Zafran Indian Kitchen
Zafran Indian Kitchen is a privately held restaurant chain operating five dine-in locations across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, serving authentic North-West Frontier cuisine to middle and upper-middle class mall shoppers under Landmark Food Limited.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Zafran Indian Kitchen does
Zafran Indian Kitchen is a full-service restaurant chain founded in 2010 in Dubai, UAE, operating five locations across the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The brand is owned by Landmark Food Limited and operated through Foodmark LLC, a division of the parent conglomerate. It specializes in authentic North-West Frontier cuisine, with signature dishes including Raan Zafran, Rampuri Biryani, and Prawn Coconut Curry, and targets middle to upper-middle class consumers who visit premium shopping malls. UAE sites are located at City Centre Mirdif (the original flagship since 2010) and Dubai Hills Mall (opened December 2023), while KSA operates three Riyadh locations at Nakheel Mall, The View Mall, and Prince Turki / Al Awwal Road. The brand has accumulated multiple industry recognitions including the BBC Good Food Middle East Award for Best Indian Restaurant, the What's On Dubai Award, and the Retail ME Food Service Award presented to Executive Chef Sajeev Chelattu.
The business operates dine-in, takeaway, and delivery services, with online ordering routed through Talabat (delivery) and table reservations handled through EatApp. The company's proprietary technology is limited to a marketing website (zafranrestaurants.com) and these third-party platform integrations; no proprietary digital ordering, loyalty, or operational system is disclosed. Menu pricing is not publicly disclosed; menus are distributed as downloadable PDFs split by market (UAE dine-in, KSA dine-in, Meal-for-2 packages for each market) plus a promotional Limited Time Menu.
Revenue is generated primarily through in-restaurant dining at mall locations, complemented by home/office delivery and takeaway orders processed via Talabat. The company is privately held, has no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A history, and reports a headcount in the 11–50 range, consistent with a small multi-unit operator reliant on shared back-office infrastructure provided by its parent conglomerate.
Zafran Indian Kitchen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zafran Indian Kitchen
- Legal name
- Foodmark LLC
- Website
- https://zafranrestaurants.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Zafran Indian Kitchen is a privately held restaurant chain operating five dine-in locations across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, serving authentic North-West Frontier cuisine to middle and upper-middle class mall shoppers under Landmark Food Limited.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zafran Indian Kitchen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indian Restaurants
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Casual Dining Restaurants (THAFACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)
Keywords
Where Zafran Indian Kitchen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubai
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices5 records
Markets served
Zafran Indian Kitchen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Service: Full-service restaurant dining experience at mall locations in UAE and KSA, featuring North-West Frontier cuisine with signature dishes like Raan Zafran, Rampuri Biryani, and Prawn Coconut Curry.
- Delivery and Takeout: Home and office delivery service via Talabat platform, providing restaurant-quality meals to customers outside the dine-in experience.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Zafran Indian Kitchen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zafran Indian Kitchen operates a casual dining restaurant chain serving authentic North-West Frontier cuisine across five mall-based locations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The chain offers dine-in experiences, home and office delivery through the Talabat platform, and table reservations via EatApp. Signature menu items include Raan Zafran, Rampuri Biryani, and Prawn Coconut Curry.
Product overview
Zafran Indian Kitchen operates as a restaurant chain offering dine-in, takeaway, and delivery services across five locations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The core offering consists of authentic North-West Frontier cuisine served in a contemporary dining setting, with signature dishes including Raan Zafran, Rampuri Biryani, and Prawn Coconut Curry. The company provides separate dine-in menus for UAE and KSA markets, as well as Meal for 2 packages. Online ordering is facilitated through the Talabat delivery platform, and table reservations are handled via the Eat App platform. The restaurant also offers limited-time promotional menu items.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dine-In Restaurant Service Full-service contemporary Indian dining experience at mall-based restaurant locations, specializing in authentic North-West Frontier cuisine with signature dishes like Raan Zafran, Rampuri Biryani, and Prawn Coconut Curry. Aimed at consumers seeking authentic Indian dining at shopping mall destinations.
