With locations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Platform 65, a train theme restaurant chain, which opened its first location in November 2019, now wants to expand across the country, starting in the south gradually.
Though the restaurant serves standard multi-cuisine fare, the delivery technique to the table is distinctive and popular. After being ordered, the meal is made in the kitchen and then delivered on a miniature train. Perhaps in memory of pandemic times, the food arrives at your table undisturbed by anyone outside the kitchen—even the order is taken from a central place, thereby isolating guests.
Over six months, the company, led by co-founder Sarvesh Kumar, studied several concepts before arriving at the formula they now seek to spread across India as Platform 65, according to co-founder and managing director Sadgun Patha. “We opened our first branch at KPHB Hyderabad on November 27, 2019 and over the next two years, we opened five more branches across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
Franchisee-owned and company-operated or franchisee-owned and operated are the two models offered by the company. He went on to say that the company currently operates all of the restaurants that are currently open.
Patha said that his company had optimized every process and had a well-developed training programme for its 1,000-strong workforce. “At the end of the current financial year, we have six branches across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and the plan is to expand to five or six more restaurants by the end of 2022-23,” he said, adding that they were considering Bengaluru and Rajahmundry as two potential new locations.
Platform 65 Mini and the larger Platform 65 are the two concepts. Patha explained that the mini version requires 4000 to 5000 square feet of area and can seat 100 people, while the larger version requires 7000 square feet and can seat 170 to 180 people.
