Habib’s sets up shop in Thimphu
The renowned Indian hairstylist Habibs opens an academy/salon
21 May, 2010 - With beauty parlours mushrooming in the capital and other parts of the country, it wasn’t long before a franchisee of popular professional hair and beauty salons made an entry into the Bhutanese market.
Yesterday, the first such franchisee of Habib’s hair and beauty opened in the capital. Run by Tenzin Lhadon, 41, one of the first to be trained under trade ministry’s entrepreneurship promotion centre in 1998, the idea to start the franchise came with the intent to start a beauty and hair training academy.
Habib’s beauty and hair academy starts sessions from June and has already received 10 applications. The academy, with a trainer from India, will provide intensive, comprehensive and part time courses on hair styling and beauty. The courses are 24 weeks, 12 weeks comprehensive and 12 weeks part time. The fees are Nu 60,000 for the comprehensive course.
Specialised courses on film make-up, hair straightening and perming, among others, will also be provided.
Tenzin, who was previously running Tashi salon at Zangdopelri complex, said she had chosen Habib, because the franchise was renowned as one of the best in India. The new salon has six experienced and trained hair stylists and beauticians, and offers membership and student discounts.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, labour minister Lyonpo Dorji Wangdi said that the salon and the academy were in line with what the ministry was trying to achieve in terms of entrepreneurship development. He added that Bhutan’s vision was to become a knowledge based society with skilled people.
The minister however said that the academy in its operation should try and conform with the principles of GNH.
A refresher’s seminar was also organised for hairstylists and beauticians, who had come from different parts of the country. According to a participant, who runs a salon in the capital, Habib was not a threat, especially since it was high-end compared to her salon. “The prices are high and it makes it almost exclusive to the richer segment of society,” she said. “We have our own clientele and I’m sure we’ll be able to maintain that.”
The franchise pays 15 percent royalty and a Nu 100,000 yearly fee to the Habib franchise.
Jawed Habib, CEO of the company and renowned fashion hair stylist, who also attended the inauguration, said that there were 47 academies in India. He was also looking into expanding into other neighbouring south Asian countries.
On the controversy that another franchise already operated within two kilometres of each other, Jawed Habib said that, while the other woman had approached them first, there was no franchise agreement signed between them.
By Kinley Wangmo
Source:Jawed Habib Franchise, Hair Salon Franchise, Beauty Franchise, hair training academy,best india franchise,habib franchise,franchise agreement,Unisex Salon franchise,
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Kamaths Aspire To Take Natural Icecreams international
We plan to foray into overseas markets
The Kamath family hatched an ice cream business a quarter of a century ago in Mumbai. And, as the popularity shot, the store count went on increasing. Summer, the most demanding time of the year for this kind of a business has brought in with it scores of opportunities that the family is busy scooping! One of the finest frozen desserts available in the artisanal ice cream space—Natural ice creams has big expansion plans. Pravda Godbole spoke to Raghunandan Kamath, Founder, Kamaths Ourtimes Ice creams Pvt. Ltd., whose son Srinivas Kamath now heads the business development
How do you plan to structure your company?
We have big expansion plans and hence we are going to adopt complete ERP (enterprise resource planning) solutions to be able to turn our dream of expanding the business into a reality. Currently we have 72 outlets in 8 locations, and we plan to scale up to a 100 stores in yet to be explored territories like Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Indore, Chennai and the like along with overseas expansion plans on the cards.
What kind of overseas presence are you looking at?
We have had many franchise inquiries from Europe. We will definitely consider it but before that we have plans for 2011 to enter countries closer home like Dubai, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. On the local front, we plan to grow from 72 outlets to a 100 by December 2010.
Will that require you to scale up your manufacturing?
The company recently invested Rs 25 crore in a new manufacturing unit in Mumbai and a food processing plant in Mangalore. While the factory's capacity is 12 tonne per day, it can be scaled up to 15 tonne per day. The manufacturing facility will take care of supply for the whole of national market. Activities like processing and pulping fruits and then storing them will be carried out in this facility which we opened last month.
What kind of new offerings will be introduced for this season?
We will soon launch a low fat kulfi—this will be our fourth offering apart from ice cream, milkshakes, and malai ice cream with fresh cut fruits. Innovation is the key here. People know us as an ice cream brand alright but we are looking at a multi market presence. Our factory is probably the biggest in Asia in this category of ice creams and we play with local flavours. For example, we plan to introduce beel a local fruit from Jaipur the way we serve jack fruit in Goa. These flavours are unique to their locations.
What is the current size of the company and what are your targets?
We hit Rs 30 crore in year ended March 2010. We target to close in to Rs 50 crore in the next financial year with an investment budget of Rs 3 crore in the next three years required for expansion plans and scaling up to meet the business demand that rises by close to 30 per cent in the summer season.
Tags:Natural Ice Cream, Natural Franchise, Ice Cream Franchise, Dessert Franchise, Raghunandan Kamath, Srinivas Kamath,ice cream business, kamaths outimes ice cream, gelato franchise,franchising ice cream,
Source:Business Standard Q&A: Raghunandan Kamath, Founder, Kamaths Ourtimes Ice creams
Pravda Godbole / Mumbai May 14, 2010, 0:52 IST
The Kamath family hatched an ice cream business a quarter of a century ago in Mumbai. And, as the popularity shot, the store count went on increasing. Summer, the most demanding time of the year for this kind of a business has brought in with it scores of opportunities that the family is busy scooping! One of the finest frozen desserts available in the artisanal ice cream space—Natural ice creams has big expansion plans. Pravda Godbole spoke to Raghunandan Kamath, Founder, Kamaths Ourtimes Ice creams Pvt. Ltd., whose son Srinivas Kamath now heads the business development
How do you plan to structure your company?
We have big expansion plans and hence we are going to adopt complete ERP (enterprise resource planning) solutions to be able to turn our dream of expanding the business into a reality. Currently we have 72 outlets in 8 locations, and we plan to scale up to a 100 stores in yet to be explored territories like Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Indore, Chennai and the like along with overseas expansion plans on the cards.
