EVENT ROUNDUP
Engaging the restauranteurs The fourth Indian Restaurant Congress held this year witnessed interesting new discourses on the challenges of the restaurant industry, the emerging food trends, the need for a comprehensive market presence and more By Archana Sharma
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ROMOTING THE concept of 'Think Global and Eat Local', the fourth Indian Restaurant Congress held this year was organised by Franchise India, one of Asia's largest franchising solution companies in association with Cremica, a diversified food products company. Held at Vivanta by Taj, New Delhi, the Indian Restaurant Congress 2014 dealt with topics concerning experiential treatment to the customers, the emerging new trends and cuisines with different formats. According to Gaurav Marya, chairman, Franchise India, “The industry is highly fragmented with 1.5 million eating outlets. Therefore for us its an important task to have an inclusive discussion each year through this thought leadership platform for the growth and sustenance of the restaurant business in India”. Commencing the convention, Amit Burman, vice chairman, Dabur-India and chairman, Lite Bite Foods, talked about the growth and latest trends of the restaurant business, “We have seen a growth of 20-25 per cent with people eating out more than twice a week. India is also observing the demand for micro breweries and the need for innovative food presence in the market. Also gluten free and low fat products consumption have been on the rise,” he stated.
The conference witnessed an esteemed panel of speakers like Akshay Bector, managing director, Cremica Food Industries, Dheeraj Gupta, managing director, Jumbo King, Devender Kumar, president, Indian Cullinary Forum and
vice president, food and beverages, Le Meridian New Delhi, to name a few.
Restaurant economies Suggesting better supply chain for raw materials and ingredients, Ashish Kapur, co-
A franchise owned and company operated system is considered best, as people try to work with multiple units and multiple concepts
founder and managing director, Yo! China, stated, “Ensuring consistency is a major challenge as the supply chain and transport system aren't cost effective, and even though conditions have improved, private establishments can't look after both the front and back-end.” Emphasising effective and profitable growth of a franchise owned and company operated system, Sachin Marya, group CEO, Franchise India, stated, “Food is a tougher business than most, and sometimes people franchise to attain the means of execution, rather than operational bene-
fits, therefore sometimes compromising on quality. A franchise owned and company operated system is considered best, as people try to work with multiple units and multiple concepts. It creates interdependency, to cope with the inorganic and provides a faster pace of growth.” Zorawar Kalra, founder and managing director, Massive Restaurants, said, “Restaurants have a longer shelf life and the ability to tweak the brand a little in accordance to the customers preferences. The return on investments is directly connected to the cost of land
FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD
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October 16-31, 2014