Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Wing Zone have signed a 50-unit agreement with Village Food Courts to expand the brands to the Republic of India.
Spearheaded by VFC principles Deepak Kumar Sharma and Suraj Arora, the deal calls for both brands to exclusively open within VFC’s food court venues and select delivery kitchens over the next five years, according to a company press release. Village Food Courts include a virtual reality arcade, regional delicacies and sweets, QSR brands offering burgers, coffee, ice cream and pizza, a weekly farmers’ market, a bakery, cold press juices and spices, a honey studio and a convenience store.
“Over the past decade, Indians have begun experimenting with different international cuisines and there is a great demand for high-quality American brands to offer world-class food options to consumers,” Arora said in the release. “Capriotti’s and Wing Zone fit perfectly into our growing portfolio of premium food concepts and with our aggressive development plans, we plan to scale quickly to offer Indian consumers authentic hand-crafted sandwiches and chicken wings.”
The deal marks the first international agreement in Capriotti’s history and will grow Wing Zone’s international presence from its 30 non-U.S. locations. Already the fifth-largest economy of the world, India’s population will become the global leader next year, leaving the country primed for premium food brands to make their mark on the evolving Indian food scene, Arora said. Currently, the food and beverage industry accounts for 3% of India’s GDP and remains the largest employer in the country.
“We are very excited to be working with such a great team to expand both the Capriotti’s and Wing Zone brands together throughout the Republic of India,” David Bloom, chief development and operating officer for Capriotti’s and Wing Zone. “We have been working closely with VFC for many months to ensure we are prepared to develop successfully and aggressively throughout the region. Deepak, Suraj and the entire Village Food Courts team are, no doubt, going to be the very best partners to help us expand our footprint outside the U.S.”
Las Vegas-based Capriotti’s, which acquired Wing Zone in 2021, plans to grow the sandwich shop to 500 locations and Wing Zone to 200 by 2025.
