TGI Fridays focuses on value-for-money offers, expansion in metros.

At a time when the restaurant industry is reeling under the impact of slowdown, Bistro Hospitality, the regional franchisee of American casual bar and restaurant chain-TGI Fridays in India, is looking at focused expansion in metros and value-for-money offers for its consumers.

Bistro Hospitality, which runs 11 TGI Fridays restaurants in the country, is a joint venture between Carlson Hospitality (owners of TGI Fridays globally) and Rajan Jetley. Talking about expansion, his son Rohan Jetley, who heads operations of Bistro Hospitality said, 'I really don't want to open our restaurants in new cities or areas just to have a first-mover advantage because it is too much of a risk. I want to go to a city where there are like-minded brands like mine, which are sustaining, like restaurants with an investment of about Rs. 5 crore. So, while we are focusing on more growth in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, our next three openings will be in Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata.'

For now, Bistro Hospitality will focus on opening two new restaurants a year.

The restaurant industry has been facing challenges for the past two years due to less discretionary spending by consumers as well as growing competition.

Also, with a lot of private equity money coming in, players have been chasing the idea of quick expansion in new cities, which has not always been sustainable, say analysts.

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