Vikas Gulia (Vicky Gulia) Redefines India’s QSR Franchise Model with Disciplined Growth and the FOCO Approach

At a time when India’s food and beverage sector is witnessing rapid expansion driven by social media trends and aggressive franchising, a contrasting and disciplined narrative is quietly reshaping the industry. Vicky Gulia, founder of the emerging QSR brand Crazy About Pizza, is building a scalable food business rooted not in hype, but in structure, accountability, and operational discipline.

Operating in the highly competitive Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) segment, Crazy About Pizza follows a Franchise Owned, Company Operated (FOCO) model—an approach that places responsibility for execution squarely on the brand while offering franchise partners stability, transparency, and reduced operational risk. This strategy is positioning the brand as a serious contender in India’s evolving food entrepreneurship landscape.

Discipline as a Competitive Advantage in Food Entrepreneurship

India’s QSR market has grown rapidly over the past decade, but this growth has also exposed systemic weaknesses. Many brands expand faster than their systems can support, leading to inconsistency in taste, rising operational costs, franchise disputes, and eventual brand dilution.

Vicky Gulia’s approach challenges this pattern.

Rather than prioritizing viral growth or rapid outlet expansion, his philosophy centers on discipline as a business advantage. Drawing from years spent in a structured professional environment, Gulia believes that successful food brands must operate with the same rigor as large institutions.

“Predictable systems, clear accountability, and calm leadership under pressure are non-negotiable,” says Gulia. “Without these, scale becomes chaos.”

From Structured Service to Structured Business Systems

The foundation of Crazy About Pizza was laid long before the first outlet opened. Gulia’s professional background instilled a mindset focused on preparation, responsibility, and mission-first execution. These principles later translated into business systems that emphasize clarity over speed.

Unlike many first-time founders who rush into execution, Gulia invested significant time studying the QSR ecosystem. He closely observed consumer behavior, unit economics, franchise failures, cost leakages, and operational inconsistencies across food brands in India.

This period of research led to a clear realization: most QSR failures stem not from weak products, but from weak systems.

Identifying the Core Gap in India’s Pizza Market

Despite being a crowded segment, India’s pizza market revealed recurring challenges. Brands struggled with taste consistency, complex menus, inflated operating costs, and franchise partner dissatisfaction.

Instead of attempting to reinvent the product category, Gulia identified a simpler opportunity—simplify execution.

The vision behind Crazy About Pizza was to create a brand that delivers consistent taste, operational clarity, and predictable profitability. Menu innovation was kept focused, processes were standardized, and unnecessary complexity was eliminated.

The goal was not to be the loudest brand in the market, but the most reliable.

Building Crazy About Pizza on Strong Fundamentals

Crazy About Pizza was designed around three core principles: standardization, simplicity, and sustainability.

Menus were curated to suit Indian taste preferences while remaining easy to execute across locations. Backend operations were engineered to reduce dependency on individual skill levels, ensuring consistency regardless of geography.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), staff training modules, and quality control mechanisms were prioritized before expansion. Each outlet was treated as a long-term operational asset rather than a short-term revenue target.

This fundamentals-first approach has helped the brand establish a stable operational base before scaling.

The FOCO Model: A Shift in Franchise Responsibility

One of the most defining decisions in Crazy About Pizza’s journey has been the adoption of the Franchise Owned, Company Operated (FOCO) model.

In India’s traditional franchising ecosystem, operational responsibility often falls entirely on franchise partners, leading to inconsistent execution and strained relationships. Crazy About Pizza has inverted this model.

Under FOCO:

• Franchise partners invest in ownership
• The company manages daily operations
• Trained teams execute standardized processes
• Centralized systems ensure quality, cost control, and consistency

This structure significantly reduces risk for franchise partners while preserving brand integrity.

“The success of a franchise depends more on execution than ownership alone,” Gulia explains. “FOCO allows us to control what truly matters—operations.”

Hand-Holding as a Strategic Growth Philosophy

The FOCO model is supported by end-to-end operational involvement. From site selection and outlet setup to staff hiring, training, supply chain management, and routine audits, the company remains deeply involved at every stage.

This hands-on approach attracts franchise partners who value stability and system-driven growth rather than speculative returns. By assuming operational responsibility, Crazy About Pizza ensures that expansion does not compromise standards.

Each new outlet becomes a controlled environment where processes are tested, refined, and scaled responsibly.

Leadership Built on Accountability and Calm Execution

The leadership style behind Crazy About Pizza mirrors its operational philosophy—measured, disciplined, and accountability-driven. Decision-making prioritizes long-term impact over short-term visibility.

Teams are encouraged to take ownership, but always within clearly defined frameworks. Performance metrics, audits, and feedback loops are integral to daily operations.

Expansion, according to Gulia, is not just a business goal but a responsibility toward customers, partners, and employees. Trust is built through consistency, not promises.

Scaling with Control, Not Chaos

As Crazy About Pizza expands into new markets, growth decisions are guided by readiness rather than ambition alone. Market selection, partner alignment, supply chain strength, and workforce preparedness all determine expansion timelines.

This controlled roadmap ensures that scale strengthens the system instead of stretching it. Every new outlet adds stability to the brand’s ecosystem rather than operational pressure.

A Broader Vision for India’s QSR Ecosystem

Beyond brand expansion, Crazy About Pizza represents a larger vision for Indian food entrepreneurship—one where businesses grow sustainably without sacrificing governance, ethics, or partner trust.

The brand’s journey aims to demonstrate that QSR businesses can be both scalable and responsible. It challenges aspiring entrepreneurs to prioritize systems, patience, and operational discipline over rapid but fragile growth.

Conclusion: Building Food Brands That Last

From structured professional service to structured food operations, Vicky Gulia’s journey reflects a consistent philosophy: institutions last when systems lead.

Through Crazy About Pizza, he is proving that enduring QSR brands are not built on hype or shortcuts, but on clarity, accountability, and disciplined execution. In an industry often driven by momentum, this approach stands as a compelling counter-narrative—one where discipline becomes the ultimate competitive advantage.