“The demand for tasty vegetarian food along with choicest wines and best Scotch in India is increasing rapidly and we want to aggressively tap this segment,” Raj Mehta, founder, chairman and managing director, Little Italy Group of Restaurants told Financial Chronicle. He said the company had planned to launch 6 to 7 restaurants in financial year 2012-13 each requiring an initial investment of Rs 75 lakh – Rs 1 crore.
The chain that opened its first restaurant in Pune last week will launch one each in Jaipur and Thane, near Mumbai in June and in Bangalore in September. “In Bangalore, we already run three Little Italy brand of restaurants and the business has leapfrogged in the garden city,” Mehta said.
He said Soul Kitch brand offers Indian, Continental, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Lebanese, Mongolian under one roof. “Vegetarian is our USP and strength and we offer bigger and better buffet, with an array of 70 items to choose from and unlimited helpings of salads, soups, starters, accompaniments and disserts. There is also live kitchen for those who want combination of items to be cooked and served,” Mehta said. The buffet lunch along with a glass of complimentary wine is priced at Rs 599, working lunch for professionals at Rs 499 and buffet dinner at Rs 699, inclusive of all taxes.
He said the company has also identified Hyderabad, Kolkata, Vashi, near Mumbai where it will open at least one Soul Kitch brand. “There is a demand to open at least one Soul Kitch in Dubai which we are planning in October,” Mehta said.
He said half of the 20 Soul Kitch restaurants planned will be company owned and the rest will be run and managed for the franchisee on commission basis. “Our partner will invest the entire money,” Mehta said.
Little Italy group, which has been in business for the last 22 years, last fiscal year clocked sales revenue of Rs 50 crore. “We are a debt free firm, investing in new launches from our own internal accruals. Our business is growing 22-25 per cent year-on-year,” Mehta said.
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