Drunken Monkey, a smoothie chain established in Hyderabad, is preparing to expand internationally, with plans to open over 50 locations in three countries, primarily in the West and Southeast Asia.
However, by the end of the fiscal year 2022, it plans to open 200 smoothie bars. The company’s growth strategy also includes the introduction of new smoothies with a longer shelf life that may be sold in Indian supermarkets.
Drunken Monkey was founded in 2016 and is now present in 57 cities across India, with a turnover of INR 60 crore in 2020-2021. Except for two company-owned stores, the rest are all franchisees.
“We want to make smoothie bars a trend in India so that the youth can see it as a place of leisure accompanied with healthy food. We are now on a mission to spread our wings to multiple areas,” said Samrat Reddy, the founder and MD, Drunken Monkey.
“I want to start a subscription model for smoothies and make smoothies a part of everyday life. Smoothies are like fruits packed in a bottle,” he added. He believes that once people get hooked on smoothies, the market will boom.
The brand’s position as a pioneer in the natural smoothie market was secured by effective use of the ‘first-mover advantage.’ The firm sources all of its ingredients locally, but it also has personnel in each city to ensure smooth operations.
However, for the brand, establishing a pan-India presence, which requires dealing with perishable and seasonal fruits and vegetables, has been a difficult task. The corporation conducts audits regularly to ensure uniformity and quality of its items across all its outlets around the country.
Drunken Monkey now sells its products as a single smoothie or a bowl, with prices ranging from NR 80 to INR 200. While the brand does not specify a certain age or gender for its target customer, its language and strategy are more geared toward 18 to 35-year-olds.
