Bira subsidiary to add pubs, brewery outlets in new markets as it aims for ₹200 crore revenue by FY26
Summary
B9 Beverages, which runs The Beer Cafe and Bira Taproom, plans to expand with the addition of 25 new outlets in new markets.
BTB Marketing, a wholly owned subsidiary of B9 Beverages Ltd, is targeting ₹200 crore in revenue by FY26 with plans to expand its popular beer chains and taproom outlets across cities.
The company aims to open 25 new outlets, with most of the growth set to come from The Beer Cafe chain, which has 51 locations nationwide, Rahul Singh, senior VP of the pubs & taproom division at B9 Beverages, told Mint.
The Beer Cafe has recovered after the pandemic setbacks when it shut over 15 stores. It now operates 40 company-owned outlets and 11 franchised ones. Bira Taproom has grown from two locations in 2021 to 10 in seven cities, Singh added.
The Beer Cafe offers bottled and fresh beer, alcoholic beverages, and food, while Bira Taproom serves only its own brewed beer and other alcoholic drinks.
“We will look at new markets in each of the existing states, like expanding to Mysore and Mangalore in Karnataka, and exploring cities like Thane and Nashik in Maharashtra. We are also targeting markets in Madhya Pradesh," Singh said.
Singh expects revenue to reach ₹125 crore by the end of FY25 and ₹200 crore by FY26. The pub chain, which was founded in 2012, scaled down from 40 company-owned outlets in 2019 to 25 in 2020 due to the pandemic. Revenue dropped to ₹84 crore in FY24 from ₹100 crore in FY19 following the closure of the outlets.
B9 Beverages reached an agreement with BTB Marketing in October 2022 to acquire 100% of The Beer Cafe’s shares. According to Bira's most recent filings in FY23 available on its website, BTB Marketing issued special shares valued at ₹718 each for a total transaction value of about ₹92 crore. In its most recent balance sheet, B9 Beverages reported revenue from operations of ₹824 crore and a net loss of ₹445 crore at the consolidated level.
Return on capital
"This pubs and taproom vertical is India's first large-scale, direct-to-consumer channel focused on beer. The Beer Cafe competes with bars across the country, offering the largest collection of beers under one roof," Singh added.
Bira Taproom, the brewery business, competes with Seven Rivers Brewing Company, a joint venture between AB InBev and Indian Hotels Company-run Taj Hotels, and independent breweries such as Effingut and Ironhill.
Singh said the return on capital for the pub outlets is expected in 12 to 24 months, while the brewery outlets are projected to see a return in 24 to 30 months. The cost of setting up a new outlet is between ₹1-3 crore, excluding rentals.
India’s beer consumption market – including those sold at vends – grew by 6.5% in 2023, with sales reaching over 31 million hectolitres, or about 400 million cases, according to the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies.
