The Hindu Business Line : Bikanervala to open more stores

Ahmedabad, Oct 19 Bikanervala, a Rs 150-crore snacks and family restaurant chain, is set to double the number of its outlets to 50 in India and abroad by 2010 as part of its plans to popularise Indian snacks and foodstuff across the globe.

Currently, the New Delhi-based, century-old, Bikanervala Foods Private Ltd has 25 sweet shops-cum-restaurants mainly in North India, Kathmanduand Dubai . In the next two years, it is set to open shops in New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Kuwait and other countries, Mr Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, Managing Director, told reporters after inaugurating the company’s Ahmedabad outlet. In India, it is going to have new outlets in Surat, Hyderabad and Meerut shortly.

Quality Control

Bikanervala, which moved from Rajasthan to New Delhi in 1950, offers more than 500 varieties, including traditional and ethnic snacks, vegetarian Chinese fast-food and continental food. Some of these items have a shelf-life of up to one year. Its various outlets have a cumulative, average footfalls of 40,000 to 45,000 per day.

Mr Aggarwal said each outlet of Bikanervala, the first Indian company in this business to get an ISO-9001:2000 certification, has a food technologist, a laboratory and a chemist to test the ingredients and other raw materials used. The finished product is once again rigorously tested before being marketed. Besides, it is also organising special training programmes for cooking hygienic food for cooks and ‘halvais’ (sweets and snacks makers), approved by the Union Ministry of Labour and adopted by the ITIs and food-craft centres.

Franchisee model

For its expansion plans, the company is also adopting a franchisee model shortly under which it would help road-side small fast-food and snacks kiosk owners to come under the Bikanervala banner to provide standardised, hygienic and centrally-supplied foodstuff to ensure quality and price-line. This would raise standards of food while maintaining individuality and freedom of the local varieties and owners.

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