The Irish House Aims 20 Outlets by the End of This Year

THE IRISH House which is currently spread across Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Belagavi and thane has just entered Delhi and is looking to expand into key neighbourhoods starting with Nehru Place, Connaught Place and Mall of India. “We're also expanding with two new outlets in BKC (Mumbai) and Koregaon Park (Pune). We aim to have presence across all major cities in India with 20 outlets by the end of this year,” said Karan Kapur, Executive Director, K Hospitality Corp.

K Hospitality Corp launched the first Irish House in 2011 in Mumbai. As of today, there are 16 Irish Houses present across the country (the Nehru Place, Delhi outlet being the 16th one) with plans to spread across numerous neighbourhoods around the country.

According to Kapur, the USP of The Irish House includes an ambience that captures the spirit of traditional pubs back in grand old Ireland and emulates that same welcoming feel. Adding to it, he said, “We’re known for our brilliant ambience; amazing collection of music; unique specialty cocktails; large screens for sports; community size and quality food; weekly, monthly and annual events to constantly bring something new and unique to our guests; and most importantly, enthusiastic and friendly service.”

Speaking about the F&B market, Kapur said, “We’ve seen technology and the internet playing a stronger part in allowing customers to share their experiences with others, interact and engage with the brands they like, and provide feedback that would help move the brand forward. This momentum is going to pick up further over time, with information empowerment to consumers to allow them to make better and more educated choices for their dining decisions.”

Kapur believes that the system of license procurement and getting access to good quality real estate is the most pressing issue while establishing a brand in the hospitality market. “Another concern is the high rents which makes it challenging to sustain the business for many new comers over the entire lease period, causing a high churn in the industry,” he said.