Anjan Chatterjee lines up fresh growth plans

Speciality Restaurants private limited(SRPL), the Anjan Chatterjee promoted chain of fine dining restaurants, was looking at acquiring brands in formats where it did not have any presence currently besides expanding organically.

The Rs150 crore company with 36 restaurants across the country had earmarked Rs150-200 crore to acquire regional brands in mediterranean, continental and south Indian cuisines during the fiscal.

The group was currently present in Chinese, Bengali and Indian cuisine, and looked at acquiring at least three more regional brands and launch them nationally, said Anjan Chatterjee, chairman and managing director, SRPL.

This apart, it was looking at expanding its chain as well as upgrade its restaurants keeping in tune with the consumers' preferences. It will open three more 'Machaans', its first theme restaurant, in Pune, Delhi,Siliguri within this calender year.

Kolkata and Mumbai already had two Machaans. It could also expand its present chain of mall eating outlets under three brands, 'Calcutta Roll Company', 'Mostly Kebabs' and 'Chow King' in other cities apart from opening another Haka, its Chinese brand, in Bhubaneshwar.

SRPL would spend nearly Rs100 crore for its expansion plans. It recently invested around Rs10 crore on opening a Machaan, a Haka, three mall eating outlets and an upcoming lounge bar called Shak in Kolkata's Mani Square mall.

Machaan, SRPL's newest brand, was based on the Jungle theme and aimed to win over children. "We are also working on two more theme restaurants, and would take up the projects next year", Chatterjee said.

"We are targeting to grow for the next three years and could offer an exit route to our private equity partner, SAIF Partners through an initial public offer in 2011", he added. SAIF Partners, a leading Asian private equity firm, had picked up 20 per cent stake in SRPL in January this year.