COVID-19 impact: With screens shut, cinema chain Carnival sets up cloud kitchen at its theatres

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Multiplex chain operator Carnival Cinemas is setting up cloud kitchens at 100 of its theatres across the country, as it looks to generate revenues even as the screens are shut.

This will entail an investment of Rs 15 crore over the next two years.

In the first phase of the four-phased expansion, cloud kitchens have been set up at nine locations in five states.

This includes cloud kitchens in Huma Kanjur Marg theatre in Mumbai, Green Field and Kariyad in Kerala, Bengaluru and Belgaum in Karnataka, Nasrani Jodhpur, Galaxy Jaipur in Rajasthan, and Allahabad and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

In addition, eight more outlets will open in Mumbai and Pune in the next three months.

“There is a huge potential in the cloud kitchen segment and that too when we have a strong network of around 150 plus theatres in over 120 cities across India. So, we don’t need to invest in the biggest expense traditional restaurants deal with: real estate costs. Plus, this will generate employment for over 500 skilled workforces,” said Dr Shrikant Bhasi, Founder and Chairman, Carnival Group.

Fancy your theatre food at home?

Carnival is offering its in-cinema menu under the brands Movie Munches and Fresh Counter which includes popcorn, samosa, puffs, sandwiches, burgers, fries, nuggets, among others.

Overall, the group is offering food from five brands including Purple Canteen (Non-Veg), Green Canteen (Pure Veg) and Red Bubble Café.

Catering to people living close to Carnival theatres, the group has partnered with online food aggregators Swiggy and Zomato.

Carnival Group also claims that one of its food brands Purple Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd.’s cloud kitchen concept follows the 100 percent contactless preparation method which was devised during COVID 19.

Using this method, staff members of the central kitchen facility do not come in direct contact with the ingredients that go into the dishes with bare hands.

We will add more brands to our cloud kitchen portfolio in the near future as per the consumption and demand patterns, said Sony Ravindranath, Director & CEO (F&B), Carnival Group.