Fast food chain Just Falafel eyes bite of India UK market

Just Falafel, the UAE’s fast-food chain that grew from two stores to an agreed 73 in the past five years, plans to add outlets in India and the UK and may consider going public as soon as 2014. “We foresee exponential growth for Just Falafel in 2012 and 2013, and we aim to remain profitable so that we have the option to eventually go public,” chief executive officer Fadi Malas said in a telephone interview from London Jan 10.  “The conditions of the financial markets would have to be there and we would have the option to go public after at least three profitable years.”  Just Falafel, which has secured paid franchises in countries including Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, is seeking to boost the number of global stores to become the leading retailer of the Middle Eastern vegetarian food. The company, which may list its shares in the UAE, said Jan 8 full-year profit was AED7m ($1.9m). Explore Here Bangalore Restaurants .
The Bloomberg Quick Service Restaurant Index, made up of fast-food chains such as McDonald’s Corp, surged 16 percent in 2011. That compares with a 20 percent drop in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and a 17 percent decline in Dubai’s benchmark stock index. Money raised from initial public offerings in the UAE fell to $243m in 2011 from $7.4bn in 2007 after Europe’s debt crisis hurt regional stocks.  “This trend of entrepreneurship is the consequence of a general downturn in the global financial sector,” said Mohammed Ali Yasin, chief investment officer at Capm Investment in Abu Dhabi. “Investors are looking into franchises or areas of the real economy that are cash-generating businesses; there’s a belief today that the food business produces revenue, and may have the potential to go public when market conditions improve.” “Just Falafel’s selling point across the Middle East is that we’re offering retail franchising, and historically in the region, there’s not much of that,” Malas said. Explore here Restaurants in Gurgaon India.
Source "arabianbusiness"

Pepping up the pizza in Multiple cities in India

Bizarre it may sound, but a sev puri pizza is as Indian as it can get. There are fourteen other new Indian flavours (nimbu mirchi masala, chicken chaat, chettinadu paneer, chicken achaari, chatapata veg masala, to name a few) that Pizza Hut has launched, along with a new campaign, to celebrate its 15-year existence in this country. According to Sunay Bhasin, Marketing Head, Pizza Hut India, India is one of the fastest-growing branded restaurant markets in the world. The organised eating-out market is estimated at $2 billion and growing at a CAGR of 25 per cent, out of which Pizza Hut, he claims, is the largest affordable casual dining restaurant (ACDR). “As the economy gallops, consumers are continuously upgrading from street food and fast food and coming into the ACDR segment, making the segment grow at a fast pace. The way the eating out market is growing at an unprecedented rate, we believe there's immense potential in this segment for us to expand.”
For Pizza Hut, growth and expansion are not just reflected in the number of stores but in the new launches and innovations in the food it offers. The year 2011 saw the pizza chain take a “big leap”, adding pastas, shakes, mojitos, gelatos and cheesecake. Other quick-service restaurants and pizza chains have done the same, adding to both core and non-core products. Domino's, after introducing butterscotch mousse cake, Pizza Dips, Chicken Kickers and Pasta Italiano, recently launched a three-cheese pizza (so far largely available in Italian/speciality/fine-dining restaurants) which, it says, follows the tendency of Indians to eat richer and heavier food in the winters. Pizza Hut's campaign features young adults reliving their memories of visiting Pizza Hut as children and eating their first pizzas. Is this aimed at getting more adults into its restaurants? “No,” says Bhasin, “the brand doesn't focus on just kids or young adults. It cuts across a larger spectrum of individuals, which can be family, friends or even colleagues.” Explore Here  Restaurants in Gurgaon and Restaurants in Delhi
“The campaign highlights how since the first pizza, so many things have changed in our consumers' lives except the pizzas and dining experience that they enjoy at Pizza Hut.” Bhasin says that in the last 15 years, the Indian consumers have evolved to a level where they are well informed and have more options to choose from. To a question on consumer preferences, Bhasin says: “While our customers continue to love the classic pizzas which are famous internationally, our localised options are also very well appreciated.” The 15 new Indian flavours, all pan pizzas, will be available at the restaurants for three months. On future plans, Bhasin says: “As a brand which thrives on innovation, growth is not just limited to the number of stores we open every year. In terms of store count our aim is to operate 250 restaurants by 2015.” Currently, it has 131 stores across 34 cities. Innovating and introducing newer foods is the way ahead, he says.
Source “thehindubusinessline”