What kind of overseas presence are you looking at?
We have had many franchise inquiries from Europe. We will definitely consider it but before that we have plans for 2011 to enter countries closer home like Dubai, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. On the local front, we plan to grow from 72 outlets to a 100 by December 2010.
Will that require you to scale up your manufacturing?
The company recently invested Rs 25 crore in a new manufacturing unit in Mumbai and a food processing plant in Mangalore. While the factory's capacity is 12 tonne per day, it can be scaled up to 15 tonne per day. The manufacturing facility will take care of supply for the whole of national market. Activities like processing and pulping fruits and then storing them will be carried out in this facility which we opened last month.
What kind of new offerings will be introduced for this season?
We will soon launch a low fat kulfi—this will be our fourth offering apart from ice cream, milkshakes, and malai ice cream with fresh cut fruits. Innovation is the key here. People know us as an ice cream brand alright but we are looking at a multi market presence. Our factory is probably the biggest in Asia in this category of ice creams and we play with local flavours. For example, we plan to introduce beel a local fruit from Jaipur the way we serve jack fruit in Goa. These flavours are unique to their locations.
What is the current size of the company and what are your targets?
We hit Rs 30 crore in year ended March 2010. We target to close in to Rs 50 crore in the next financial year with an investment budget of Rs 3 crore in the next three years required for expansion plans and scaling up to meet the business demand that rises by close to 30 per cent in the summer season.
Tags:Natural Ice Cream, Natural Franchise, Ice Cream Franchise, Dessert Franchise, Raghunandan Kamath, Srinivas Kamath,ice cream business, kamaths outimes ice cream, gelato franchise,franchising ice cream,
Source:Business Standard Q&A: Raghunandan Kamath, Founder, Kamaths Ourtimes Ice creams
Pravda Godbole / Mumbai May 14, 2010, 0:52 IST
The legendary Colaba Sheesha Cafe Restaurant 'Koyla' franchises out.
Koyla, the legendary open-air rooftop sheesha restaurant in Colaba has opened its second outlet in the city in Andheri. The original Koyla, which is situated near the Radio Club, opened in 2000. It was started by Farhan Azmi (28), who’s father Abu Asim runs the Gulf Hotel in the same building, Kamal Mansion. Aged 18, Azmi started running a canteen at his father’s hotel, offering room service to guests. “I thought that’s a good business. Why not do a small café on the terrace and see the response?
Although the restaurant opens at 7 pm, the staff at Koyla, Andheri, put on their starched uniforms an hour in advance and go about their daily chores. Arrangements are made to grill kebabs, which is the restaurant’s specialty. There is a general movement of pots and pans while we wait for the owners Farhan Azmi and Ayesha Takia to arrive. As soon as they do, Takia greets us with a warm smile. And Azmi—who owns the Colaba outlet of Koyla and both the branches of Café Basilico in Colaba and Bandra—makes it clear that this one’s a franchise outlet run by his family friend Hasan Gaffar and he is only a stake holder.
Inspired by the popularity of sheesha cafés in Dubai, where he had lived for a while, he started inviting friends to smoke sheesha on the roof terrace, sitting at plastic tables and chairs. Then, eight months later, at the end of 2000, he opened Koyla, an 18,000 square feet café seating 600 to 800 in thatched Goan-style canopies. “It was the first official place in India to serve flavoured sheesha,” he states. “At that time there were no CCDs, Mochas and Baristas and very few places to chill, apart from at the Irani cafes.”
Nevertheless, Takia, whose Bollywood career has taken a backseat after their marriage last year, and Azmi are very particular about this outlet, which opened a week ago. And that’s precisely the reason they took as many as 10-years to open the second outlet of Koyla in the city. “Before we start an outlet, we wanted to be sure that the other person involved is on the same wavelength and respects the brand as much as we do,” says Azmi. Takia, who is accompanied by her mom, seconds the thought. “Farhan is very picky about who he wants to do business with. And he wanted the new Koyla on a terrace just like the original one.”
Apart from the location, Azmi is happy with the neat décor of the new eatery. “The Colaba one is more rugged and rustic while this one has clean lines,” he says. The Colaba outlet started in early 2000 as a small hangout joint, with plastic chairs sponsored by Pepsi and a sigdi to make kebabs. “It was in October 2000 that we officially called it Koyla and worked towards building it up as a brand,” says the restaurateur-turned-politician.
The new branch, which has opened on New Link Road, Oshiwara, is smaller at 5,000 square feet, seating just 130 Situated on an open-roof terrace of a former office block, it is a franchise, being run by Hasan Gaffar, a family friend of Azmi. Franchise outlet It is Azmi’s second franchise experiment.
He had opened one in Hyderabad, but it closed down two years ago. “I know franchising has risks, but luckily I have found a guy I can trust. I can’t expand if I try to control everything,” he says. The new Koyla has a separate sheesha section, seating 30, which serves the Al-Fakher range of tobaccos, in the usual flavours of double apple, mint, and strawberry, as well as cappuccino.
Like the Colaba branch, it specialises in north Indian cuisine, such as Dum Pukht, and Murg Malai Kebab, cooked on coal by chefs from the Garhwal region. It too has hut-like canopies, bamboo chairs, lanterns. There is also a low seating area to give diners a feel of the traditional, Indian style of eating. Explaining why he didn’t expand earlier, he says: “I didn’t have the funds, and for several years the rents were ridiculous.
Also, in the interim I opened Café Basilico in Colaba and Bandra.” He admits he spent three years looking for the venue. “It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I could find. I couldn’t hold off expanding just because I was waiting for a location.” He adds he chose Andheri as the middle classes living there now have higher disposable incomes and eat out more frequently.
“Most big companies have shifted out of town and many of our customers in Colaba travel from Andheri. New Link Road is where it is all happening.” He is also planning to start a brand new chain, Chai and Coffee, and to open up a third Café Basilico in Andheri.
