In an exclusive interview with Nusra, Amar Sandhu, Vice-President and Brand Head- Texas Chicken, talks about plans to enter the Indian market
Tell us about Texas Chicken and its presence in the global market…
Founded in San Antonio, TX in 1952 by George W. Church, Church’s Chicken, along with its sister brand Texas Chicken outside of North and South America, is the 3rd largest quick service chicken restaurant chain in the world.
The brand specializes in freshly prepared Original & Spicy Chicken and Tender Strips®. Our Honey-butter Biscuits are made from scratch and baked fresh in our restaurants all day long. And, we have great tasting home-style sides, sandwiches and toasted wraps all for a great value.
Church’s Chicken and Texas Chicken have more than 1,650 locations in 25 countries with system-wide sales of more than $1.2 billion.
What made you consider the India market entry?
India has a rich culinary culture and love for spicy flavours and great tasting food. With Texas Chicken’s 65 years of heritage in the chicken QSR category, combined with its uncompromising pursuit of serving high quality food and the flexibility to adapt to local tastes, we believe our brand will resonate strongly with the discerning Indian market. Especially among the millennials, who are always on the lookout for exciting and bold food experiences and hassle free service to match their increasingly busy lifestyles.
In the last few years the expectation for quality in India has gone up and the culinary boundaries have expanded. The timing for our India entry is right as there’s a long runway ahead for growth.
What are your criteria for selecting a partner in India?
India has tremendous growth opportunity and we seek to build a long-term, sustainable business with like-minded partners, who share our belief in excellence and innovation. Organizations that are fast, focused and flexible. We are looking for partners who understand the difference between opening restaurants and building an enterprise. Response has been very favourable during our initial discussions with interested parties.
Which cities are you targeting to launch the brand?
We work closely with our franchisees to identify target cities and develop expansion plans.
We will study the market extensively to shape our development strategy. With the end goal to carefully select cities and locations that ensure success of the brand and help our franchisees build a profitable, scalable and sustainable enterprise.
What is your expansion plan both internationally and in India?
Asia-Pacific and Middle East are the fastest growing regions of the company. We have successfully launched the brand in 10 new countries in a very short time. In Asia Pacific, Texas Chicken has grown from a one country business (Indonesia) to eight countries in 5 years. The healthy and sustainable growth speaks volumes for the brand’s strength and popularity.
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