BreadTalk plans 40 outlets in India

Signs a master franchise agreement with Crustum Products Private Limited of India to establish the BreadTalk bakery chain in the Indian Subcontinent.

02/06/05 Singapore, Food and beverage chain BreadTalk Group Limited has announced that it has signed a master franchise agreement with Crustum Products Private Limited of India ("Crustum"), to establish the BreadTalk bakery chain in the Indian Subcontinent.

Initially, Crustum plans to open three BreadTalk outlets in Hyderabad, Bangalore and New Delhi by 2006, with the addition of Mumbai and Chennai in the following year. It targets to open 40 outlets in five years, in major cities stretching as far as the eastern region of Kolkota.

Based in Hyderabad, the state capital of Andhra Pradesh, Crustum, whose owners have extensive experience in the hospitality sector managing a luxury star hotel - the Viceroy - which will be re-branded as Marriott Hyderabad later this year, as well as a string of food and beverage chains and food courts in India, is backed by a wealth of experience working with some of the top hotel brands in the world and has a keen understanding of the concept of franchising. They recently launched an international-class food court, under the brand "Eat Street", which generated overwhelming interest from customers all over Hyderabad.

This latest franchise deal will be another feather in the cap for BreadTalk. To date, the BreadTalk group owns and operates 24 bakery outlets in Singapore, as well as seven outlets in Shanghai, two in Beijing and a new outlet in Shenzhen, PRC. Through joint ventures and franchising, BreadTalk also has a total of 19 bakery outlets in Indonesia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Philippines, and Taiwan.