South Africa’s News Café in India

News Café, South Africa’s chain of premium cocktail bars made its first foray outside of the African continent when it opened its first restaurant in New Delhi, India’s capital city, in January 2010. Quite aptly for its origins, the restaurant is situated on Nelson Mandela Road in the affluent residential suburb of Vasant Kunj. The strategic location ensures proximity to the restaurant’s target clientele of expatriates and affluent Indians, many of whom reside in the vicinity. According to News Café General Manager (Restaurant Division) Alan van der Westhuizen, the chain aims to promote the cocktail culture in India.

News Café’s plans for India, and later China, puts it in the league of other popular South African restaurant chains like Nando’s, Steers, Spur and Chicken Licken which have established a firm footing in several countries around the world. While Nando’s with its Peri Peri Chicken is probably the most visible of South African brands internationally, Steers, which sells flame grilled burgers has a big presence in Africa and Southern Europe. Spur, which calls itself “the official restaurant of the South African family”, has 29 international outlets across Africa, the UK and Australia.

The New Delhi branch is the first of a total of 20 restaurants News Café plans to open across several cities in India. The remaining planned restaurants will be set up over a period of five years at a planned expenditure of up to 1 billion Indian rupees. Hyderabad, considered the pharmaceutical and ICT capital of India, will be the second city to see a branch of News Café, followed by Mumbai, the country’s commercial centre and its most populous city. For its India operations, News Café has partnered with Numbers Only, a multinational hospitality company with ample knowledge of, and experience in the Indian market.

The traditional decor of News Café has largely been preserved in its Indian offering, with some subtle accommodation of Indian taste in the use of vibrant colours. The menu has been altered a little to include some spicy local and other Asian favourites. The use of beef, which most Hindus do not consume, has been somewhat restricted, although not altogether forsaken due to demand from expatriates. Unlike the South African branches which open at 7:00 am, the 10:00 am opening time in India has resulted in a trimmed breakfast menu. Just weeks into its inception, the first branch was already attracting enthusiastic reviews from its patrons.