 "New flavours with its youngest chain, Taco Bell")
Mexican cuisine chain Taco Bell, a part of Yum Brands Inc, Wednesday announced Burman Hospitality as its master franchise partner in India, with plans to open 600 outlets by 2029.
Taco Bell, which currently has 35 outlets in India, also expects the country to become its largest market outside North America in terms of both restaurant count and revenues going forward.
"In terms of restaurant count India today is set to be one of our top three markets outside the US. In the near term, as we move forward India stands to move up as in terms of being one of our largest markets, in terms of restaurants count and potentially in revenues as well," Taco Bell International President Liz Williams told PTI.
Bullish on the Indian market, she said, "Today we don't release separate revenue figures for the international business for specific markets but with that kind of growth you can imagine the revenue contribution."
Taco Bell currently operates 500 restaurants nearly across 30 countries outside the US.
The expansion plans for Taco Bell in India have been timed to ride on the growing awareness of Mexican food among consumers here, she further said.
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"We feel like it is the perfect time...Consumers are becoming more aware and they have the interest and appetite to try Mexican cuisine. We think it is a great fit with the Indian consumers, coupled with brand positioning together with the Burman group," she added.
Taco Bell had entered India in 2010 and opened six stores. Later on, it partnered with the Burman family.
Elaborating on the expansion plans, Burman Hospitality Director Gaurav Burman said, "We are building one new store every 10 days. At the end of the year you will see us go past 60 stores and then we will continue to build progressively after that."
The chain currently has presence in 11 Indian cities and by the end of the year it will have presence in 16 cities, he added.
