Gama Hospitality eyes 35 restaurants

Gama Hospitality has signed a master franchisee agreement with Global Franchise Architects (GFA) to mark its foray in East India.

Gama Hospitality will invest close to Rs 52 crore in setting up 35 quick-service restaurants in East India over the next two years.

Gama Hospitality would hold exclusive rights to manage and operate the portfolio of GFA brands in Eastern India.

While Gama Hospitality is a Kolkata-based restaurant chain, GFA is a Switzerland-based builder, operator and franchisor of specialty food brands.

The brands that would be managed by Gama Hospitality include Coffee World, Cream and Fudge Factory, Pizza Corner and Donut Baker.

Gaurav Agarwala, director, Gama Hospitality, said, “We are looking at setting up standalone outlets as well as kiosks of our brands here. We are talking to South City mall for kiosks to set up Cream and Fudge Factory and Donut Baker.”

While Coffee World is a premium specialty coffee house, Cream and Fudge Factory is an international super premium, ice-cream joint. Fred Mouawad, founder, chairman and CEO, GFA Global, said, “Globally, GFA has nine food service restaurant brands in its portfolio. The economic slowdown has actually helped us expand globally with the real estate costs coming down. The market is ideal for expansion and we are currently targeting to open 250 stores globally by 2010. Given the opportunities, going further India would become one of the largest markets for GFA Global.”