Koyla occupies a special place in the lives of Takia and Azmi. The 24-year-old actress met Azmi for the first time at Koyla. They started dating soon after. “Years later, he even found my comment card which said, ‘Fabulous food, fabulous ambience’,” she smiles. Azmi calls Koyla a place for “happy relationships”. “There are so many people who started dating there and now come back with kids,” he says. The 28-year-old plans to open the next franchise outlet in Delhi by this year end.
Although the couple are major foodies, they don’t consider themselves good cooks. “I can’t cook to save my life,” laughs Takia. But her doting husband is quick to praise her culinary skills. “She does a mixing of dahi and mirchi which is very good. But then, there are people to cook. So I don’t expect her to be in the kitchen.” This statement makes Takia blush endlessly.
The proud husband reveals that Takia will soon be launching her lone venture Chai Cofi in Yari Road. “She has the capability to become a great business person and she always has brilliant inputs,” says the restaurateur. Takia is all smiles and states that owning a café had always been her dream and this one will be a perfect setting with varieties of tea, coffee and accompaniments like kheema pav, vada pav, brun maska, khari, toast and nankhatai. But Azmi has one complaint. “For five years, I was praying that we would get married and I would be spared of driving to Ayesha’s home in Yari Road. But now she is going to set up a restaurant there.” But Takia insists that Andheri is buzzing and most of her industry crowd is there.
However, the couple’s most ambitious venture is the Basilico House in Candolim, Goa. “This was something that we planned three years ago. This year, we were fortunate to find a 200-year-old Portuguese villa. The property should be ready by next January
Tags:best franchise mumbai, Franchise In Mumbai, franchising in mumbai, koyla, Mumbai Cafe Franchise, Mumbai Franchising, Sheesha franchise mumbai, top mumbai franchises, mocha franchise,chai cofe
Source: Naomi Canton , Hindustan Times, Mumbai, May 13, 2010
Priyanka Pereira,Expressindia, Gourmet Couple,May 18, 2010
Although the restaurant opens at 7 pm, the staff at Koyla, Andheri, put on their starched uniforms an hour in advance and go about their daily chores. Arrangements are made to grill kebabs, which is the restaurant’s specialty. There is a general movement of pots and pans while we wait for the owners Farhan Azmi and Ayesha Takia to arrive. As soon as they do, Takia greets us with a warm smile. And Azmi—who owns the Colaba outlet of Koyla and both the branches of Café Basilico in Colaba and Bandra—makes it clear that this one’s a franchise outlet run by his family friend Hasan Gaffar and he is only a stake holder.
Inspired by the popularity of sheesha cafés in Dubai, where he had lived for a while, he started inviting friends to smoke sheesha on the roof terrace, sitting at plastic tables and chairs. Then, eight months later, at the end of 2000, he opened Koyla, an 18,000 square feet café seating 600 to 800 in thatched Goan-style canopies. “It was the first official place in India to serve flavoured sheesha,” he states. “At that time there were no CCDs, Mochas and Baristas and very few places to chill, apart from at the Irani cafes.”
Nevertheless, Takia, whose Bollywood career has taken a backseat after their marriage last year, and Azmi are very particular about this outlet, which opened a week ago. And that’s precisely the reason they took as many as 10-years to open the second outlet of Koyla in the city. “Before we start an outlet, we wanted to be sure that the other person involved is on the same wavelength and respects the brand as much as we do,” says Azmi. Takia, who is accompanied by her mom, seconds the thought. “Farhan is very picky about who he wants to do business with. And he wanted the new Koyla on a terrace just like the original one.”
Apart from the location, Azmi is happy with the neat décor of the new eatery. “The Colaba one is more rugged and rustic while this one has clean lines,” he says. The Colaba outlet started in early 2000 as a small hangout joint, with plastic chairs sponsored by Pepsi and a sigdi to make kebabs. “It was in October 2000 that we officially called it Koyla and worked towards building it up as a brand,” says the restaurateur-turned-politician.
The new branch, which has opened on New Link Road, Oshiwara, is smaller at 5,000 square feet, seating just 130 Situated on an open-roof terrace of a former office block, it is a franchise, being run by Hasan Gaffar, a family friend of Azmi. Franchise outlet It is Azmi’s second franchise experiment.
He had opened one in Hyderabad, but it closed down two years ago. “I know franchising has risks, but luckily I have found a guy I can trust. I can’t expand if I try to control everything,” he says. The new Koyla has a separate sheesha section, seating 30, which serves the Al-Fakher range of tobaccos, in the usual flavours of double apple, mint, and strawberry, as well as cappuccino.
Like the Colaba branch, it specialises in north Indian cuisine, such as Dum Pukht, and Murg Malai Kebab, cooked on coal by chefs from the Garhwal region. It too has hut-like canopies, bamboo chairs, lanterns. There is also a low seating area to give diners a feel of the traditional, Indian style of eating. Explaining why he didn’t expand earlier, he says: “I didn’t have the funds, and for several years the rents were ridiculous.
Also, in the interim I opened Café Basilico in Colaba and Bandra.” He admits he spent three years looking for the venue. “It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I could find. I couldn’t hold off expanding just because I was waiting for a location.” He adds he chose Andheri as the middle classes living there now have higher disposable incomes and eat out more frequently.
“Most big companies have shifted out of town and many of our customers in Colaba travel from Andheri. New Link Road is where it is all happening.” He is also planning to start a brand new chain, Chai and Coffee, and to open up a third Café Basilico in Andheri.
Koyla occupies a special place in the lives of Takia and Azmi. The 24-year-old actress met Azmi for the first time at Koyla. They started dating soon after. “Years later, he even found my comment card which said, ‘Fabulous food, fabulous ambience’,” she smiles. Azmi calls Koyla a place for “happy relationships”. “There are so many people who started dating there and now come back with kids,” he says. The 28-year-old plans to open the next franchise outlet in Delhi by this year end.
