Speciality restaurant chain Barbeque Nation will set up 100 restaurants, which will entail an investment of Rs 355 crore, across the country in the next three years. It also plans to take the brand overseas through the franchisee route. "We introduced the brand almost an year ago with a restaurant in Mumbai and later on set up three more in different cities. The response to these restaurants motivated us to go for a pan-India presence for which we have earmarked Rs 335 crore spread over the next three years," Prosenjit Roy Choudhury, CEO, Barbeque Nation told PTI. The expansion would be funded through a mix of debt and internal accruals, for which, public sector lender State Bank of India has already approved term loans, he said. The first 20 of the proposed 100 outlets would be set within the current fiscal, while another 30 would come up by the end of next year. The remaining 50 would set up in the last year of expansion, Choudhury said, adding that currently located in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Gurgaon, it would have its eateries in all major cities across the country in the next three years. Hospitality firm Sayaji Group, which owns Barbeque Nation, is looking at locations like Dubai, Mauritius, Sydney and Singapore for its overseas venture. "Once the brand is established in India, we would take it overseas. The company has already received trade enquiries fro the UK," said Choudhury. While in India Barbeque Nation restaurants would be wholly-owned by the Sayaji Group, the company is considering a franchise route to set up its restaurants abroad. |