "We are going to be more aggressive in the next 12 months as we get to 300 on-the-go outlets and bring our modern Indian flavours to many more consumers."

Beginning with 6 biryani variants, Charcoal Eats is now serving more than 50 different all-day food options across snack and meal times. The menu includes Biryanis, Starters, Curries, Rice Bowls, Rolls, Pav Wows, Loaded Fries, Beverages & Desserts.

Charcoal Eats was launched in September 2015. Presently, the restaurant chain has 50 outlets across 15 Indian cities, which include Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, Gurugram, Chennai, Nashik, Gandhinagar, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Indore, and Tricity. While all these cities offer takeaway and delivery, 27 of them provide dine-in facilities.

Burger King India has opened its 200th restaurant in Mumbai, continuing its growth momentum. The company had crossed the 100th restaurant mark in 2017 and the next 100 was accomplished in less than 22 months.

Located at Chakala Metro station in Andheri, the 200th restaurant is the brand’s first ‘take-away only’ outlet in India.

Rajeev Varman, CEO, Burger King India Private Limited, said, “We have doubled the store count to 200 stores within a short span of time. Crossing a landmark milestone is a humbling experience and it only pushes us further to ensure the best for our guests.”

“We will continue to upgrade our restaurant experience and delight our guests with customised menu built on regular innovations. We will continue to stay focused on providing the highest standards of food quality and best in class service to our guests,” he added. 

Burger King has been the fastest growing QSR in India in the last five years. The brand has a presence across 44 cities.

Grand Imperial restaurant chain is eyeing to expand into Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau, after the launching of its ninth outlet in Malaysia.

The newest outlet will be located at First World Plaza, Malaysia. The restaurant was the first to combine two concepts, fine dining at Grand Imperial Seafood Restaurant and casual dining at Grand Imperial London Duck.

Rand Cheung, Managing Director of Grand Imperial Group, said, “Our fine dining concept offers VIP customers exquisite choices such as abalone and local river fish.”

“We cater to the different tastes of Southeast Asians who visit Genting Highlands and our restaurant,” he further stated.

Grand Imperial Malaysia will be opening another outlet at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. The group is also planning to list publicly within three to five years.

The International House of Pancakes brand (IHOP), a famous American multinational pancake house restaurant chain, has launched its third outlet in Pacific Mall, Subhash Nagar, franchised to the Kwals Catering Pvt Ltd. With this launch, IHOP has expanded its presence in Delhi after witnessing the success of this brand in DLF Cyber Hub and Saket.

Spread across an area of 1063 square ft with a seating capacity of 50 people, the new restaurant with its bright and lively interiors gives its guests the feeling of California.

IHOP specializes in breakfast, serving their fresh and made to order pancakes, delicious waffles and legendary crepes alongside a variety of lunch and dinner options in India.

Sameer Lamba, Managing Director of Kwals Group, said, “IHOP is the perfect place to head to if you are looking forward to grab a satiating breakfast. The never-ending variety of pancakes, eggs and waffles along with fresh juice, fried chicken, toasty breads and coffee to the mix will have our guests hooked from day one. It is our constant endeavor to provide our guests with the best services and facilities along with the great American food.”

“We hope that the new IHOP in Pacific Mall will completely charm our patrons and bring them an amazing culinary experience,” he further stated.

German Doner Kebab, the fast-casual dining chain, has announced ambitious plans to open a string of sites across the UK. It already operates 33 sites across the UK.

The chain aims to open a new restaurant every week for the rest of 2019. This move will create around 200 jobs.

Imran Sayeed, Chief Executive Officer, German Doner Kebab, said, “The hardest thing for us is finding sites. I think we could open another 40 or 50 sites this year because of demand, but we have to take the time to make sure the locations are right.”

“By the end of this year we will hopefully be near to 50 in the UK, and I think we could be looking at 300 in the next five years. I think our success highlights the shift to fast-casual dining. Millennials and Generation Z want something different, and our product offering and price point fits in with what they want,” he further stated.

