By IANS,
Kolkata : The Rs.200-crore Speciality Restaurants, the holding company of Oh! Calcutta restaurant that handled the catering for the dinner Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosted for outgoing Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee earlier this week, will roll out another 22 restaurants this fiscal, a top company official said here Friday.
“We will roll out 22 new restaurants this year in the tier-II cities. Of these, 50-60 percent will be franchisee-owned,” company managing director Anjan Chatterjee said at a press briefing.
Under the franchise model, Speciality – which owns the well-known restaurant chain Mainland China among other brands – will provide the workforce, branding and technology while the investment needed for the business is provided by the franchisee.
The group has 52 restaurants across India, among which nine are run by franchises.
The 22 new restaurants will be run under the various restaurant brands owned by Speciality: its flagship Mainland China, Oh! Calcutta, Haka, Sweet Bengal, Machaan, Sigree, Flame, Grill Mostly Kebabs, Just Biryani and the newly-launched Shack.
Chatterjee, however, did not spell out the details.
The company, with its destination dining drive is also looking at inorganic growth through acquisition of restaurant chains known for their south Indian, north Indian, Mediterranean and Italian cuisine.
“One of the deals will be signed in a month’s time,” Chatterjee said, but declined to name the chain.
Speciality is also looking at opening more branches in North America, Britain and Africa, and has firmed up one deal each in the US and Canada. “We are looking at opening 10 international branches in one-and-a-half years,” he said.
Chatterjee said his group, which is expected to post a turnover of Rs.300 crore this fiscal, was also bullish about its plans for outdoor catering; it has started the process in Kolkata, and will spread it to Delhi.