Italian eatery Serafina has opened its doors to Indian consumers at Mumbai’s High Street Pheonix, The Palladium, a luxury shopping centre. This is the second outlet of the restaurant outside the US. The first is in Sao Paulo.
Indian American hoteliers Sant Singh Chatwal and Vikram Chatwal and New York-based Italian restaurateurs Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato have been instrumental in bringing the eatery here. This marks the first venture for the Chatwals and the Italian-duo in India.
This New York-based chain of Italian restaurants is known for its thin-crust pizzas, stellar pastas and inventive salads. The new outpost in Mumbai that opened on Thursday is the first of many planned for India. The Chatwals have entered into an exclusive development rights deal for 45 years, for the restaurant brand in the country.
After Mumbai, Serafina outlets would soon open in Goa at the Dream Hotel, and in New Delhi and Jaipur shortly thereafter.
Chairman and CEO of Hampshire Hotels and Resorts Sant Singh Chatwal said in a statement: “By introducing Serafina to India, we are bringing the first real Italian fare to the market. When The New York Times describes their coal-oven pies as simply ‘excellent pizza’, you know it’s authentic.”
Meanwhile, Chatwal Hotels and Resorts is planning to invest $200 million in India to open more than 50 hotels over the next five years. While Jaipur is to have two properties, one Night hotel is slotted for Hyderabad and Kochi. The hotelier has already acquired land for the purpose.