Pizza Corner sets eyes on Tier-II cities

To open outlets in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada

Pizza Corner, the Global Franchise Architects (GFA)-promoted pizza outlets chain, is looking at doubling its presence in the state from the present six by the end of this calendar year.

The pizza major, which already has three dine-in restaurants, two express delivery outlets and one delivery outlet in Hyderabad will be opening three more dine-ins and one delivery outlet here.

Further, the company, which had so far restricted itself to Hyderabad, is also spreading its horizons to Tier-II cities including Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

Speaking to Business Standard, Parag Dutta, chief operating officer of GFA, said, "We will be opening three dine-in restaurants and one delivery outlet in Hyderabad by August 2005."

"On April 11, we are opening a dine-in restaurant in Visakhapatnam, and by August this year we will be expanding our footprint in Vijayawada with the opening of a delivery outlet," he added. This will be the first time that Pizza Corner will be venturing into Tier-II cities in Andhra Pradesh.

"Andhra Pradesh as a market has a huge potential for growth and we are now looking at Guntur and Rajahmundry too for our future expansion plans," he added.

The state, according to Dutta, contributes to 15 per cent of its total turnover. While the setting up of a dine-in needs an investment of around Rs 50 lakh, a delivery outlet involves an investment of Rs 35 lakh.

"On a nationwide basis, we will now be focussing on the western and eastern satellite towns like Kolkata and Guwahati that we have not yet touched," Dutta said. GFA, at present, has around 30 Pizza Corner outlets in the country.

GFA is also diversifying into new areas through retail brands like Coffee World, New York Deli and The Cream and Fudge Corporation. While Coffee World will be a coffee lounge, New York Deli will be a sandwich and salads outlet and The Cream and Fudge Corporation will be a desserts and ice-cream parlour.

"We will also be setting up Coffee World in Hyderabad by August this year," Dutta said. GFA has set up Coffee World only in Bangalore and by the end of December this year, it is looking at setting up 15 such outlets across India.

"We will be setting up our first New York Deli outlet in Bangalore this May and are looking at having three such outlets in India by December-end. We are also looking at launching The Cream and Fudge Corporation by November this year and by the end of 2005 we will have three such outlets," he added.

Internationally, GFA is looking at launching Pizza Corner outlets in Sri Lanka, Bangkok and Beijing, Coffee World in Abu Dhabi, The Cream and Fudge Corporation in Bangkok and New York Deli in Middle East by the end of this year.