NOODLE BOX: A YUMMY BOX OF BIZ OPPORTUNITIES

Noodle Box was born 28 years ago after two young Aussies discovered a cultural melting-pot of flavors and authentic cuisines bursting from the vibrant hawker food markets on a trip to SouthEast Asia. They decided to create a menu of the best dishes of SouthEast Asia and opened their first restaurant in Melbourne. Since then, the brand has grown from strength to strength and now wants to taste success in India. Read to know more about their plans as Sean O’Connor, Network Development Manager, gives a sneak peak inside ‘Noodle Box’ to Parina Sood.

 What potential do you see in franchising or scaling this business concept in India?

The brand started franchising in 2002 and today Noodle Box is the fastest growing Asian QSR in Australia with over 100 franchise restaurants. We see huge potential for the Noodle Box in India. Australia has a population of 26 Million people and we’ve grown to over 200 stores across the country.  Delhi itself has a population of over 29 Million. We feel we could open 100’s of stores in each of the major India cities.

 What is your vision for 2025?And your expansion plans for India in the next 5 years?
India is our primary focus for expansion through 2024 and 2025. For 2025 we would like to have our first two cities to open up, partnering with our Master Franchise Partners. Within 5 years we believe Noodle Box India will have surpassed the size of Noodle Box Australia, with presence in 6 major cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad along with Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Patna, Nagpur and Chandigarh

 With India being a vegetarian market largely, what are your plans regarding menu diversification?
A large portion of the Noodle Box menu is already vegetarian. As we did with our integration into the USA, the menu will change to suit the market. We will have a menu that does not include beef and pork.

What is the USP of your brand that makes it different from others?

Our USP is our franchise template. We have mastered a menu that covers the best of SouthEast Asia. We have developed our recipes and cooking procedures that are easy to master for our Franchise Partners.

 Any plans of aligning with any food delivery aggregators in India?
The Noodle Box business has been established with major food delivery aggregators in Australia for several years. We are planning to sit and meet with Zomato and Swiggy when in Delhi next to establish similar relationship with India’s strongest delivery aggregators.

 What are the benefits of becoming a franchisee/investor of your brand?

Besides owning a unique brand that is successful in Australia, low COGS, smaller restaurant format and automated cooking procedures to reduce labour costs are the key advantages. Each Noodle Box kitchen is equipped to run 2 other virtual brands and our business model is designed to capture the delivery market.

 How are you enabling technology for your brand’s growth & expansion?

We have introduced an App for the Noodle Box in Australia. Our customers seek out and order food, most with a single tap of their mobile phone. Technology is essential in food retailing. We are planning to introduce a similar platform to India.

 Franchise Facts

•  Australian Brand - Noodle Box – successfully entered the US market in 2023, now looking to open the first franchise in India in 2024.
• Investment:$2M USD
• Franchising since: 2002
• of franchisees:101