Barnie Coffee first outlet by year-end

Barnie's Coffee and Tea Company, the US specialty coffee chain, will open its first outlet in India before this year-end, Ravish Mehra, director, Victoria Impex, the master franchisee for Barnie's in India, said. The first outlet will come up by December either in Hauz Khas, Delhi or a Gurgaon mall.

Victoria Impex plans to open 100 Barnie's outlets across the country in 3 years, 10-15 of them in the national capital region.

The company has paid the US-based Barnie's a sum of $2.5- 3 million as franchisee fee, according to a source close to the deal. Investment will depend on the location, Mehra said, with minimum investment being Rs 10 lakh for an outlet spanning 200-300 square feet. The investment will be financed through internal accruals.

A Barnie's outlet will be a mix of Barista and Cafe Coffee Day as it will be a fun place, easy on pocket and also offer higher-end coffee. The outlet will consider co-branding with bookstores or Taco Maker, the US-based Mexican cuisine chain for which another group company H K Multiplex and Hospitality Pvt Ltd is the master franchisee.

"Indian consumers are yet to taste a 'real' cup of coffee. The futuristic machines and Barnie's expertise promise a good cup of coffee. Players such as Barista and Cafe Coffee Day have introduced the coffee culture and, thus, the platform is ready for us," Mehra said, on competition.

The coffee beans for Barnie's India outlets will come from the parent company in US that sources the Arabica coffee, considered a better quality coffee than the other Robusta, from all over the world.

Victoria Impex is one of the companies belonging to the yet unnamed group headed by textile entrepreneur Harmanjit Singh. The group is into steel production and export, exporting fabrics and food products, hospitality (the group owns two restaurants and hotel Ashoka Palace in Delhi) and now holds the franchise rights for Barnie's and Taco Maker in India.