Ansals Plan Chain Of Restaurants In Delhi

The city-based Ansal Properties & Industries (API) group is planning to set up a chain of restaurants in and around New Delhi. "We are planning to open 2-3 restaurants every year. We will have 7-8 restaurants in a couple of years," managing director Pranav Ansal said.

The API group, which has interests in real estate development and education, is setting up the restaurants through closely-held group company Precious Buildcon. A 50:50 joint venture with Vipin Luthra, the son-in-law of API group chairman Sushil Ansal, this company is the North India franchisee of Geoffrey's restaurants and has set up an outlet at Ansal Plaza.

 

The group has taken up space at Ansal Plaza to open another restaurant, Oriental Blossom, which will serve Chinese cuisine. The restaurant is expected to be up and running next month. According to Ansal, another restaurant like Geoffrey's will start operating in West Delhi by January 2002.

The group is also known to be looking at the prospects of setting up a chain of coffee bars in the city.

Ansal also disclosed that the group is staying away from the fast food business. "We are slightly higher on the value chain. To be successful in fast food, you need to tie up with some big name in the business. We are planning to develop our own brands," he said.

Meanwhile, the group has scrapped its plans to put up a shopping mall in Gurgaon owing to the large number of malls already under construction there which is threatening to lead to an over-supply. "However, we will go ahead with the commercial complex part of the project," Ansal said. There are no changes in the group's plans to put up another shopping mall in East Delhi.

The group has also decided to make a big push into retail stores. It has set up a retail outlet called Shoes 'n' Shapes in Ansal Plaza for Rs 7 crore It is being touted as the largest store for such products in Delhi with brands such as Da Milano, Hidesign, Lotus Bawa, Lee Cooper, Allen Cooper and Excess. The group plans to set up two more outlets of Shoes 'n' Shapes in the near future.

The foray into retail trade is being done by Ansals Retail Division, a part of the API group. It had made a beginning last year when, in October 2000, the group had got into a tie up with Panasonic to set up its brand shop in Ansal Plaza. Spread over 3,000 square feet, it showcases an array of Panasonic products.