The Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company has embarked on a major expansion plan involving a total investment of Rs 18-25 crore (Rs 180-250 million) of its Cafe Coffee Day outlets with 100 more to be established, including 50 abroad, giving the enterprise a global profile.
"We intend to open 50 new CCD outlets in the country this year and have plans to venture abroad with 50 more, the first of which is expected to get started in June," Sudipta Sen Gupta, Cafe Coffee Day, head (marketing), said.
She said depending on the locale, a cafe will involve an investment of anywhere between Rs 18-25 lakh (Rs 1.8-2.5 million) which the company will fund through internal accruals.
If everything goes well, the first of the 50 planned CCD cafes abroad will open next month, she said, adding that names of the locals had not been disclosed as due diligence had been on to zero in on the proposed cities.
She said the investment in cafes abroad will be around the same as in the ones in India or even less since the rental was much higher in cities like Mumbai and Delhi.
Rent of the premises ranged between 8-15 per cent of the total investment in a coffee cafe, she added.
Sen Gupta said of the CCD 50 cafes expected to open in India this year, 25 were in north India including 11 in the NCR (National Capital Region).
"We already have a very strong presence in the south and are now focusing on north India," she said, adding that even though CCD is eyeing a global profile, has ventured into concepts like music and book cafes and is by far the largest coffee-cafe chain in the country.