Hotplate injects US$500k into expansion drive

FAST food concern, Hotplate Grillhouse, has injected close to US$500 000 into an expansion drive that will see the business opening outlets across the Sadc region.

The fast foods chain targets to open an outlet in Lesotho, and three locally in Victoria Falls, Kadoma and Harare by December this year. Speaking in an interview Hotplate Grillhouse director, Mr Benson Muneri, said they are on an expansion drive that will see the operation having 20 branches by year-end, up from the current 16.

“We currently have set up 16 outlets countrywide and next Monday we will be opening one branch in Kadoma and the other branch in Victoria Falls in November.

“Before end of December, we will be opening a branch in Harare and the other in Lesotho. A minimum of US$100 000 is needed in setting up each of the branches,” said Mr Muneri.

He said extending their footprint outside Zimbabwe is a business growth strategy they have adopted.

“As a company, we have strategies that we have put in place in terms of growing the economy nationally and regionally, this is why we are growing our wings outside the country. The idea behind the spreading of our tentacles to other areas is on account that we have also been well received by Zimbabweans.

“We appreciate their support hence we have seen it necessary to go to many other towns and reinforce our brand presence in the country and beyond. This has also been necessitated by the demand for African cuisine across Sadc countries,” said Mr Muneri.

Hotplate Grillhouse now boosts of over 350 employees in Zimbabwe.
The company has 13 outlets in Harare, two in Bulawayo and one in Ngezi.

Of the 13 in Harare, one was donated to First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation as a means to help source funding for projects that will assist the girl child and vulnerable persons.-The Herald