Coffee Day to set up 400 kiosks

Coffee Day Xpress, a chain of food and beverage kiosks operating in 170 locations across seven cities in India, plans to install over 400 kiosks by the end of the current financial year.

The company will tie up with premium institutions, business centres, airports, hospitality areas, petrol bunks and departmental stores to install the kiosks. Of the 400 kiosks proposed, 75 will be set up in Gujarat alone.

"The increasing demand for places to conveniently pick up branded hygienic food and beverage has necessitated our expansion. We will install 75 kiosks around Gujarat by March 2005. Most of these will be franchise outlets. The franchisee model is designed to make it easy for people to get their own business and earn profits from the first month," said Purandar Chaudhuri, head of business, western and central India, Coffee Day Xpress.

Coffee Day Xpress is a unique food retailing concept, which addresses the need to provide fast, hygienic and affordable food without investing in a large cafe, or placing a vending machine, which offers only beverages.

"An 'Xpress' comprises a modular kiosk spread across 50 to 70 square feet. It can be conveniently placed at crowded locations such as high streets, educational institutes, airports, shopping malls, hospitality areas and petrol bunks. They can even replace the need to maintain an office kitchen. Each kiosk requires very little maintenance and can serve a variety of food and beverage items ideal as snacks or as light meals," said Chaudhuri.

Coffee Day Xpress is a division of Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company, a Rs 300 crore ISO 9002 certified company.

Coffee Day filled the slot between traditional cafe and vending machine, thereby providing for fast, hygienic food and beverage at very convenient locations.

Coffee Day Xpress serves the coffee its parent company grows on its 5,000 acres of coffee estates.