Although the couple are major foodies, they don’t consider themselves good cooks. “I can’t cook to save my life,” laughs Takia. But her doting husband is quick to praise her culinary skills. “She does a mixing of dahi and mirchi which is very good. But then, there are people to cook. So I don’t expect her to be in the kitchen.” This statement makes Takia blush endlessly.
The proud husband reveals that Takia will soon be launching her lone venture Chai Cofi in Yari Road. “She has the capability to become a great business person and she always has brilliant inputs,” says the restaurateur. Takia is all smiles and states that owning a café had always been her dream and this one will be a perfect setting with varieties of tea, coffee and accompaniments like kheema pav, vada pav, brun maska, khari, toast and nankhatai. But Azmi has one complaint. “For five years, I was praying that we would get married and I would be spared of driving to Ayesha’s home in Yari Road. But now she is going to set up a restaurant there.” But Takia insists that Andheri is buzzing and most of her industry crowd is there.
However, the couple’s most ambitious venture is the Basilico House in Candolim, Goa. “This was something that we planned three years ago. This year, we were fortunate to find a 200-year-old Portuguese villa. The property should be ready by next January
Tags:best franchise mumbai, Franchise In Mumbai, franchising in mumbai, koyla, Mumbai Cafe Franchise, Mumbai Franchising, Sheesha franchise mumbai, top mumbai franchises, mocha franchise,chai cofe
Source: Naomi Canton , Hindustan Times, Mumbai, May 13, 2010
Priyanka Pereira,Expressindia, Gourmet Couple,May 18, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Growth Of The India Fast Food Industry and The Opportunities it offers.
Ajay Kaul is hungry for time. The 45-year-old CEO of Jubilant FoodWorks, the master franchise for Domino's Pizza in India, looks constantly at his watch, the ticking minutes whetting his appetite. And it figures: Kaul's pizzas have to reach customers in 30 minutes and he wants to open more than 60 new outlets every year.
As he launched Jubilant's 300th outlet in Delhi's Pitampura last month, Patrick Doyle, the global CEO of Domino's Pizza Inc, said, "Our teams in India and Louisiana, USA, are two of the largest and best franchisees." At a growth rate of nearly 42 per cent for the last five years, the company's India operations are its fastest in the world.
Doyle's and Kaul's appetite for India is shared by competitors. Whether it is multinational chains like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC or homegrown ones like Sagar Ratna, Yo! China, Haldiram's, Bikanervala or Nirula's, they are all racing to open new restaurants. McDonald's, which had 20 outlets in India till 2002, has 187 today. It plans to open 200 more over five years with an investment of Rs 500 crore. Yum! Restaurants, owner of the KFC and Pizza Hut brands, plans to add 15 and 20 outlets respectively.
The story is repeated across the road with Nirula's looking to add 120 new points of presence, Sagar Ratna 35 new outlets by December and Delhi-based Bikanervala and Haldiram's four-five new outlets every year. Even traditional entities like the Bangalore-based MTR Restaurant and the Chennai-based Murugan Idli Shop (MIS) are looking at Delhi and Mumbai, "for the first time in 80 years", according to Hemamalini Maiya, managing partner, MTR Restaurants.
The temptation was just too hard to resist. Maiya says expanding beyond Bangalore is something her late father (who started the restaurant) would never have approved of, but that makes clear business sense. After all, says Gaurav Marya, president, Franchise India, "India is the biggest consumption market in the world." Even chains like Dunkin' Donuts, Popeyes Chicken, Pizza & Co, Swensen's and Burger King are in talks with local partners to enter India.
The eating out market is on an upswing. The rising number of working women and nuclear households, and an increase in general affluence have led to higher discretionary spending on food. According to the Food Franchising Report 2009, 30 per cent of working singles eat out at least once a month, with a majority spending at least Rs 101-150 per outing. Urban Indians now have a repast outdoor six times a month compared to 2.7 times in 2003. Retail consultancy Tech-nopak Advisors says the spend on eating out at 11 per cent is second only to groceries for Indian households.
Even investors are turning to fast food companies. Jubilant FoodWorks' successful IPO in January, where it raised Rs 329 crore, was oversubscribed 31 times. In March, Cafe Coffee Day raised over $200 million (Rs 920 crore) from three private equity funds. "These are very sizeable investments," says Raghav Gupta, president, Technopak Advisors, "and reflect a sense of confidence."
Growth isn't the only change in the food business. The shift from unorganised or street food towards a cleaner, more hygienic environment is one, even as the proliferation of stalls selling steamed corn, doughnuts and even sushi across malls, along with the success of South Indian cuisine in Delhi and butter chicken in the South shows that Indians are willing to experiment. "Even in Chennai, 40 per cent of my customers are north Indians," says S. Manoharan, proprietor, MIS. He plans to have a franchise outlet in Delhi in the next one year.
In the 90s, global fast food firms placed their bets on India, hoping to hook locals on Western food. Yum! entered India with KFC in Bangalore in 1995, but got mired in controversy. Having put that behind, the company worked towards expanding its base and today owns over 60 outlets. KFC has also tailored some dishes for Indian tastes. There's chicken tikka masala pizza, zinger burger, chana crunch snacker, veg pulao and makhni curry, and the recently launched nimbu crushers.
"One of the biggest questions is whether restaurants can localise as every region of India has a different taste," says B. Narayanaswamy, president, Ipsos Indica Research. Selling ethnic food on a national scale hasn't been easy in a country historically used to a variety of dishes. However, localising is not only about the palate, but also about pricing. "Value is a big point," says Gupta. "Compared to a basic burger, if you get say a thali for Rs 50, people will opt for that." To counter that, Domino's re-launched its 'Pizza Mania' offer, serving pizzas at Rs 35.
Clearly, India is not all about pizza and burgers. Ethnic Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chains too have a huge following. However, unlike their Western counterparts, home grown chains have largely been restricted to specific regions. Haldiram's, for instance, is planning to expand first in and around the NCR region. "That itself can absorb 10-15 more restaurants. Later we will look at Amritsar, Ludhiana and Chandigarh, areas we are familiar with," says A.K. Tyagi, president of its FMCG business.
