The Hindu Business Line : Mark Pi plans 300 restaurants in India

The US-based international restaurant chain Mark Pi International will invest Rs 80 crore to open 300 restaurants across India in the next five years, covering all the metros and mini-metros, even reaching out to the towns with a population of at least one lakh.

After playing a key role in revolutionising the Chinese food experience in the US, Mark Pi International has plans to open another 400 outlets in the Asia-Pacific region in the next five years.

In India, Mark Pi's products will have the brand name "Crazy Noodles," to be sourced from China, Japan, Malaysia and other oriental countries, so as to ensure taste and food quality.

Regional flavour

In Gujarat, where the chain has set up three restaurants at Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat and adding seven more soon, it will offer exclusively vegetarian fare in view of the people's preferences, said Mark Pi's CEO, Mr Karan Verma, at a press conference here recently.

Additionally, the chain will have an exclusive Jain menu in Gujarat where garlic and onion-free food will be served.

"We already have Jain Chinese dishes." These restaurants will have a display kitchen as well. Outside Gujarat, its restaurants will also have non-vegetarian food.

New concepts

Mr Verma, however, denied competing with McDonalds, which he described as a fast-food restaurant chain, while Mark Pi is a quick service restaurant (QSR) chain.

Mark Pi will also offer new concepts such as Teppenyaki and Oriental Grills, previously in the domain of exclusive five-star hotels, at affordable prices for the first time in India.

Mark Pi opened its first restaurant in India in 2003, and gave localised food preparations top priority when it decided to expand its network, he added.

The international company of restaurants was established by the Chinese master chef and founder-President, Mark Pi.