Snapshots of Food Industry News
Tata Starbucks launches mobile payment option
Tata Starbucks has recently launched multiple payment options through its mobile app, making it the first major retailer to offer a mobile payment option. Starbucks already has a robust global digital footprint in place and this move will fast track payments in Tata Starbuck’s outlets. Customers will be able to pay for their in-store purchases conveniently besides earning loyalty points. The move also represents the beverage company’s commitment to drive innovation and also provide an exceptional yet convenient experience at the stores.
Mobile payment options include ‘Scan to Pay’ option which basically allows customer to scan the barcode. They can also use the ‘Shake to Pay’ feature where they merely shake their mobile device for a convenient payment through the registered Starbucks Card. Another option is the use of the virtual Starbucks card which can be generated and reloaded directly from their mobile device. The mobile app has a card registration feature and is enabled for balance transfer from one card to another and customers can view their transaction history. The mobile app will help Tata Starbuck meet the needs of their customers and will also help the company to serve customers seamlessly.
SastaSundar.com launches organic green tea products
The digital health company SastaSundar has launched a new range of organic green tea for the growing wellness market. These exclusive tea blends will be marketed under the Healthbuddy brand. The company sources the finest teas from the Arya Tea Estate which have been produced by pure organic farming methods. The operations of this tea garden are certified USDA organic and are completely chemical free. It is experimenting with green tea variants has led the company to produce tea for various health benefits like weight loss, blood sugar reduction, healthy skin.
The organic tea will be available in variants like honey, tulsi and lemongrass. Arya Tea Company manufactures an estimated 60,000 kg of tea annually on 125 hectares. SastraSundar was able to bring in revenues of Rs.28 lakh in 2016 from the tea business alone. The blending unit and laboratory both work towards making a well-tested tea. The company will sell the products through the online as well as offline mode at its Healthybuddy centres across the state. The digital marketplace website offers a range of 41 varieties of tea in the organic, black and flavoured tea category.
FreshMenu.com launches #MissionGoodFood
FreshMenu.com, a leading online restaurant, launched #MissionGoodFood. This campaign will help discover the finest ingredients and flavours that go into making the dishes Indian’s love. Covering five South Indian cities, FreshMenu will visit food joints, dhabas, fine dining restaurants and even residences of home cooks. The move has got great impetus on social media and with the people’s suggestion the FreshMenu team will run the campaign in Mysuru, Hubbali and Tumakuru all in Karnataka, Palakkad in Kerala and Vellore in Tamil Nadu as well as Goa and Puducherry. . The move strengthened Freshmenu.com’s belief in telling a great culinary story.
Sandeepa and Chetan the travel aficionados and foodies, collaborated with FreshMenu for this mission. Suggestion on social media helped them plan their itinerary. At every eatery stop they gathered interesting stories about the chefs, ingredients and people who made these accessible to the duo. The two foodies’ culinary experience was not limited to best dishes, recipes, ingredients but to great food conversations. The ingredients they collected will help curate signature dishes for FreshMenu.com. The portal is always looking to add exciting dishes to their menu, inspired by cuisines from across the globe.
In the next two years T’Pot Cafe aims to open 75 more outlets
T’Pot Cafe, known for serving a wide variety of herbal teas, white teas, black teas and ice teas, is looking to expand its retail presence. In India, tea market is 8 times bigger than coffee and T’Pot Café is looking to tap into this ever growing market. T’Pot Café was set up in 2013 and after getting clarity about the tea market and the business model that suits them; the company is looking to expand, now that they are in a stable position. Currently, T’Pot has 25 outlets in Delhi/NCR and around 10 more outlets are in the pipeline. After demonetization the liquid flow is back in the market and so the company is in expansion mode and will have a total of 50 outlets in next 3-4 months and by March 2018 they hope to take the count to 100 outlets.
Their future goal is to have 500 outlets by 2020. The third round of the present funding will go into expansion and building a team that will run the operations. The cafe, that specialises in Chai-Nashta segment, is based on COCO model and currently there are no plans to go the franchise way.
The Chai Nashta segment is unorganised and they have taken the opportunity to build a strong foundation in this segment in Delhi/NCR region. T’Pot sees opportunities in Tier II and Tier III cities where T’Pot Cafe can provide a place to hang out in and also have good quality food at affordable prices. They are also looking at transit points for expansion and have outlets at Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station and Phase 3 Metro Station at Gurugram.
Subway to open 100 outlets in 2017
Submarine sandwich restaurant chain Subway is planning to open around 100 outlets over the next 12 months and will target new states to expand its footprint. Its expansion plans will include metro as well as non-metro locations. Subway, which operates 600 outlets in over 70 cities in the country, is eyeing expansion in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The brand is also looking at strengthening their presence in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Major cities where Subway is planning to open new restaurants include Raipur, Gwalior, Ajmer, Jabalpur and Nagpur, among others. Since the brand’s business is 100 per cent franchise-based the likely investment is difficult to figure out. Subway is also ramping up its delivery network by partnering with prominent food aggregators and is also working on mobile ordering system in India.
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