Pakistani café brand Naan Staap has ambitions to reach 20 sites by the end of 2025, according to founder Zohaib Shahnawaz.
The stuffed naan concept, which also offers a range of South Asian street food and desi karak chaah (chai), says it sees potential for substantial growth through franchising.
“I don’t see why in the next two, three years that this won’t be an international brand”, Shahnawaz tells MCA.
The business, which was founded in 2018, will consider expansion in the Middle East, America and Canada and is already receiving international franchise enquiries, but will focus its immediate efforts in London and the rest of the UK.
“The model is so convenient that we can open anywhere in the UK right now,” he adds, with plans to reach the 10 site mark by the end of 2024.
The brand looks towards two further openings in the next month, expanding outside of its base in East London.
It recently opened in Harrow, its sixth site in the capital and first not in east London or the City itself.
Naan Staap is also in conversation with potential franchisees in cities including Bradford, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.
“The growth for the brand is going to get quite crazy over the next 12 months. We’re getting inundated with requests, and it’s about trying to find the right franchise partners at the moment.”
Shahnawaz describes “high footfall” locations with good transport accessibility as being well suited to the brand, which is looking to grow its consumer base outside of the South Asian community.
“We can open anywhere because our food quite diverse, and focusing on the Asian community is not sufficient.
“It is a unique concept, and a trendsetter,” Shahnawaz says, describing the “artisan” positioning of the product, which is made freshly in each Naan Staap store.
“When we started this business, I realised that nobody in London or in the UK is doing justice to the naan itself.
“Here they are predominantly less crispy, with less flavour than we get back home. So we looked to fill this gap. It’s something that no one has seen in the UK marketplace.”
