the goan I network
MARGAO
A first of its kind along the Konkan Railway route, the Margao railway station now plays host to a food court “ which not only promises to offer food items by prominent brands and franchises, but also generate handsome revenue for the Corporation.
So far, Domino’s Pizza and Amul have set up shop at the station and on the anvil are restaurants offering Italian, American, Indian and Chinese cuisines and also a stall offering coffee and bakery items.
A brain child of KRC Chairman and managing director, the food court will offer a choice for the passengers, either boarding or alighting trains at the railway station. That’s not all. Set up at the far east corner of the railway station, the food court is not necessarily meant only for passengers. It has a separate entrance near the car parking lot, which will give access to neighbouring residents of Margao and Navelim to visit the stalls without entering the railway station.
Says Baban Ghatge, senior KRC official: “The food court at the station is the brainchild of our chairman and managing director. This is the first food court set up on the entire KR route with the objective of providing quality food.” On the revenue front, the KRC is set to rake in huge money via leasing out the food stalls for the big brands. Rough estimates have pegged the revenue to a whopping Rs 50-60 lakh per annum.
Ghatge said the contract is initially awarded to the stalls for a period of five years and can be extended by another four years based on satisfactory performance. As far as the remaining five food stalls are concerned, the KRC has invited prospective bidders who possess minimum experience of at least three years running stalls in malls, airports, multiplexes in India. The tender for the five stalls will be opened on January 11. “KRC will earn a revenue ranging between Rs 50-60 lakh per annum by leasing the food court stalls,” he added.
