Amit Burman plans food courts

Plans to acquire local eateries to offer wide variety to customers.

In an effort to make a foray into the Rs 1,500 crore food and beverages segment, a promoter of Dabur is all geared up to enter the food court segment in November.

Amit Burman, founder of Dabur Foods, is planning to launch food courts in shopping malls, office complexes, at national highways as well as mini-restaurants at metro stations. It is estimated that India would have around 250 new malls by 2010.

Burman, along with two other partners, Rohit Aggarwal and Tejpavan Singh Gandhok, has invested close to Rs 200 crore in the venture.

"The idea is to have various formats like quick service restaurants, casual dining, express outlets along with food courts in shopping malls under our business venture, Lite Bites," elaborates Amit Burman, vice-chairman, Dabur.

The partners hope to reach a sales target of Rs 1,000 crore, with retail outlets across 200 locations, in the next three years.

Burman, who currently operates nine franchisees of Subway, has tied up with Dubai-based Hot Brands to start quick service food joints serving Chinese, Italian, Thai and Indian cuisines. "We will also acquire local companies from small cities to address specific regional tastes," shares Burman.

Private companies like Future Group, PVR Food Union, Planet Yumm, and several other local operators have forayed into the food court segment, which was earlier dominated by fast food brands like McDonald's, Yo!China, Domino's and KFC.

Gandhok and Burman remain unfazed by the competition, be it from Pizza Hut or Haldiram. "There is a lot of scope in the existing chicken tikka, pizza & paneer wrap market," opines Gandhok.

For the tadka-loving population in Delhi, Lite Bites plans to bring regional eateries to its fold. It is also bringing in an European food brand that serves soups, grilled cuisines, salads, pizzas. Besides all this, a slew of joint ventures are on the anvil.

South India is also on the charts. Gandhok says: "We will begin with mini-food courts in large companies and by the year-end we should have one such establishment in the South."

"The quick-service industry is pocket-friendly and at the same time promises good quality. It opens up the market of good five star quality food to those who can't afford five star rates," says Burman.

With most restaurants pricing their single and combo meals in the Rs 30-200 range, the emphasis is clearly on wooing as many customers as possible. But with outlets mushrooming in every nook and corner, how does one beat the competition?

"Our brands will be present not only in our food courts but in every place where it makes sense. If that means an upmarket eatery or just an Indian outlet on the highway, then we would do it," Gandhok says.