Curefoods plans to open around 50 Sbarro outlets in the next three years, starting with Karnataka. “The expansion will consist of a mix of walk-in outlets and cloud kitchens to ensure maximum customer reach. As a result of this partnership, the first Curefoods-owned Sbarro outlet is set to open in Bengaluru within the next quarter," the company said in an announcement on Thursday.

Sbarro is an American pizza chain—currently present in 630 locations across 28 countries. The Sbarro brand first entered India in 2012. The chain’s master franchise rights in India are operated by Upper Crust Foods Pvt. Ltd. The addition will complement Curefoods’ multi-brand multi-kitchen model, helping them expand their customer base in the pizza category and further grow their production capacity, the start-up said.

Pizza, as a category, enjoys immense popularity in India—with large global and homegrown brands such as Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Oven Story among others.