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United Pizza plans to up Gujarat presence

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July 24, 2003 11:18 IST

The Bangalore-based United Pizza Restaurant Pvt Ltd is planning to ramp up its presence in Gujarat and other western states.

At present, the company has 24 outlets across the country, including four at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd fuel stations.

Of the 24 outlets, the Ahmedabad outlet, which is thus far the only one in Gujarat, sells the maximum number of pizzas on a daily basis.

The company is also looking at setting up least 50 exclusive outlets through franchisees across the country. Of this, 10 outlets will be set up in Mumbai, while others will be in cities such as Vadodara, Surat and Anand.

"This year, our thrust will be on smaller cities such as Ahmednagar, Pune, Nasik, Vadodara, Surat in the western region, while we may look beyond Bangalore in the south. Our target is to double the sales turnover in the next two years from Rs 22 crore (Rs 220 million) last fiscal to at least Rs 45 crore (Rs 450 million) by 2004-05," Akbar Khwaja, managing director, said.

Over the next two years, United Pizza also plans to open 150 pizza outlets at petrol pumps run by the HPCL.

"After test marketing in the last six months in four HPCL petrol pumps in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore, we have now decided to go along with the petroleum major in at least 150 new 'Express Pizza' points across the country over the next two years," Khwaja said.

"Most of these counters will be located in the west and south. We will start introducing similar concept in the north, including Delhi, and in major cities in the east such as Kolkata, Guwahati and Siliguri next year. Also, HPCL officials are ready to share most of the existing 500-odd Club HP petrol pumps in the country," Khwaja added.

The Express Pizza points will serve pizzas in three minutes at Rs 30 a piece.

As part of its initiative to tap corporates and institutions, United Pizza will open its outlet at the Indian head office of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Mumbai.

At HSBC, the company will sell pizzas in the range of Rs 20-40. It is also in talks with various corporate majors for similar tie-ups.

According to Khwaja, United Pizza will also target big commercial buildings where many offices are located, and will try to set up take-away and phone-a-pizza counters in these buildings.

"Another market we are looking at is school canteens where pizzas will be sold for Rs 20. The ready pizzas will reach these canteens through our franchisees in that particular city or town. This will ensure that both US Pizza and the franchisee get additional businesses," Khwaja added.

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