Pizza Corner to set up first foreign outlet

Pizza Corner India expects to go international by setting up its first outlet in Bangkok next month with an investment of Rs 3 million.

Parag Dutta, chief operating officer of Global Franchise Architects (GFA), which owns Pizza Corner, said, "We have firmed up plans to start operations in China and are looking at the UAE as well."

"We propose to open 12 outlets in Thailand but will decide it based on the success of the first Pizza Corner which will be company owned. Pizza Corner in Thailand will cater to the palate of the local people," he added.

Dutta said the company expects to double the network of Pizza Corners in India to 60 by the end of March 2006. "We have drawn up plans to expand Coffee World, a chain of coffee shops from the present three to 16 outlets in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi by the end of 2005," he added.

Dutta said, "With the company being consolidated last year, we are in the expansion mode now".

Last year, Pizza Corner was acquired by Fred Mouaward, chairman of Thailand-based GFA. GFA's has a strong presence in Thailand with 50 outlets of its Coffee World. GFA's latest brand New York

Pizza Corner was originally promoted by the Geneva-based Global Investments Partners, a private venture capital fund, in 1996. Later ICICI Venture picked up 33 per cent stake in the company.