Sudipta Dev – Mumbai

F&B is an important revenue generator in multiplex business, with the segment showing increased growth through the years, as per figures revealed by INOX. “Revenues from F&B has increased from Rs 14,167 lakh in 2013 to Rs 16,233 lakh in 2014. In 2015, it has increased to Rs 19,103 lakh,” said Daizy Lal, COO, INOX Leisure. INOX also has additional counters which are not part of REFUEL. These counters are outsourced to various companies and associate vendors and contribute about 10 per cent to the total F&B sales.

Lal believes that guests go to INOX not just to watch their favourite movie but also for the kind of experience they get while watching a movie. “We want to offer movie-buffs a lot more than just a good movie watching experience. Keeping this in mind, we have been continuously paying a lot of detailed attention to the food we offer at REFUEL (our in-house concessions counter). We strongly believe that only the best services and variety in F&B can bring in the audiences to our theatres,” stated Lal, pointing out that they take pride in their offerings of more than a 100 varieties in the menu to bring in a complete movie viewing experience.

Foreseeing a huge potential in this segment, INOX recently introduced a number of services which are driven online to boost F&B growth. These include Queue busters (INOX representatives with handheld devices take orders from guests waiting in queue, which gets delivered in a ‘fast forward’; and bluetooth based application that provides movie goers with real-time information on special offers and discounts. “This facility is launched in Nariman Point and Malad, Mumbai and will be extended to other cities soon,” added Lal.

All products sold in REFUEL is managed by INOX and sourced from associates. “These products like sandwiches, pizzas, samosas etc. are made with INOX recipes customised by our in-house chef. Stringent quality checks are conducted before the products are ready to be served. We have associated with different vendors to give our guests a wider choice,” she said. The menu is changed regularly to prevent menu fatigue. The company has a reputed chef on board who curates the menu keeping in mind the palette of the local consumer. “We have realised that the recipe of a samosa in Mumbai differs a lot to the one in Jaipur or Kolkata,” said Lal.

INOX recently launched Insignia lounge in Pune. The special features are: butler service through a call button installed in the seat; service on seats; highly experienced and trained chefs; expansive choice of food; live counters; mini meals; mocktails and flavoured coffee; dedicated chefs.