Going national isn't easy. "All McDonald's burgers taste the same. How many restaurants can do that with a thali" says Gupta. The issue is one of "huge logistics", says Maiya, who has just hired a food technologist. For instance, making dosa batter and preserving it is a huge challenge. Moreover, raw materials are usually procured from one source, over generations. MTR procures its rice from a particular shop. To change that for Delhi or Mumbai would mean changing the entire methodology, as the different rice would taste different.
"Many of my customers have breakfast in Chennai and supper in Singapore," says Manoharan, "they expect the same taste everywhere."
While MNCs have professionalised their back-end through centralised commissaries, where food is merely assembled, Sandeep Kohli, founder of NCR-based Orange Hara chain of restaurants, says that the back-end of many restaurants is primitive, almost like a "big halwai shop". Instead, the food business should be technology- and process-driven. Even family-run chains are now waking up to 'heat and eat'.
But all that belongs to the first phase of establishing the brand and looking at growth. Today, most food brands have moved into phase II, which is penetration. Phase III is marked by the saturation point, where companies may need to overhaul menus, at least partially, and innovate. Much of the second phase growth will come from tier II and III cities where eating out is still an occasion.
Says Vikram Bakshi, MD, McDonald's India and franchisee for the North and East regions, "We don't plan to tweak our menu too much. Now we will grow to new areas and increase our concentration in areas where we are less spread." The response from tier II and III cities is overwhelming. Last year the company opened an outlet in Amritsar. Consultants said it was a city which loved Punjabi food, so the company opted for a smaller, 100-cover set-up. Six months later, Bakshi feels a second restaurant is needed.
The other thing is catching 'em young. Fast food chains are targeting consumers early so that they stay for 15-20 years. Ask Panipat's Nidhi and Uday Nath. Earlier they would eat out at the local sit-down restaurants over weekends, the few entertainment options available in the city. Today their choice of dining is largely driven by their five-year-old daughter Tara. So the couple ends up giving in to what has become a near-standard experience among parents world over: McDonald's.
"The children like it, so we end up coming here at least once a week," says Nidhi. "This is a generation that has grown up on McDonald's," says Purnendu Kumar, associate vice president, Technopak Advisors. But that too reflects the lifestyle changes that have taken place over the last decade.
That may not always translate into numbers for the companies. For instance, three years have passed since the opening of the first McDonald's outlet at Panipat, which was something of a mini cultural spectacle where families lined up to have their pictures taken with Ronald McDonald, but the outlet itself is a laggard in terms of sales.
Bakshi has an explanation for that. Indians eat out far less frequently than other nationals. "Even in urban homes, eating out is seen as an occasion or an indulgence," he says. Compared to this, countries in South Asia have always had the concept of eating out, either at restaurants or pavement stalls. In Bangkok, people eat out an average 44 times a month, while in Jakarta the frequency is 14-15 times. However, with that changing, companies are more bullish. Says Kaul, "While China had been growing at 5-10 stores a year, the explosion of growth in India is far more recent. In the next five-seven years, we will take our count from 296 to 700 stores."
With changing lifestyles of young Indians, also comes another opportunity for growth. Catching the consumers where they are. This means the growth of travel retail. After malls, fast food eateries are targeting airports, highways, railway stations, corporate parks, clubs, fuel stations, etc. "With limited time, customers need to be tapped wherever they go," says Niren Choudhary, MD, Yum! Restaurants India. The company has set up express delivery counters at airports. Even Sagar Ratna is exploring an express model by next year, says CFO K.S. Suresh. "Currently two people spend an average 30 minutes in the restaurant. This will reduce the time to 12 minutes approximately." Home delivery is another big area, growing at 15-20 per cent.
But the fast food retail industry is faced with many hurdles, too. The main pain point is the high cost of real estate. Add to that rising input costs; companies claim their margins are getting squeezed. While the global standard is 10-15 per cent of sales as rentals, in India it goes as high as 20-25 per cent. Says Narayanaswamy, "QSRs follow a revolving door concept, which is come, buy and leave. But India has more of a dine-in culture, which adds to the real estate costs." Kaul says that most of the new Domino's outlets, especially in tier II and III cities, come with a dining area.
"It's a business of patience, not one of making money," says Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, MD, Bikanervala. When that is perfected, there are changing customer preferences to deal with. As consumers taste global cuisine, they want the real thing here. Ask Ashish Kapur, founder of Yo! China. Before Yo! came along in 2003, no one had been successful at doing a fast food Chinese restaurant. Changing tastes and dipping footfalls, however, forced them to change their look and feel, which is a more upscale casual dining kind of restaurant.
"Seven years ago we were serving dimsums and combos," he says, "today it is more khau suey (ingredients served separately) and sizzlers and claypots that people want." Having changed helped. Today their footfalls are up 35 per cent. Kapur also something else going for him: a bit of diversity. Needless to say, customers are 'lovin' it'.
Tags:Fast Food Franchise, Fast Food Franchise,Restaurant Franchise, McDonalds, Haldirams, Bikanervala,Nirulas,Sagar Ratna, Dominos,Yo China,Murugan Idli Shop,MTR, Donkin Donuts,Popeyes,Burger King,Food Franchising,
Source:India Today, Nandini Vaish.
As he launched Jubilant's 300th outlet in Delhi's Pitampura last month, Patrick Doyle, the global CEO of Domino's Pizza Inc, said, "Our teams in India and Louisiana, USA, are two of the largest and best franchisees." At a growth rate of nearly 42 per cent for the last five years, the company's India operations are its fastest in the world.
Doyle's and Kaul's appetite for India is shared by competitors. Whether it is multinational chains like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC or homegrown ones like Sagar Ratna, Yo! China, Haldiram's, Bikanervala or Nirula's, they are all racing to open new restaurants. McDonald's, which had 20 outlets in India till 2002, has 187 today. It plans to open 200 more over five years with an investment of Rs 500 crore. Yum! Restaurants, owner of the KFC and Pizza Hut brands, plans to add 15 and 20 outlets respectively.
