Quick service restaurant (QSR) chain Kaati Zone is on a South India focused growth drive. The company is planning to set up 100 outlets, predominantly in Hyderabad and Chennai, in the next two to three years before looking at a pan-Indian presence.

At present, the company operates 15 outlets, majority of which are in Bangalore, and two in Mumbai. Going forward, Kaati Zone plans to take a one-zone-at-a-time strategy for expanding its footprint nationally.

Said Kiran Nadkarni, CEO of Kaati Zone, “Since our inception we have concentrated on Bangalore as part of our plan to grow region by region. Looking forward, we plan to set up 100 outlets — in the dining, express and kiosk formats.”

The company is gradually moving towards the franchisee model as it will help it to attain scalability, growth as well as help achieve better management, said Nadkarni.

The QSR industry in India is largely unorganised, with only 5 per cent of it being organised and dominated by international players such as Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, KFC, Domino's and Subway, as well as a select few domestic players. The organised sector is worth about Rs 2,500 crore.

“The potential for growth in this sector is immense and with the industry witnessing about 20 per cent year-on-year growth, we are hoping to grab a significant share going forward,” he said.

Further, Nadkarni said that once the company establishes its presence in the Indian market, it will look to foray into international markets.

“The plan is still on the drawing board right now, we are studying the markets abroad,” he said.