Bikanervala to expand, open more stores

Ahmedabad: Bikanervala, the Rs150-crore Indian snacks and family restaurant chain has embarked on an expansion plan, and is preparing to double the number of its outlets to 50 in India and abroad by 2010.

The New Delhi-based, century-old Bikanervala at present has 25 sweet shops-cum-restaurants mainly across North India, Kathmandu and Dubai.

According to Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, managing director, Bikanervala plans to open shops in New Zealand, Canada, the UK, and Kuwait over the next two years. New outlets in India will come up in Surat, Hyderabad and Meerut.

The traditional Indian fast-food company shifted base from Rajasthan to New Delhi in 1950, and has over 500 varieties of traditional and ethnic snacks, vegetarian Chinese fast food and continental food on its menu, with some of its offerings boasting a shelf life of even a year. A favourite with north Indians, the chain has an average of 40,000 to 45,000 per day across its outlets.

Each outlet of Bikanervala, according to the company, has a food technologist, a laboratory and a chemist to test ingredients and other raw materials used. Finished products too are tested before being marketed.

The company also has regular specialised training programmes on cooking hygienic food for its cooks and ''halvais'' (sweets and snacks makers), which are union ministry of labour approved, and have been adopted by the ITIs and food-craft centres.

The company is looking to adopt a franchisee model to beef up its expansion plans, wherein its will assist small road-side fast-food kiosk owners to adopt the Bikanervala banner and provide standardised, hygienic, centrally-supplied wares that ensure quality and price.