The story is repeated across the road with Nirula's looking to add 120 new points of presence, Sagar Ratna 35 new outlets by December and Delhi-based Bikanervala and Haldiram's four-five new outlets every year. Even traditional entities like the Bangalore-based MTR Restaurant and the Chennai-based Murugan Idli Shop (MIS) are looking at Delhi and Mumbai, "for the first time in 80 years", according to Hemamalini Maiya, managing partner, MTR Restaurants.
The temptation was just too hard to resist. Maiya says expanding beyond Bangalore is something her late father (who started the restaurant) would never have approved of, but that makes clear business sense. After all, says Gaurav Marya, president, Franchise India, "India is the biggest consumption market in the world." Even chains like Dunkin' Donuts, Popeyes Chicken, Pizza & Co, Swensen's and Burger King are in talks with local partners to enter India.
The eating out market is on an upswing. The rising number of working women and nuclear households, and an increase in general affluence have led to higher discretionary spending on food. According to the Food Franchising Report 2009, 30 per cent of working singles eat out at least once a month, with a majority spending at least Rs 101-150 per outing. Urban Indians now have a repast outdoor six times a month compared to 2.7 times in 2003. Retail consultancy Tech-nopak Advisors says the spend on eating out at 11 per cent is second only to groceries for Indian households.
Even investors are turning to fast food companies. Jubilant FoodWorks' successful IPO in January, where it raised Rs 329 crore, was oversubscribed 31 times. In March, Cafe Coffee Day raised over $200 million (Rs 920 crore) from three private equity funds. "These are very sizeable investments," says Raghav Gupta, president, Technopak Advisors, "and reflect a sense of confidence."
Growth isn't the only change in the food business. The shift from unorganised or street food towards a cleaner, more hygienic environment is one, even as the proliferation of stalls selling steamed corn, doughnuts and even sushi across malls, along with the success of South Indian cuisine in Delhi and butter chicken in the South shows that Indians are willing to experiment. "Even in Chennai, 40 per cent of my customers are north Indians," says S. Manoharan, proprietor, MIS. He plans to have a franchise outlet in Delhi in the next one year.
In the 90s, global fast food firms placed their bets on India, hoping to hook locals on Western food. Yum! entered India with KFC in Bangalore in 1995, but got mired in controversy. Having put that behind, the company worked towards expanding its base and today owns over 60 outlets. KFC has also tailored some dishes for Indian tastes. There's chicken tikka masala pizza, zinger burger, chana crunch snacker, veg pulao and makhni curry, and the recently launched nimbu crushers.
"One of the biggest questions is whether restaurants can localise as every region of India has a different taste," says B. Narayanaswamy, president, Ipsos Indica Research. Selling ethnic food on a national scale hasn't been easy in a country historically used to a variety of dishes. However, localising is not only about the palate, but also about pricing. "Value is a big point," says Gupta. "Compared to a basic burger, if you get say a thali for Rs 50, people will opt for that." To counter that, Domino's re-launched its 'Pizza Mania' offer, serving pizzas at Rs 35.
Clearly, India is not all about pizza and burgers. Ethnic Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chains too have a huge following. However, unlike their Western counterparts, home grown chains have largely been restricted to specific regions. Haldiram's, for instance, is planning to expand first in and around the NCR region. "That itself can absorb 10-15 more restaurants. Later we will look at Amritsar, Ludhiana and Chandigarh, areas we are familiar with," says A.K. Tyagi, president of its FMCG business.
Going national isn't easy. "All McDonald's burgers taste the same. How many restaurants can do that with a thali" says Gupta. The issue is one of "huge logistics", says Maiya, who has just hired a food technologist. For instance, making dosa batter and preserving it is a huge challenge. Moreover, raw materials are usually procured from one source, over generations. MTR procures its rice from a particular shop. To change that for Delhi or Mumbai would mean changing the entire methodology, as the different rice would taste different.
"Many of my customers have breakfast in Chennai and supper in Singapore," says Manoharan, "they expect the same taste everywhere."
While MNCs have professionalised their back-end through centralised commissaries, where food is merely assembled, Sandeep Kohli, founder of NCR-based Orange Hara chain of restaurants, says that the back-end of many restaurants is primitive, almost like a "big halwai shop". Instead, the food business should be technology- and process-driven. Even family-run chains are now waking up to 'heat and eat'.
But all that belongs to the first phase of establishing the brand and looking at growth. Today, most food brands have moved into phase II, which is penetration. Phase III is marked by the saturation point, where companies may need to overhaul menus, at least partially, and innovate. Much of the second phase growth will come from tier II and III cities where eating out is still an occasion.
Says Vikram Bakshi, MD, McDonald's India and franchisee for the North and East regions, "We don't plan to tweak our menu too much. Now we will grow to new areas and increase our concentration in areas where we are less spread." The response from tier II and III cities is overwhelming. Last year the company opened an outlet in Amritsar. Consultants said it was a city which loved Punjabi food, so the company opted for a smaller, 100-cover set-up. Six months later, Bakshi feels a second restaurant is needed.
The other thing is catching 'em young. Fast food chains are targeting consumers early so that they stay for 15-20 years. Ask Panipat's Nidhi and Uday Nath. Earlier they would eat out at the local sit-down restaurants over weekends, the few entertainment options available in the city. Today their choice of dining is largely driven by their five-year-old daughter Tara. So the couple ends up giving in to what has become a near-standard experience among parents world over: McDonald's.
"The children like it, so we end up coming here at least once a week," says Nidhi. "This is a generation that has grown up on McDonald's," says Purnendu Kumar, associate vice president, Technopak Advisors. But that too reflects the lifestyle changes that have taken place over the last decade.
That may not always translate into numbers for the companies. For instance, three years have passed since the opening of the first McDonald's outlet at Panipat, which was something of a mini cultural spectacle where families lined up to have their pictures taken with Ronald McDonald, but the outlet itself is a laggard in terms of sales.
