KOCHI: Sanjeev Kapoor Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. (SKRPL), the chain of restaurants started by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, plans to open 50 outlets in the next few years under different brands mostly in West Asia and North America.

“We will open 31 restaurants in Saudi Arabia over five years. We also have plans to open premium restaurants in London and New York,’’ Sanjeev Kapoor, who was in Kochi to open his first restaurant in Kerala on Monday.

The group currently has 65 outlets under different brands in nine countries. Except its premium restaurants, SKRPL prefer to have a local partner in foreign countries. “ In India we have a mix of own and franchisee outlets,’’ Kapoor said.

His Yellow Chilli casual dining restaurant in Kochi has been opened in partnership with Aslam Abdul Rahman, who owns Rinz International Food Private Ltd. The two have jointly opened restaurant in Abu Dhabi.

“In UAE we have signed to open 11 restaurants of which seven have already become operational. In North America, we have plans to open 11 in the Greater Toronto Area,’’ he said.

In India, SKRPL has penetrated into tier 2 and 3 towns in the recent months. “ We have opened restaurants in Kohlapur, Siliguri etc.’’

Kapoor said his idea is to make the menu as pan-Indian as possible through continuous changes. “ At present it is little skewed to North Indian dishes. But we are trying to localise the dishes at different regions to the extent possible.’’

He said SKRPL will open two restaurants in Thiruvananthapuram and later expand to other parts of Kerala.