Invest in food biz, the Goan way

Goa Portuguesa is a paradise for epicures who love Goan food. The brand is expanding via franchise path across India. Sudeep Awchat, Executive Director, Goa Portuguesa Restaurants Pvt. Ltd spoke to Ekta Sharma Verma on his brand’s USP and why franchisees should associate with Goa Portuguesa.

Brief us on the foundation and concept of your brand.

My mother, Author and Master Chef Deepa Suhas Awchat hails from the wonderful land of Goa. During the late 80’s my parents realised that there was not a single restaurant in Mumbai which served authentic Goan food. That worked as a motivation for my parents and Goa Portuguesa was started on 3rd December 1988. My father, Founder and MD, Dr. Suhas Awchat, and my mother shared a common passion to start a fine dine restaurant serving Goan food with live music in a Goan bungalow like ambience. They built up the brand step by step without knowing how brands are made or grown.

What is the USP of your brand?

Goa Portuguesa has been in the industry since 25 years. The brand offers unique Goan and Portuguese Cuisine in a Goan bungalow like ambience with live Goan music. We boast of being amongst the very few restaurants that do that on a fine dining level.  

What kind of training and support do you provide for your franchisees?

The success of a Goa Portuguesa franchise lies in its training. The Corporate Team at Goa Portuguesa is equipped with highly skilled and experienced trainers. Training is conducted in four stages namely prepare, present, attempt and improve (PPAI). The trainers train the franchisees about all aspects involved around the brand. Culinary and F&B Service are the core areas of focus during training. The franchisees are provided with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for kitchen, service and general guidelines. These SOP’s are reviewed and upgraded every six months.

Are there any benefits for the franchisees by associating with your brand.

Goa Portuguesa has all the elements required for any franchise to be successful. The brand has won accolades in India and abroad. All the recipes and operational procedures are standardised setting a good benchmark for others to follow. Addition of new dishes to the menu, organising food festivals, theme nights, etc. also forms part of the benefits the franchisee enjoys.

What all parameters do you follow before opening your restaurant at a particular location?

Once we receive an enquiry from a prospective franchisee, we get in touch with them and get the ‘Franchise Consideration Form’ filled. This helps us know our prospective franchisee. Our corporate team then visits the location and does an examination of the place. During this process our main concern is to make sure that the area suggested by the franchisee is suitable for a restaurant setup. Once the location is finalised, the final franchisee agreement is prepared and given to the franchisee. After signing the agreement our team helps the franchisee setup the restaurant within a period of three months.

Kindly share the brand’s further expansion plans in India and other countries.

We plan to open at least 25-30 units pan-India and abroad over the next five years.

How many outlets do you plan to open in 2014 and where?

We plan to open at least 4-5 units by December 2014. We are in talks with a few investors from Pune, Bengaluru, Goa, Kolkata and Dubai.

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