"We are looking at five Donut Baker outlets in Bangalore in the next 30 days and 20 outlets in a few months. Depending on our experience here, we will start planning a pan-India rollout," said GFA Chairman Fred Mouawad.
Geneva-based Global Franchise Architects (GFA) is set to introduce donuts in India with the opening of its first Donut Baker store in Bangalore.
“We are looking at five Donut Baker outlets in Bangalore in the next 30 days and 20 outlets in a few months. Depending on our experience here, we will start planning a pan-India rollout,” said GFA Chairman Fred Mouawad.
“Indians have developed a taste for newer and different foods. I have done zero research whether we can do good business here, but I know for sure consumers in India are now more eager to adopt things quickly,” Mr Mouawad told IANS. “The Indian market is becoming hotter by the day. The market is opening up and Indian consumers are ready to experiment across all age groups.”
Novel varieties
The company will introduce 47 varieties of donuts for the Indian market. The donuts would be moderately priced between Rs 9 to Rs 29 apiece.
“We will take advantage of our existing infrastructure. But we will also open a chain of kitchens to bake the donuts as they have a shelf-life of about eight hours,” Mr Mouawad said.
The company, which entered India in 1996 with the first Pizza Corner outlet in Chennai, is planning 15 more outlets across the country in the next couple of years and 10 more Coffee World stores. GFA owns both these brands.
Currently, GFA has 52 Pizza Corner outlets and over 10 Coffee Worlds in India spread across major cities. Some of its other brands are Cream and Fudge Factory, Golden Pretzel and New York Deli.
The growth, the industry lobby says, has been driven by food parks, tax breaks, increased in foreign investment, more spending on supply chain infrastructure, a burgeoning middle class, modern retail formats and international road shows.