Bakshi has an explanation for that. Indians eat out far less frequently than other nationals. "Even in urban homes, eating out is seen as an occasion or an indulgence," he says. Compared to this, countries in South Asia have always had the concept of eating out, either at restaurants or pavement stalls. In Bangkok, people eat out an average 44 times a month, while in Jakarta the frequency is 14-15 times. However, with that changing, companies are more bullish. Says Kaul, "While China had been growing at 5-10 stores a year, the explosion of growth in India is far more recent. In the next five-seven years, we will take our count from 296 to 700 stores."
With changing lifestyles of young Indians, also comes another opportunity for growth. Catching the consumers where they are. This means the growth of travel retail. After malls, fast food eateries are targeting airports, highways, railway stations, corporate parks, clubs, fuel stations, etc. "With limited time, customers need to be tapped wherever they go," says Niren Choudhary, MD, Yum! Restaurants India. The company has set up express delivery counters at airports. Even Sagar Ratna is exploring an express model by next year, says CFO K.S. Suresh. "Currently two people spend an average 30 minutes in the restaurant. This will reduce the time to 12 minutes approximately." Home delivery is another big area, growing at 15-20 per cent.
But the fast food retail industry is faced with many hurdles, too. The main pain point is the high cost of real estate. Add to that rising input costs; companies claim their margins are getting squeezed. While the global standard is 10-15 per cent of sales as rentals, in India it goes as high as 20-25 per cent. Says Narayanaswamy, "QSRs follow a revolving door concept, which is come, buy and leave. But India has more of a dine-in culture, which adds to the real estate costs." Kaul says that most of the new Domino's outlets, especially in tier II and III cities, come with a dining area.
"It's a business of patience, not one of making money," says Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, MD, Bikanervala. When that is perfected, there are changing customer preferences to deal with. As consumers taste global cuisine, they want the real thing here. Ask Ashish Kapur, founder of Yo! China. Before Yo! came along in 2003, no one had been successful at doing a fast food Chinese restaurant. Changing tastes and dipping footfalls, however, forced them to change their look and feel, which is a more upscale casual dining kind of restaurant.
"Seven years ago we were serving dimsums and combos," he says, "today it is more khau suey (ingredients served separately) and sizzlers and claypots that people want." Having changed helped. Today their footfalls are up 35 per cent. Kapur also something else going for him: a bit of diversity. Needless to say, customers are 'lovin' it'.
Tags:Fast Food Franchise, Fast Food Franchise,Restaurant Franchise, McDonalds, Haldirams, Bikanervala,Nirulas,Sagar Ratna, Dominos,Yo China,Murugan Idli Shop,MTR, Donkin Donuts,Popeyes,Burger King,Food Franchising,
Source:India Today, Nandini Vaish.
Appin To Expand Training Franchises To Tier 2 Cities In India
Appin announces expansion of its franchise network to tier two cities in India
May 15, 2010 by AboutNanoWires.com
Appin Knowledge Solutions the training wing of appin announces its expansion plan from 90 hi tech training labs to 200 training labs in the current fiscal year. Appin has been a premier company in niche technology training specially programs related to Information Security, Ethical Hacking , Forensics , Embedded Robotics and has been operating across India, Africa and Middle East. Appin has been appreciated by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam during his presidency at Rashtrapati Bhawan for inspiring efforts in the field of niche technology and has been rated among top 5 IT professional training companies and the best in its category by the popular week magazine in the past.
Mr. Rajat Khare, Director Appin said, “ We have served over 20000 students through our training centers in India and around 83000+ in total but our reach has been typically to metro cities and tier 1 cities in general. We wish to expand to every nook and corner of India and give students a real flavor of high technology training so that they can emerge as leaders of tomorrow. There is shortage of professionals with specialized skills in ethical hacking, information security , forensics, embedded robotics etc and we wish to cover this gap by training more people in this area. We invite potential business partners to join the appin network and become a pioneering education provider in niche technology training”
Appin has been doing a brisk business for last 5 years with multi fold growth in topline and bottomline.The gap of over 400000+ individuals to be trained and placed in industry is a big need and hence appin has taken a task on its end to contribute to the cause.
Tags:Appin,technology training,Training Franchise, Education Training Business, Top IT Training,Rajat Khare, Appin Technology lab,business partners,education franchise,
May 15, 2010 by AboutNanoWires.com
Appin Knowledge Solutions the training wing of appin announces its expansion plan from 90 hi tech training labs to 200 training labs in the current fiscal year. Appin has been a premier company in niche technology training specially programs related to Information Security, Ethical Hacking , Forensics , Embedded Robotics and has been operating across India, Africa and Middle East. Appin has been appreciated by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam during his presidency at Rashtrapati Bhawan for inspiring efforts in the field of niche technology and has been rated among top 5 IT professional training companies and the best in its category by the popular week magazine in the past.
Mr. Rajat Khare, Director Appin said, “ We have served over 20000 students through our training centers in India and around 83000+ in total but our reach has been typically to metro cities and tier 1 cities in general. We wish to expand to every nook and corner of India and give students a real flavor of high technology training so that they can emerge as leaders of tomorrow. There is shortage of professionals with specialized skills in ethical hacking, information security , forensics, embedded robotics etc and we wish to cover this gap by training more people in this area. We invite potential business partners to join the appin network and become a pioneering education provider in niche technology training”
Appin has been doing a brisk business for last 5 years with multi fold growth in topline and bottomline.The gap of over 400000+ individuals to be trained and placed in industry is a big need and hence appin has taken a task on its end to contribute to the cause.
Tags:Appin,technology training,Training Franchise, Education Training Business, Top IT Training,Rajat Khare, Appin Technology lab,business partners,education franchise,
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Worlds Largest Eyewear Retail Chain Sunglass Hut Plans 30 Outlets In 3 Yrs
Sunglass Hut plans India expansion in three years
NEW DELHI: World’s largest eyewear retail chain Sunglass Hut on Wednesday said that it plans to have a total of 30 outlets across the country in the next three years, spreading pan-India to tap into the growing demand for fashion accessories in the market .