- Online Food Ordering and Delivery Delivery service allowing customers to order food for home or office delivery through the Talabat online food ordering platform. Available for UAE customers seeking restaurant-quality Indian meals outside the dine-in experience.
- Table Reservation Service Online table booking service via EatApp, allowing customers to reserve dine-in seating at all Zafran restaurant locations in UAE and KSA.
Companies that use Zafran Indian Kitchen
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Zafran Indian Kitchen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Zafran Indian Kitchen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Zafran Indian Kitchen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Haldiram's: Large Indian food and restaurant brand with global presence including Middle East; comparable to Zafran in Indian cuisine segment, multi-country operations, and casual dining/snack bar formats.
- Chili's (Middle East franchise): International casual dining chain with mall-based outlets across UAE and KSA; comparable to Zafran as a mall-anchored casual full-service restaurant competing for the same middle-class Gulf diner.
- Peppermill Restaurants: Multi-cuisine casual dining restaurant chain operated by Landmark Food Limited (same parent group as Zafran); comparable as a sister brand under the same parent, sharing supply chain, real estate relationships, and Gulf mall strategy.
Direct peers
- Saravanaa Bhavan: Global Indian vegetarian restaurant chain with significant UAE presence serving South and North Indian cuisine in casual dining settings; directly comparable to Zafran in Indian casual dining category and Gulf mall-based expansion strategy.
- Maharaja Bhog: Multi-unit Indian restaurant chain operating across the Middle East serving vegetarian Indian thalis in casual dining settings; directly comparable to Zafran in cuisine positioning, mall and city presence, and multi-country Gulf footprint.
- Bombay Borough: Contemporary Indian restaurant in Dubai offering regional Indian cuisine with a refined dining experience; directly comparable to Zafran in targeting middle-to-upper-middle-class diners seeking authentic but elevated Indian food in the UAE.
- Indya by Vineet: Celebrity-chef-driven contemporary Indian restaurant operating in Dubai; directly comparable to Zafran in offering differentiated, regionally-inspired Indian cuisine to UAE mall and hotel-adjacent diners.
- Patiala House: Casual Indian dining restaurant operating in the UAE serving North Indian cuisine in mall and standalone formats; directly comparable to Zafran in cuisine category, target consumer (mall shoppers), and casual full-service dining model.
Regional players
- Jashan Restaurant: Indian restaurant chain operating primarily in KSA serving North Indian cuisine in casual dining settings; comparable to Zafran in Saudi market positioning, Indian cuisine focus, and casual family-friendly dining model.
Others
- Talabat (delivery platform): Leading food delivery platform across UAE and broader MENA; adjacent/ecosystem peer to Zafran as the company's exclusive online ordering and delivery partner, not a competitor but a key distribution channel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Zafran Indian Kitchen social profiles
Digital presenceZafran Indian Kitchen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zafran Indian Kitchen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Zafran Indian Kitchen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zafran Indian Kitchen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Zafran Indian Kitchen
What does Zafran Indian Kitchen do?
Zafran Indian Kitchen operates a casual dining restaurant chain serving authentic North-West Frontier cuisine across five mall-based locations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The chain offers dine-in experiences, home and office delivery through the Talabat platform, and table reservations via EatApp. Signature menu items include Raan Zafran, Rampuri Biryani, and Prawn Coconut Curry.
Is Zafran Indian Kitchen a public or private company?
Zafran Indian Kitchen is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Zafran Indian Kitchen founded?
Zafran Indian Kitchen was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Zafran Indian Kitchen based?
Zafran Indian Kitchen is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does Zafran Indian Kitchen make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Service is the primary driver. The others are delivery and Takeout.
Who are Zafran Indian Kitchen's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Haldiram's, Chili's (Middle East franchise) and Peppermill Restaurants. Direct peers are Saravanaa Bhavan, Maharaja Bhog, Bombay Borough, Indya by Vineet and Patiala House. Jashan Restaurant is listed as a regional player. Talabat (delivery platform) is listed as an others.
Does Zafran Indian Kitchen have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zafran Indian Kitchen.
What industry is Zafran Indian Kitchen in?
Zafran Indian Kitchen's product category is Indian Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAB, Casual Dining Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAJ, All-Day Dining Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.