PizzaExpress opens its fifth Bengaluru store — a density strategy of going deep in one city before expanding

In September 2026, UK casual dining chain PizzaExpress opened its fifth Bengaluru store at Forum South Bengaluru, bringing its India store count to 40. Rather than scattering stores thinly across the whole country, going deep in one major city first and then expanding — this density-focused sequence of store openings shows the standard playbook for a foreign chain putting down roots in India. It's a reference point for Japanese dining and food brands thinking about how many stores it takes to lock down one city first.

Starting news: a fifth Bengaluru store brings India total to 40

According to a September 17, 2026 report by Restaurant India, PizzaExpress opened its fifth store in the city at Forum South Bengaluru, bringing its total India store count to 40. Within Bengaluru, it already has stores at Indiranagar, Orion Mall, and Phoenix Mall of Asia, among others. Its signature items include dough balls, its thin, large, crisp Romana pizza, and hand-made pasta. Gourmet pizzas for two start at 495 rupees (as of September 2026, based on the ≈¥1.66 per rupee rate, approximately 820 yen). It is open daily from 11:30 AM to 11:30 PM, offering both dine-in and delivery.

Background: a heritage chain founded in London in 1965, now in 13 countries

PizzaExpress was born on Wardour Street in London in 1965, and is a heritage chain with more than 330 stores in the UK, operating in 13 countries. It puts quality front and center with ingredients such as passata made from San Marzano tomatoes from Parma, Italy, and a Calabrese pizza created by a Michelin-starred chef. Rohan Pewekar, group CEO of GIHG, which runs its India operations, said Bengaluru is a strategically important market for the company, while brand CEO Kumar Asit stressed that everything starts with quality ingredients and careful craftsmanship.

The aim of building up store count in one city first

Concentrating 5 of the nationwide total of 40 stores in the single city of Bengaluru means a density strategy of firmly securing one city's trade area before moving on, rather than spreading thin across the map. Having multiple stores in the same city creates economies of scale in awareness, delivery efficiency, and ingredient supply lot sizes, and also makes it easier to keep the brand experience consistent. Choosing between high-traffic locations within the city, such as Indiranagar and malls, to draw customers from both residential and commercial areas — this differentiated use of locations within a city is the practical substance of the density strategy.

How it is being received locally and in the industry

Restaurant India reported this store opening as a milestone marking the fifth Bengaluru store and 40th store in India, and introduced comments from both co-CEOs of operator GIHG. Within the scope of the report, the year India operations began and the investment amount for this opening are not disclosed. The brand emphasizes Bengaluru's strategic importance and the quality of its ingredients and craftsmanship, showing a stance of choosing a city and raising density rather than simply chasing a store count.

Implications for Japanese companies: building density before spreading

When expanding dining in India, rather than opening sporadically across the country, gathering the number of stores needed in one city first to build density is more efficient for both supply and awareness. Looking at this alongside the moves of foreign pizza chains re-entering India and rebuilding their store networks (Papa John's re-enters India with ghee roast pizza), and the model of foreign QSRs entering full-scale through franchising (German Doner Kebab opens its first India store in Bengaluru), it becomes clear that how a city is chosen and how density is built differs by brand. Japanese dining and food brands can keep their supply chain and staffing design from drifting by deciding early, at the start of entry, "which city, and with how many stores, to lock down."

Ripple effects on the market: density within a city drives repeat procurement of ingredients

The more stores concentrate in the same city, the more the same ingredients and materials need to be procured repeatedly. As with the case of a Chinese-style QSR raising density toward a 50-city scale (Chinese Wok, a Chinese QSR chain, reaches its 50th city), multi-store expansion demands a stable supply of raw materials and packaging. For Japanese food businesses handling ingredients where quality is key, such as Italian tomatoes, chains with high density within a city can become an entry point for repeat orders.

Practical information and related links

• Papa John's re-enters India with ghee roast pizza
• German Doner Kebab opens its first India store in Bengaluru
• Wow! Momo opens 80 stores in 4 months of the new fiscal year, passing 780 stores

Summary: build a "target store count per city" into your store-opening plan

PizzaExpress's structure of 40 stores nationwide and 5 in Bengaluru concretely shows a store-opening sequence that builds density before spreading. For Japanese dining and food brands considering entering India, the implication is clear. As a next step, it's worth building a density target — "how many stores to lock down per city" — into the store-opening plan, not just a nationwide total store target, and designing a differentiated use of locations such as residential areas versus malls within the first city targeted.

Sources

• Restaurant India｜PizzaExpress opens fifth Bengaluru outlet, takes India store count to 40