AZHAR PUNJABI
Mumbai
Summary
Retail Expansion and Property Acquisition Leader with 14+ years of experience across QSR, Food & Beverage, and Commercial Retail. Proven expertise in end-to-end shop development, including market mapping, feasibility analysis, negotiations, board presentations, and pipeline planning. Demonstrated success in building future-ready expansion pipelines, optimizing ROI, and enabling rapid yet sustainable store rollouts for leading brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut, and Domino’s Pizza. Strong collaborator with leadership, legal, projects, and operations teams to ensure on-time and compliant store launches.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Manager – Business Development (Retail Expansion & Shop Development)
Sapphire Foods India Limited
Mumbai
12.2022 - Current
- Leading shop development and property acquisition for KFC and Pizza Hut across Mumbai MMR.
- Opened 16 KFC and 3 Pizza Huts.
- Secured FY26 expansion pipeline comprising 8 KFC and 3 Pizza Hut stores.
- 11 additional KFC locations under active evaluation, strengthening the medium-term growth roadmap.
- Driving strategic site selection aligned with brand positioning, footfall potential, and ROI benchmarks.
- Spearheading market mapping, trade area analysis, and site feasibility studies.
- Negotiating rentals, lock-ins, escalation clauses, capex responsibilities, and handover timelines.
- Presenting commercial viability and strategic rationale to senior leadership and Board for approvals.
- Ensuring all legal, regulatory, and documentation processes are completed without impacting store launch timelines.
- Collaborating with projects, legal, finance, and operations teams for seamless execution.
- Building long-term relationships with landlords, developers, consultants, and brokers.
- Securing future pipeline sites to ensure uninterrupted expansion momentum.
Assistant Manager – Business Development
Jubilant Foodworks Pvt. Ltd. (Domino’s Pizza)
04.2021 - 12.2022
- Opened 14 Domino’s Pizza stores during tenure.
- Renegotiated 100% Stores in Gujarat region during Covid.
- Exited with a secured pipeline of 9 additional stores at various approval and negotiation stages.
- Managed end-to-end shop acquisition lifecycle from identification to handover.
- Conducted drive-time analysis, household density studies, and trade evaluations.
- Negotiated rentals and commercials aligned with profitability benchmarks.
- Coordinated with legal and projects teams to ensure smooth documentation and store readiness.
- Worked closely with operations to align sites with brand and service requirements.
Manager – Sales (Commercial & Retail Leasing)
Jagaha.com (Bandra Rentals Pvt. Ltd.)
08.2018 - 11.2020
- Led commercial and retail real estate advisory for corporate and MNC clients across Mumbai.
- Specialized in F&B and QSR closures for well-known restaurant brands.
- Managed and scaled a property sourcing team of 12 members.
- Drove revenue growth through strategic client relationship management.
- Coordinated site inspections, landlord negotiations, and deal closures.
Head – Operations
Success International
01.2015 - 08.2018
- Managed high-profile corporate clients across Gulf countries.
- Led business development, client servicing, and operations.
- Built and sustained long-term client relationships through structured engagement.
Property Consultant – Mumbai Region
One Up Enterprise Pvt. Ltd.
02.2011 - 12.2014
- Managed HNI and corporate real estate clients.
- Supported sales strategy, pipeline development, and lead generation.
- Trained and guided junior sales team members.
- Designed marketing strategies for new business acquisition.
Education
Six Sigma Yellow Belt -
AIGPE (Udemy)
01.2023
Diploma in Technical Analysis -
01.2018
Bachelor of Arts -
Mumbai University
01.2011
IATA Consultant Course -
01.2009
Skills
- Retail & QSR Expansion Strategy
- Shop Development & Network Planning
- Property Acquisition & Lease Negotiation
- Market Mapping & Catchment Analysis
- ROI & Financial Feasibility Evaluation
- Board & Leadership Presentations
- Pipeline Planning (Short & Long Term)
- Landlord & Developer Relationship Management
- Cross-Functional Leadership (Legal, Projects, Ops)
- Regulatory, Documentation & Compliance Oversight
Languages
- English
- Hindi
- Marathi
Strengths
- Strategic thinking
- Leadership mindset
- Attention to detail
- Execution excellence
Sports
District-level Cricket player
Timeline
Manager – Business Development (Retail Expansion & Shop Development)
Sapphire Foods India Limited
12.2022 - Current
Assistant Manager – Business Development
Jubilant Foodworks Pvt. Ltd. (Domino’s Pizza)
04.2021 - 12.2022
Manager – Sales (Commercial & Retail Leasing)
Jagaha.com (Bandra Rentals Pvt. Ltd.)
08.2018 - 11.2020
Head – Operations
Success International
01.2015 - 08.2018
Property Consultant – Mumbai Region
One Up Enterprise Pvt. Ltd.
02.2011 - 12.2014
Six Sigma Yellow Belt -
AIGPE (Udemy)
Diploma in Technical Analysis -
Bachelor of Arts -
Mumbai University