The kebab chain eyes investing £6 million for launching 14 new sites throughout the year in locations including Preston, Oldham, Bradford, Northampton, Walsall, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Dolomite Restaurants is planning to launch six new Jamie Oliver Restaurants in India. Dolomite is the all India franchise partner for Jamie Oliver Restaurants. It operates 7 restaurants in the country across Jamie’s Italian and Jamie’s Pizzeria brands.

The company said, "Over the next few months, 6 new sites will open with further sites planned over the next few years."

Jasper Reid, CEO of Dolomite Restaurants, said, "The closure of many UK restaurants is sad but it’s a reflection of challenges very specific to the UK and an unusually difficult market. Hundreds of restaurants have closed in the UK and Jamie’s is no different. This said, the overall Jamie’s brand is in excellent health and will bounce back as great brands do. Meanwhile, we are thinking of our UK colleagues."

"Jamie’s works brilliantly in India and thanks to our many customers we are expanding across the country. Jamie visited New Delhi recently and saw for himself the commitment of the team and the quality of the offer. This is a huge vote of confidence in India and the brand," he added.

Kyoto Ichinoden, the Japanese restaurant chain, has launched its first international restaurant in Hong Kong. This restaurant has been opened at Ocean Terminal, Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The newly launched restaurant is serving Japanese cuisine including Kyoto kaiseki (multi-course dinner) and traditional Kyoto dish saikyozuke (seasonal meat or fish fillet pickled in Saikyo miso).

Jumpei Tanaka, President of Kyoto Ichinoden HK, said, “Hong Kong is a vibrant city situated in the heart of the region. Strategically, Hong Kong is our first choice for expansion because of its geographical and economic advantages. Moreover, there is a strong passion for Japanese food, so this gives Japanese restaurants a very good head start to set up a presence here. The city is also very strong in terms of logistics and transportation, ensuring efficient supplies of fresh ingredients, essential for the operation of high-grade Japanese restaurants like ours.

“We expect that soon we may reach out to the Mainland market and other places in East Asia from Hong Kong, given that the city is close to the Mainland market and a major business hub in Asia. As the Greater Bay Area (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area) has become an important development and that Hong Kong plays a key role within it, having a first overseas base in Hong Kong will also help our brand build solid customer confidence and spread quickly to the Greater Bay Area in the near future,” he added.

Chowman is planning to enter new markets in the west, north and south India. As part of its expansion plans, the Kolkata-based restaurant chain will stick to its strategy of setting up small neighbourhood, fine-dining outlets and avoiding malls and high-street locations.

Chowman is among Kolkata’s first small-format, fine-dining Chinese restaurant chains. It is run by Chowman Hospitality Pvt Ltd, owned by entrepreneur Debatitya Chowdhury.

Presently, Chowman has 12 outlets in Kolkata. It is looking to foray into Mumbai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Debatitya Chowdhury said, “We plan to add a few outlets outside Kolkata by 2021 and five more here by June.”

A company spokesperson stated, “We have adopted a non-mall, non-high street profile, keeping our food affordable for the common man, while offering a fine dining cuisine and experience. A meal for two people costs about Rs 700. Democratising fine dining is our credo.”

Papa John's International Inc has launched its 2000th restaurant outside North America, expanding its global presence. The milestone restaurant has been opened in Moscow, Russia, which is one of the company’s fastest growing markets.

Steve Ritchie, President and CEO, Papa John’s, said, “We are thrilled to reach this important milestone of 2000 international restaurants. It is an accomplishment few restaurant brands achieve. Papa John’s will continue to focus on its quality product as well as being a strong partner to our franchisees as we seek additional opportunities to build growth around the globe.”

Jack Swaysland, COO, Papa John's International, added, “Our franchisees are doing a wonderful job of bringing our pizzas to more people around the world. International development is the long term growth engine for Papa John’s. We will continue to deliver on our BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA. promise to customers everywhere.”

The 2000th international restaurant of Papa John’s has been introduced by PJ Western, the master franchisee in Russia, the Commonwealth of the Independent States and Poland.

