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Mark Pi plans 240 new Chinese restaurants in India
Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI: Promising to serve low-cost wholesome food, US-based Chinese food major Mark Pi is planning 240 new outlets in India in five years.
"We are targeting every metro, mini-metro, all major highways and even smaller towns like Dehradun, Kanpur and Muradabad," Mark Pi India CEO Karana Verma told IANS.
"Chinese is the second largest selling cuisine in India after Indian food," said Verma. "The demand is huge."
The 
5-billion ($107 million) chain entered India in March 2004 with two 30-seat restaurants in New Delhi's Saket and the Noida suburb.
The big idea, said Verma, was to sell cheap, wholesome meals of international hygiene standards.
The most expensive meal at Mark Pi is just above 100 (two dollars) and the cheapest is 10 -- the price of a plate of white rice.
"In India, Chinese meals are either very expensive, exclusive affairs, or, which is the main mass market, greasy, a lot of times non-hygienically prepared, noodles or momos," said Verma.
"I'm saying I can give international quality, full meals that are not junk food, at very cheap prices. Even the food trailers on Delhi roads sell at higher prices than me.
"Look at momos - in Delhi chicken momos cost around 50-60 (over $1) a plate, and many times the chicken served has pork mixed in it. I maintain international standards and serve pure chicken in my momos, eight pieces a plate and it costs 49.
"Mark Pi is cheaper than Pizza Hut, McDonald's and I'm not offering burgers and fries. My business plan is that in India a lot of people would prefer full meals to fast food if the price and the quality are good," added Verma.
Mark Pi restaurants have a turnaround time of 20 minutes and it takes about three minutes to serve a meal. The target is everybody, said Verma.
"I want the office lunch crowd, the family dinner crowd, the takeaway crowd, the young diners - just about everyone.
"I want to ask people if I can give you steaming white rice at 10 a plate, why do you want to make it at home?
"I sell vegetable soups for 15, chicken soups for 20, even if you buy a packet from the market and make soup at home, the total cost would probably be higher."
The Ohio-based company has about 50 outlets in the US and its owner, China-born Mark Pi, came to Chicago with $50 in 1972 and started the group, which is now among the top five Chinese restaurant chains in the US.
He holds a record in the Guinness Book as the world's fastest human noodle maker - 4,096 noodles in 41.34 seconds.
Once Mark Pi travelled over 64,000 km across America tasting Chinese food to research for his restaurants - and Verma wants to keep up that attention to local taste.
"While we are serving authentic Chinese dishes like Kung Pao, a spicy vegetarian and non-vegetarian dish made with chili pepper and peanuts in almond sauce, we also have Indian favourites like Sweet and Sour Chicken, garlic sauce and Manchurian."
Source: IANS
5-billion ($107 million) chain entered India in March 2004 with two 30-seat restaurants in New Delhi's Saket and the Noida suburb.
The big idea, said Verma, was to sell cheap, wholesome meals of international hygiene standards.
The most expensive meal at Mark Pi is just above 100 (two dollars) and the cheapest is 10 -- the price of a plate of white rice.
"In India, Chinese meals are either very expensive, exclusive affairs, or, which is the main mass market, greasy, a lot of times non-hygienically prepared, noodles or momos," said Verma.
"I'm saying I can give international quality, full meals that are not junk food, at very cheap prices. Even the food trailers on Delhi roads sell at higher prices than me.
"Look at momos - in Delhi chicken momos cost around 50-60 (over $1) a plate, and many times the chicken served has pork mixed in it. I maintain international standards and serve pure chicken in my momos, eight pieces a plate and it costs 49.
"Mark Pi is cheaper than Pizza Hut, McDonald's and I'm not offering burgers and fries. My business plan is that in India a lot of people would prefer full meals to fast food if the price and the quality are good," added Verma.
Mark Pi restaurants have a turnaround time of 20 minutes and it takes about three minutes to serve a meal. The target is everybody, said Verma.
"I want the office lunch crowd, the family dinner crowd, the takeaway crowd, the young diners - just about everyone.
"I want to ask people if I can give you steaming white rice at 10 a plate, why do you want to make it at home?
"I sell vegetable soups for 15, chicken soups for 20, even if you buy a packet from the market and make soup at home, the total cost would probably be higher."
The Ohio-based company has about 50 outlets in the US and its owner, China-born Mark Pi, came to Chicago with $50 in 1972 and started the group, which is now among the top five Chinese restaurant chains in the US.
He holds a record in the Guinness Book as the world's fastest human noodle maker - 4,096 noodles in 41.34 seconds.
Once Mark Pi travelled over 64,000 km across America tasting Chinese food to research for his restaurants - and Verma wants to keep up that attention to local taste.
"While we are serving authentic Chinese dishes like Kung Pao, a spicy vegetarian and non-vegetarian dish made with chili pepper and peanuts in almond sauce, we also have Indian favourites like Sweet and Sour Chicken, garlic sauce and Manchurian."
Source: IANS