Jamba, the California-born smoothie and cafe brand is looking to enter the India market

Focus Brands LLC., the franchisor behind iconic American quick-service restaurant brands such as Cinnabon, Carvel and Auntie Anne’s is exploring partnerships to expand their presence in India. Partnering with FranGlobal, leading market entry specialists, Focus Brands is concentrating on introducing into the Indian market Jamba (previously Jamba Juice), a smoothie and wellness cafe concept, Carvel, a New York soft-serve ice cream concept, and Auntie Anne’s, a freshly baked pretzel concept.

Founded in California in 1990, Jamba is one of the United States’ leading smoothie cafes and was acquired by and given a complete brand refresh by Focus Brands in 2018. With health and wellness being the core of their, this brand is now leading Focus Brands’ international expansion.

“The Indian guest is increasingly demanding more aspirational and healthy food and drinks and we feel Jamba is a natural fit in the market” says Steven Yang, Focus Brands Managing Director of Asia.  India being one of the world’s top marketplaces for well-known as well as aspirational brands, it can be rightly considered a natural fit for India’s affluent consumer base.

While the specialty food products in the Focus Brands portfolio are American-born and bred, Focus Brands recognizes the need to team up with local franchises to customize their product offerings to integrate regional flavours while maintaining the standard international taste. Franchisee partners maintain the core products and essence of each brand, but are given the freedom to experiment with menu offerings or store design to better meet the local needs.

Cinnabon, the freshly baked cinnamon roll and specialty coffee bakery, has been in India since 2013 with over 20 stores across the country. Besides Jamba, Focus Brands has also singled out Carvel and Auntie Anne’s as having the greatest immediate potential for expansion within India. In total, they franchise 8 brands, including the Mexican Restaurant Moe’s Southwestern Grill, the deli Schlotzsky’s, the deli McAlister’s Deli, and in select markets, the cafe Seattle’s Best Coffee.

“While Focus Brands does not have a set goal for the number of stores in India, we hope to have our major brands represented in all the major cities in the coming years.” notes Yang. “While Jamba, Carvel, and Auntie Anne’s are the brands we feel could have the most immediate impact, we are open to discussing franchise opportunities with our other brands as well.”

Focus Brands’ driving force is supporting their franchisee partners in making their business a success. They have a team of experts in Operations, Store Development, Supply Chain, and Marketing in their head office in Atlanta and also have international offices to support partners in their local markets. Focus Brands is the franchisor or operator of nearly 4,000 stores in the United States and nearly 1,000 stores in 60+ international markets.

Ms. Venus Barak, CEO, FranGlobal, said, “India, with a large consumption market and demand for aspirational product offerings, especially in the fast-growing F&B sector, presents a great opportunity for business expansion through Franchising”. FranGlobal’s tailor-made franchise consulting services and solutions will help assist Focus brand to have a stronger foothold in the Indian market.

FranGlobal is the international business arm of Asia’s leading franchising solutions firm – Franchise India Holdings Limited (FIHL). FranGlobal plays a crucial part in working with various global corporations to help them enter and expand in India and other topographies, favorably and profitably. FranGlobal, together with Focus Brands, envisions a prosperous business journey together to establish their Indian footprint.