Christopher Wynne, President and CEO of PJ Western, stated, “The opening of restaurant number 2000 outside of North America is definitely a point of pride for us. Even as we continue to grow, our priority remains quality in every single restaurant. Guests can count on hot, delicious pizza that follows the original Papa John’s recipe as well as excellent service.”

Oudh 1590, Kolkata's favourite period dining restaurant, has launched its fourth outlet on Jessore Road in North Kolkata. This outlet will offer the best Awadhi cuisine of the city for the patrons of North East Kolkata. 

Oudh 1590's maiden outlet was started in 2013 at Deshapriya Park in South Kolkata.

Shiladitya Chaudhury and Debaditya Chaudhury, Owners, Oudh 1590, said, "Opening an outlet of Oudh 1590 in Jessore Road was in our mind since long as there have been requests galore from the patrons residing in and around the Eastern part of the city."

"We have been overwhelmed by the ever increasing demand for the Awadhi cuisine that we serve at Oudh 1590 and with this new outlet we continue with our promise of providing a wide array of delectable Awadhi delicacies with top-notch service," they added.

Sanjeev Kapoor Restaurants Pvt Ltd (SKRPL), the chain of restaurants started by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, is eyeing at launching 50 outlets in the next few years under different brands mostly in West Asia and North America. 

Sanjeev Kapoor said, “We will open 31 restaurants in Saudi Arabia over five years. We also have plans to open premium restaurants in London and New York.”

Currently, the group has 65 outlets under different brands in nine countries. Apart from its premium restaurants, the restaurant chain prefers to have a local partner in foreign countries.

“In India, we have a mix of own and franchisee outlets,” Kapoor stated. 

He further added, “In UAE, we have signed to open 11 restaurants of which seven have already become operational. In North America, we have plans to open 11 in the Greater Toronto Area. In India, SKRPL has penetrated into tier 2 and 3 towns in recent months. We have opened restaurants in Kohlapur, Siliguri etc.”

SKRPL will be opening two restaurants in Thiruvananthapuram and later expand to other parts of Kerala. 

International House of Pancakes (IHOP) is planning to launch as many as 19 outlets in Pakistan in the coming years. This expansion into the Pakistani market is part of the popular American pancake house chain’s efforts to seek new revenue abroad.

The first branch of IHOP will open in Karachi by the end of 2019, and will be followed by 18 more across the country over the course of nine years

Dine Brands Global Inc, the parent company of IHOP, said that nine of its franchises in Pakistan will be operated by Pakistan-based Gerry’s Group, while the rest will be sub-franchised.

Steve Joyce, Chief Executive Officer of Dine Brands, said, “Key to our international strategy is identifying and entering new markets, such as Pakistan, that have a rapidly growing economy, are contiguous to existing markets to offer an economy of scale, and above all, have an appetite for IHOP’s unique guest experience of warm hospitality with world famous pancakes, breakfast and other menu items. The opportunity to partner with principals from Gerry’s Group as franchisees was also a major factor in our decision,” 

Akram Wali Muhammad, Managing Director for Gerry’s Group, added, “We are delighted to be bringing the world famous American IHOP experience to our country and to our portfolio of successful companies. While IHOP will be a new brand in Pakistan, there is already significant awareness of and excitement about IHOP and we look forward to the opening of our first location later this year.”

The Paradise Food Court is planning to expand its operations in North and Western India after entering the record books for serving what it is known for, its delectable Hyderabadi biryani.

The eatery had entered the Limca Book of Records for selling more than 70 lakh biryani servings between January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017. This achievement was recorded in the 2019 edition of the Limca Book of Records.

Gautam Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of Paradise Food Court Private Limited, said, "Paradise had already made its presence felt in South India and was now focusing on expanding its business in North and Western India."

Currently, the company is operating 32 branches across India. Out of which, 17 branches are being operated in Hyderabad.

"The idea is to set up more branches in different cities, including Pune, New Delhi etc," Gupta added.