A part of Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company (ABCTCL), Cafe Coffee Day now operates 1,100 outlets in 170 cities in three formats --lounges, cafes and kiosks.
Ramakrishnan said that launch of lounge, the latest format, was in response to the customer demand. "Most of our customers have been associated with us from their teenage days, and as they grew up they felt the need to have something sophisticated and hence the lounge format was introduced."
The firm operates 20 CCD lounges, which will go up to 100 in the next two years, he said. However, he did not divulge investment, revenue or profitability details. There are 1,600 cafe chains in the organised space. With 1,100 outlets CCD is the largest, and it competes with the Luigi Lavazza-run Barista Lavazza chain, and Whitbread-operated Costa Coffee.
When asked how the company will safeguard its share in the segment with the iconic Starbucks planning to enter India, Ramakrishnan said, "There is enough room for many more."