GFA offers pizza in a cone
Global Franchise Architects <GFA>, the Swiss owner of Coffee World and other brand fast-food and drink chains, yesterday announced the launch of its new branded pizza wrapped in a cone.
Named Conizza, the new pizza in a cone has been launched as a separate stand-alone brand. With prices between Bt95 and Bt135, the first Thai Conizza store was opened two months ago on the ground floor of the Siam Paragon shopping complex.
The launch of the cone-pizza restaurant is in line with GFA’s strategy to double the number of its branded restaurants in Thailand in the next four to five years.
The company ha 100 outlets in the Kingdom across eight diversified products and brands: Coffee World, New York 5th Avenue Deli, The Cream & Fudge Factory, Pizza Corner, The Donut Baker, and Golden pretzel, Juisomania and Conizza with one each.
“We have promoted Bangkok as our main global service centre for all research and development activities for our brand and product developments”, said Fred Mouawad, chairman and CEO.
He said the new of Asian Fusion restaurant brand would be launched locally by the end of next year.
GFA globally has 200 restaurants in 11 markets, of which 60 percent are corporate-owned and the rest franchised. About 80 percent of its outlets in Thailand are corporate-owned.
“We have set a substantial budget of about US$20 million <BT68 million> to invest in our corporate-owned stores over the next five years. A quarter of them will be in Thailand’, said Mouawad.
He added that the company expected to achieve its target of having 1,000 outlets globally in less than 10 years.
“We plan to open new 20 restaurants in Thailand in the next six to eight months. The opening of new prime locations both in Bangkok and upcountry, such as Central Pattaya Festival and Central Chaeng Wattana”, said Mouawad.
“We have seen an impact from the political instability of Thailand. However, we believe in the long term and are optimistic that things will improve.”
