VRO Hospitality set to acquire 90,000 sq ft of real estate for expansion

Indian hospitality chain VRO Hospitality is all set to acquire 90,000 sq ft of real estate as it expands nationally with new footprints in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Goa, Ooty, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Kochi.

VRO Hospitality, which owns more than ten popular fine dining brands, lounge bars and cafés, plans to open 27 new outlets across these cities. For this, the company is looking to take 50,000 sq ft on lease in Bengaluru, 4,000 sq ft in Ooty, 10,000 sq ft in Kolkata, 8,000 sq ft in Mumbai, and 3,0000 sq ft in Kochi, 8,000 sq ft in Hyderabad and 5,000 sq ft in Goa.

Started by two 29-year-olds, Dawn Thomas and Safdhar Adoor, and experienced restaurateur Sharath Rice, almost a decade back, VRO Hospitality owns brands such as Mirage, Taki Taki, Cafe Noir, Badmaash, One Night in Bangkok (ONIB), Plan B, Hangover and Tycoons.

With the next expansion drive, VRO Hospitality will grow its current portfolio to 50 outlets by the end of the year. The expansion plan represents VRO Hospitality’s roadmap to become a pan-India brand across various genres.

Sharath Rice, Director & Co-Founder, VRO Hospitality, commented on the expansion plan, “Our expansion plan represents one of the most important milestones in our history. Over the next six months, we will be introducing multiple new brand options in the markets of Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Ooty, Kochi and Kolkata. The coming few months present us with an opportunity to scale rapidly as we chase growth and profitability.”

As a part of the new expansion plan, VRO Hospitality will open new outlets of Taki Taki, Cafe Noir, Badmaash, One Night in Bangkok, Hangover, Plan B and Tycoons. Bengaluru will have 16 new outlets, while Ooty will witness the opening of Tycoons. In Bengaluru, seven new outlets of French café would be opened, three Hangover, two Plan B, three Badmaash and one ONIB. VRO will also enter Kerala by opening a new Café Noir in Kochi.

Laying out the plan for the year, Dawn Thomas, co-founder & CEO of VRO Hospitality, said, “Post the first lockdown, VRO Hospitality saw an opportunity to scale, grow and restructure the organisation completely, raise funds and acquire new brands. Now is an opportune moment to take these brands to newer markets. These new outlets will also help us to run 50-60 cloud kitchens and build a unique food and beverage platform with offline and online experiences.”

VRO is also set to bring four of its popular brands to Kolkata as it aims to chart a new course for its success. They have already identified properties in Park Street, Ballygunge and Salt Lake to launch Plan B, Hangover, Badmaash and its fine dining pan-Asian restaurant Taki Taki.

After successfully opening Café Noir and Taki Taki in Mumbai last year, VRO continues its expansion drive by opening Plan B, Hangover and ONIB in Bandra. Goa which saw the opening of Mirage, will also have a new ONIB.