“Sunglass Hut has got a great response in India during the last year-and-a-half of our presence here. In the next three years, we plan to create a chain of 30 outlets across key markets, including metros, mini-metros and major Tier II cities,” Sunglass Hut brand manager Mr Pradeep Bhanot said.
It currently has five exclusive outlets in India, spread across Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. “Just early this week, we ventured into Mumbai, the fashion capital of India, with the first store coming up in the city. Fashion eyewear is a growing concept in the country, and we want to capitalise on it,” Mr Bhanot said.
Sunglass Hut is focusing on cities such as Kolkata, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Bangalore and Chennai for future growth, he added.
Sunglass Hut, owned by Italian firm Luxottica, is present in India under a franchise agreement with DLF Brands, realty major DLF’s retail management arm.
The chain offers over two dozen premium international brands, including Versace, Bulgari, Burberry, Prada, Tiffany, Persol, Revo and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Mr Bhanot said that Sunglass Hut launched a few other international brands, including Paul Smith and Oliver, this week, and plans to further strengthen its portfolio in the months to come.
Sunglass Hut has over 2,000 outlets across various markets, including the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Middle- East and South Africa.
Tags: eyewear franchise,optical franchise,retail franchise, accessory franchise, International Franchise, sunglass hut, sun glass hut,fashion franchise,luxottica, draft franchise agreement, dlf brands,
Source:- PTI, Hindu Business Line, May 12, 2010.
NEW DELHI: World’s largest eyewear retail chain Sunglass Hut on Wednesday said that it plans to have a total of 30 outlets across the country in the next three years, spreading pan-India to tap into the growing demand for fashion accessories in the market .
“Sunglass Hut has got a great response in India during the last year-and-a-half of our presence here. In the next three years, we plan to create a chain of 30 outlets across key markets, including metros, mini-metros and major Tier II cities,” Sunglass Hut brand manager Mr Pradeep Bhanot said.
It currently has five exclusive outlets in India, spread across Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. “Just early this week, we ventured into Mumbai, the fashion capital of India, with the first store coming up in the city. Fashion eyewear is a growing concept in the country, and we want to capitalise on it,” Mr Bhanot said.
Sunglass Hut is focusing on cities such as Kolkata, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Bangalore and Chennai for future growth, he added.
Sunglass Hut, owned by Italian firm Luxottica, is present in India under a franchise agreement with DLF Brands, realty major DLF’s retail management arm.
The chain offers over two dozen premium international brands, including Versace, Bulgari, Burberry, Prada, Tiffany, Persol, Revo and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Mr Bhanot said that Sunglass Hut launched a few other international brands, including Paul Smith and Oliver, this week, and plans to further strengthen its portfolio in the months to come.
Sunglass Hut has over 2,000 outlets across various markets, including the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Middle- East and South Africa.
Tags: eyewear franchise,optical franchise,retail franchise, accessory franchise, International Franchise, sunglass hut, sun glass hut,fashion franchise,luxottica, draft franchise agreement, dlf brands,
Source:- PTI, Hindu Business Line, May 12, 2010.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Amritsar hotting up to retail franchise brands.
Amritsar, April 30, 2010: Archies opened another store in Amritsar today at The Celebration Mall. The company has got some special collections which will be displayed in this mall.
The special gallery offers a wide range of Gifts, Toys, Cards, Disney Collection, Soft Toys, Helpage Products, Greeting Cards, Gift Packs, Calendars, Diaries, Business Organiser, Telephone Index, Perfumes, Perfumes and Deodorants, Exclusive Gifts, Showpieces, Pen Sets, Photo Frames, Toys & Huggables, Clocks and Watches, Kitchen Packs, Combo Gifts, Kids Stuff, Gifts For Her, Gifts For Him and all occassion Greeting Cards.
The Celebration Mall has a built up area of 2, 04,000 square feet with a total of nine levels including three levels of basement parking (approx 1, 28,000 square feet). A blend of international brands like the multiplex Cinepolis, UK retail giant Marks & Spencer, fashion brands like UCB, Levi's, Adidas, Reebok, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, foodservice majors McDonald's and Cafe Coffe Day and a significant number of prominent local retailers like Bille Di hatti, Mohini Woolens, Xclusive Boutique, Kazo can be seen at the property. The other power brands of the mall are SRS Value Bazaar, 1469, Lilliput, and GKB Opticals
Tags: Amritsar Franchise, Franchising Amritsar, Archies Franchise, UCB, Levi's, cafe coffee day, Bille Di Hatti, Mohini Woolens, Kazo, Lilliput, GKB Opticals,SRS Value Bazaar,1469,celebration mall,
The special gallery offers a wide range of Gifts, Toys, Cards, Disney Collection, Soft Toys, Helpage Products, Greeting Cards, Gift Packs, Calendars, Diaries, Business Organiser, Telephone Index, Perfumes, Perfumes and Deodorants, Exclusive Gifts, Showpieces, Pen Sets, Photo Frames, Toys & Huggables, Clocks and Watches, Kitchen Packs, Combo Gifts, Kids Stuff, Gifts For Her, Gifts For Him and all occassion Greeting Cards.
The Celebration Mall has a built up area of 2, 04,000 square feet with a total of nine levels including three levels of basement parking (approx 1, 28,000 square feet). A blend of international brands like the multiplex Cinepolis, UK retail giant Marks & Spencer, fashion brands like UCB, Levi's, Adidas, Reebok, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, Peter England, foodservice majors McDonald's and Cafe Coffe Day and a significant number of prominent local retailers like Bille Di hatti, Mohini Woolens, Xclusive Boutique, Kazo can be seen at the property. The other power brands of the mall are SRS Value Bazaar, 1469, Lilliput, and GKB Opticals
Tags: Amritsar Franchise, Franchising Amritsar, Archies Franchise, UCB, Levi's, cafe coffee day, Bille Di Hatti, Mohini Woolens, Kazo, Lilliput, GKB Opticals,SRS Value Bazaar,1469,celebration mall,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)