Barbeque Nation Hospitality, a publicly traded company on the Indian stock market, with operations spanning across India and a strong brand presence in international markets, is planning to expand its brands in the next three years. According to Rahul Agrawal, CEO of the food service company, they are aiming to add 100 additional stores across brands in both domestic and overseas markets.
At present, the company manages approximately 216 stores across four portfolio brands: Barbeque Nation India, Barbeque Nation International, Toscano, and Salt. Barbeque Nation International operates 8 stores, with 7 located in the GCC region and one lone outlet in Malaysia. Within India, Barbeque Nation dominates operations with approximately 186 establishments, followed by Toscano (16) and Salt (6).
Agarwal mentioned that both Toscano and Salt, recently acquired by Barbeque Nation Hospitality, have operated as regional brands thus far. The vision is to gradually expand their presence across India. “Toscano achieved INR 100 crore last year,” he noted. “Salt has also begun yielding promising results.”
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He plans to introduce Toscano in Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad shortly, as well as expanding Salt, an Indian a la carte brand currently limited to Chennai, into the Hyderabad market. Agrawal expressed confidence in Toscano’s ability to expand to the top 30 cities nationwide and evolve into a brand with 80 to 100 stores in the coming years.
Regarding Barbeque Nation International, Agrawal mentioned they are exploring expansion into new territories and aim to open 3 to 4 new stores this year. He added that discussions are currently underway.
Agrawal mentioned that while the company plans to maintain the expansion and independent operation of its brands in the domestic market, they are open to exploring the possibility of expanding their Italian cuisine brand, Toscano, through a franchise model in international markets.
“The company is still called Barbeque Nation Hospitality, but we are a diversified business and the biggest player with a presence throughout India,” he stated.
When asked about the financial performance of the company, he highlighted a notable improvement between Q2 and Q3 of the previous fiscal year, particularly evident in the Q3 same store sales growth (SSSG). He mentioned ongoing efforts to restore growth and margin rates, assuring that the outcomes will become apparent shortly.
Regarding format, consumers have warmly embraced the all-you-can-eat style of the Barbeque Nation brand, according to Agrawal. He mentioned their ongoing efforts to delight customers with various food festivals. Agrawal also noted that the brand’s new design, introduced two years ago, has been adopted by over half of the outlets, reflecting a “young and trendy” aesthetic. Additionally, he informed about a two-fold increase in live counters in recent years.
Discussing challenges, Agrawal highlighted the high mortality rate in the restaurant business. Consequently, the focus has consistently been on maintaining momentum rather than widespread store openings.
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