K Hospitality plans 40 new restaurants, prioritising company-owned operations

K Hospitality has outlined plans to open around 40 restaurants in the current financial year, taking its restaurant network to 100 outlets. For those considering franchise opportunities in India, the key detail is how the group intends to expand: it is currently prioritising company-owned operations. The group also expects network-wide sales could reach INR 60 billion by the 2029–30 financial year.

The sales target and what it covers

In a PTI report published on 28 October, Karan Kapur, Executive Director of K Hospitality Corp and Kliff Ventures, set out the group’s growth plans. According to Kapur, network-wide sales were approximately INR 35 billion in the 2025–26 financial year. This figure includes sales from both company-owned establishments and those run by independent franchisees or under licence.

The INR 60 billion target should therefore not be interpreted as sales from company-owned restaurants alone. It spans restaurants, institutional food services, quick-service restaurants and lounges. It is a network-wide sales measure, not an estimate of an individual outlet’s revenue or a franchise partner’s potential returns.

Kapur said he expected the group to grow at around 20 per cent over the next three years. Based on this indicative growth outlook, he suggested sales could reach INR 60 billion by 2029–30. This is a future target, not an achieved result. The group operates more than 120 brands across its three main business divisions, including Nando’s, Wagamama, Copper Chimney, Irish House and Bombay Brasserie.

Where the group plans to expand, and with which brands

The restaurant expansion will focus primarily on major metropolitan markets such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. Kapur said selected formats would also be introduced in other major cities, including Pune. The plan to add around 40 restaurants and bring the total to 100 applies to the current financial year.

At brand level, the company aims to roughly double its Nando’s outlet count to 36 this year. It also plans to add six to eight Copper Chimney restaurants and around six Wagamama restaurants. These are proposed additions, not confirmation that the outlets have already opened.

The group’s restaurant business is overwhelmingly focused on India. Kapur said approximately 99 per cent of this business is concentrated in the country, and the immediate priority is to strengthen its domestic presence. The announced restaurant plans therefore centre on Indian cities, while other parts of the group’s business also include international expansion.

Company-owned operations take priority over franchising

Although K Hospitality’s existing network-wide sales include franchised and licensed establishments, the company has chosen a company-owned model for its latest expansion strategy. Kapur said this would help maintain more direct control over quality, operations, the supply chain and the customer experience.

While acknowledging the benefits of franchising, he said consistency across restaurants was particularly important at the current stage of growth. The announcement should therefore not be viewed as a broad invitation to franchise new restaurants. For now, the company’s clear emphasis is on operating them itself.

For prospective franchise investors in India, it is important to distinguish between the presence of franchises in a group’s existing business and the ownership model chosen for its next phase of expansion. They need not be the same. News of a growing network does not, by itself, confirm that new opportunities are available to independent franchisees.

Food services also feature in the growth plans

The group’s growth plans extend beyond restaurants. Kapur also identified travel-related quick-service restaurants and lounges as a priority. This expansion is being pursued through Travel Food Services at airports in India and overseas.

A third priority is banqueting, catering and institutional food services. The company is expanding its presence in food services for corporate parks and events. These activities must also be considered when assessing the group’s sales target; the number of new restaurants alone does not tell the whole story.

Practical takeaway: Before treating a major group’s expansion announcement as an investment opportunity, prospective franchise investors should clarify the relevant brand’s ownership model and whether partnership opportunities are available. K Hospitality’s current expansion plans prioritise company-owned operations.