Brands in the Kitty

The company operates several eatery brands across categories including food courts, banquets, cafés, bakeries, lifestyle and multi-cuisine restaurants. The company soon plans to introduce a new category – the ‘sandwich joint’. This, the company claims, will be the healthier and hygienic substitute of roadside chhole bhatura and samosa joints.

The flagship brands that the company operates include chains like Bombay Blue and Copper Chimney. Besides, chains like Gelato Italiano, Coffee Blues and Penne have been among the major milestones that the company has achieved till date.

Hurdles and Hurlers

Escalating real estate prices and shortage of trained manpower have been critical areas for the company since its inception. Booking retail space in malls and shopping centres was always a problem – especially during the initial phase, when the company had to borrow large amounts of money to execute projects. Of late, the scarcity of trained professionals in the industry has been the greatest hurdle.

Besides, the fact that India is a hub of festivities renders life much more intricate for the company. More often than not, Indians prefer to stay at home during festive seasons and enjoy their food. This is when the company’s business experiences a steep decline.

For Blue Foods, every eating joint that deals in out-of-home eating is a competitor. Any format of outside eating, be it a samosa joint or a pau-bhaji stall, is a rival of Blue Foods.

To tackle this competition, Blue Foods has adopted some innovative measures. The company wants to outdo the rivals by renovating the look and feel of their outlets, in addition to introducing newer brands. These policies, according to the company, will help them withstand the competition in the market.

Policies Penned

Five years down the line, the company wants to be defined as the sole frontrunner in the country’s food retailing business. The company’s expansion map aims to initiate many more restaurants and food courts across India in the next 12-18 months.

Blue Foods, as its prime policy, wants to expand its reach to almost every city in the country.  It also wants to establish its foothold in almost every high-street location and neighbourhood mall. Besides, it wants to expand its range of product categories by introducing new brands of eateries. It is also looking at the option of introducing healthier versions of food kiosks on strategic roadside hubs, to cater to highway travellers.

Of course, introducing major international food brands in the country remains the prime motive of Blue Foods. All these, the company believes, will see them through in assuming a vantage point in the still-consolidating industry.

Source: Shopping Centre News