Sameer Kachru, CEO, Go! Chaatzz

A new concept in food and beverage, QSR segment, Go! Chaatzz has emerged to tantalise our taste buds with its delicious food items. In an interview Sameer Kachru, CEO, Go! Chaatzz shares his views and aspirations from Go! Chaatzz. 

Abha Garyali (AG): Tell us something about the inception of ‘Go! Chaatzz.’

Sameer Kachru (SK): Go! Chaatzz is a brand owned by ‘Yes India Hospitality Services Pvt. Ltd’. It is co-owned by the promoters of TGI Fridays and Radisson hotels in India. As a company it was founded around one and a half years ago but it was launched commercially just four months ago. The success of our company can be judged by observing that in four months we have had seven units running successfully. Ours is a system driven company. The brand has been accepted very well by the customers due to its unique concept. 

AG: When did you start franchising? From where did you get the inspiration to opt for franchising as a mode of expansion?

SK: From the beginning when we started the company we were sure to expand it via the franchise way. We always looked at the company from the franchising point of view.  

AG: What is the USP of Go! Chaatzz?

SK: Go! Chaatzz as a company has many USP’s. The most attractive thing is its low capital investment. We need an investment according to the format needed by the franchisee. It is based on the idea ‘If you have the space, I have the format for you.’ Another USP is our innovative ideas and techniques. Earlier items like Mango masala chuski, Golgappe etc were just sold in the street markets. In such locations the quality was very bad as well as unhygienic. On the other hand we offer the same and more delicious varieties which are made up of quality products. We lay a lot of stress on hygiene and quality of our products.

AG: What are the different formats offered by Go! Chaatzz?

SK: As mentioned above we have a format according to the space of the franchisee. Our formats range from a space of 20 sq ft to 6000 sq ft. Our variety of offerings is also dependent on the format. A cart will be having around 8 to 10 items while a big shop will be having 50 items. The formats which are generally offered are:

• Food Courts
• Kiosks (80 sq ft to 200 sq ft)
• Carts (20 sq ft)
• Small Shops (below 350 sq ft)
• Large Cafes (upto 3000 sq ft)
• Shop In Shop (80 sq ft)
• High Street locations ( upto 6000 sq ft)

AG: How much investment is required by an aspiring franchisee?

SK: The investment by a franchisee ranges from Rs 4.25 lakh for a 20 sq ft cart to Rs 3 crore for a 6000 sq ft shop. The investment is totally dependent on the size and the format adopted. 

AG: How many franchisees do you have and in which all cities in India?

SK: It has been four months since we started our company. As of now we are running seven outlets of which five are franchised and the other two are company-owned. Till now we have our outlets in Delhi and NCR. We are now looking at cities and towns outside Delhi. We want to expand in small cities like Raipur, Ranchi and in big cities like Kolkata, Chennai etc as well.  We also plan to expand internationally in UK and Middle-East markets.  

AG: What all training and support do you provide to the franchisees?

SK: Our franchisees just need to invest the money and relax as everything from setting up the outlet to running it will be handled by us. The staff is completely trained by me. If any of the staff member of any franchisee leaves then it is the company’s duty to replace him. We also send managers to each outlet regularly to do a quality check. The managers examine the quality of the products used, see the hygienic conditions, observe the franchisee-customer relations, and initiate ideas to improve the ambience of the outlets. We also taste each product in the franchisees outlet as well as manage logistics.   

AG: What is the Break-even period for the franchisee?

SK: One of our franchisees broke-even in four months as the investment needed is quite low. We can assure the franchisee of the success of his outlet in less time.