After a failed attempt with Au Bon Pain cafe chain, Sanjiv Goenka is re-entering the quick service restaurant (QSR) space again.
The group, through its new entity Bowlopedia Restaurants, is launching two QSR brands; Bombay Toastee in the street style comfort food chain space and Waffle Wallah, positioned as one of the first chains for waffles.
Pilot outlets have just been opened in Delhi and Kolkata, plans are there to set up more in next 12 months.
Bombay Toastee would be serving value-for-money comfort food in street style yet hygienic environment through 60 different combinations, the group told investors.
Waffle Wallah, on the other hand, would be banking on "sudden explosion witnessed in waffle space" targeting people in the "15-35 age group, working professional, hygienic street side gourmet food seeker and food Enthusiast," they said.
To be made available in parlour, kiosks and e-cart formats, Waffle Wallah now has about 20 outlets in NCR and Kolkata with plans to add ten more by year-end.
Bombay Toastee plans to bring street foods under organised QSR and would serve toasts, Sandwiches, noodles, rolls, burger and fries, has a pilot presence in Delhi with plans to set up 10 by year-end.
"Unhygienic food is not welcome anymore, people prefer the same food items served in a hygienic environment at a great value. Bombay Toastee is hitting this trend at the right time by corporatising street food," officials said.
The strategy seems to target the value-for-money segment in QSR rather than the premium space which the group tried earlier.
About a year back, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group is closed down all the Au Bon Pain Cafés spread across Bangalore, Kolkata and the National Capital Region following differences between Goenka's Spencer's Retail and the Boston-based cafe chain on strategy to revive the loss-making chain that relied heavily on Au Bon Pain's globally popular offerings but failed to gel with Indian palate, DNA Money had earlier reported.
This time too, the revived business, which banks on demand for Indian street foods and growing popularity of waffle joints in metro cities, has been conceptualised by Goenka's daughter Avarna with Manish Tandon as the chief executive officer.
EYEING A BIGGER BITE
- The groupis launching Bombay Toastee in the street style comfort food chain space and Waffle Wallah, positioned as one of the first chains for waffles
- Pilot outlets have just been opened in Delhi and Kolkata, plans are there to set up more in next 12 months
