Eros Group, a top consumer electronics group in the Gulf, plans to open up to four new outlets of Baguette Express, a Scottish franchise, in the UAE, adding to the four company-owned stores in Dubai, a top official said.

“The great thing about the Baguette Express concept is the sheer variety.  We not only offer a huge range of sandwiches, fillings and sauces but we also have soups, salads, pizza and pastas,” explained Niranjan Gidwani, deputy CEO of the Eros Group in Dubai.

“We also have a casual dining option in the evening which brings a whole new dimension to the business.  Dubai is very diverse with over 200 nationalities working and living here.  We have therefore adapted the menu to global tastes introducing new recipes such as the chicken tikka baguette, for example,” he added.

“The support from the franchisor has been great.  Whenever we opened they seconded someone from head office to spend 2-3 weeks in Dubai to ensure all the systems and procedures were set up correctly,” Gidwani said.

“It is a great opportunity to exchange ideas and learn what works in established franchised outlets.   We acknowledged that our limited experience of the food and beverage sector could be a disadvantage so we have employed a highly experienced general manager who managed hotels for the Jumeirah and Oberoi hotel groups, two of the leading hotel groups in the region.   He is also a qualified chef so he is constantly developing new menu suggestions to enhance our offering.”

“The Baguette Express brand is growing in importance all the time and is rapidly reaching a point of critical mass.  Once this happens we will be looking to recruit franchisees to start up more Baguette Express outlets throughout the Gulf Region,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Express