Highway Food Mall Franchise | ZEN Z — Setup, Models & Process

What is on the plot

One plot. Four things that earn.

Food is the engine. The shops, the rooms and the plot itself add income that a plain roadside restaurant never sees.

Food mall

Smart Food Mall · 10,000 sq ft

250-seat air-conditioned hall
Eight ZEN Z concept counters — breakfast, meals, chai, dessert, dairy, healthy, non-veg, café
Buffet zone: unlimited lunch and dinner
Order on the ZEN Z app before you arrive, collect when you park
12-unit washrooms, kids corner, charging at every table

Front shops

Travel accessories + paan

Chargers, neck pillows, sunglasses, water, toys, OTC essentials
Paan, mouth fresheners, cold drinks
At the entrance — every guest walks past twice
Rented out, or run under ZEN Z

ZEN Z Stay

Ten rooms at the back

300–500 sq ft rooms: 6 standard, 3 family, 1 suite
Short stay for drivers and families, and overnight
Own reception, parking lane, CCTV, solar hot water
Optional module — add on day one or later

The plot

Parking and services

60 cars, 8 buses, 15 trucks, 40 two-wheelers
Paid overnight truck halt, fleet passes
Kiosk rents, EV chargers, ATM cabin, hoardings on the frontage
Lawn, selfie point, one-way entry and exit

Master plan

How one acre is laid out.

About 43,000 sq ft with 200 ft of highway frontage. Mall in front, rooms at the back, shops at the entrance, parking between.

Indicative layout. Plot size can flex from 0.75 to 1.25 acres; the parking scales, the buildings stay the same.

Smart Food Mall building10,000 sq ft
ZEN Z Stay block (10 rooms + reception)4,500 sq ft
Travel accessories + paan shop550 sq ft
Parking — cars, buses, trucks, bikes15,000 sq ft
Stay parking + utility yard3,500 sq ft
Lawn, walkways, setbacks, roads9,450 sq ft
Total≈ 43,000 sq ft

Why this layout: shops at the entry are passed twice by every guest; the glass front shows the buffet from the car; the rooms sit at the back, away from highway noise; entry left and exit right means no vehicle ever reverses into the highway.

Setup scope

Where the setup capital goes.

Indicative scope for planning, so you can see what the building and the rooms involve before we meet. Your figure is itemised in writing after the site review — it excludes land, deposits, statutory fees and GST.

Head	What it covers	₹ lakh
Building shell	10,000 sq ft steel structure and civil, insulated roof, glass façade, flooring	60
Interiors & A/C	250 seats, booths, ceiling, lighting, air-conditioning, kids corner, décor	30
Kitchen & buffet	Eight cooking lines, buffet counters with hot and cold wells, cold room, exhaust, wash	22
Counters & shops	Eight concept counters, café bar, travel shop and paan shop fit-out	10
Washrooms & water	12 units, borewell, 20,000 L tanks, sewage treatment	8
Power & security	Three-phase supply, 63 kVA generator, CCTV, Wi-Fi, LED lighting	8
Site works & branding	Parking paving and marking, fencing, lawn, 40-ft pylon, boards, façade signage	7
Launch pack	Licences, ZEN Z technology and POS setup, opening stock, launch marketing, working capital	5
Smart Food Mall		150
ZEN Z Stay · rooms block	4,500 sq ft civil for ten rooms, reception and laundry	50
ZEN Z Stay · furnishing	Beds, A/C, TV, bath fittings for ten rooms; linen, booking software, solar water, signage	25
ZEN Z Stay (optional)		75

Land is always on lease.

We do not buy land for a food mall. A nine-year registered lease keeps the setup light and the location flexible.

You sign the lease with the land owner and pay the deposit — typically six to twelve months' rent, refundable at exit.
Monthly land rent is paid out of the mall's revenue as a normal operating expense, not from your pocket.
If you already own a highway plot, there is no rent and no deposit.
Highway rent varies widely by state and stretch; we quote it against your actual site.

Start smaller if you want: the food mall alone first, with the back of the plot reserved. The Stay rooms can be built later without stopping the mall.

Vendors are paid by you directly, on bills ZEN Z has checked, in four milestones: at signing, at build start, at fit-out and before launch. Nothing passes through ZEN Z's accounts.

Two ways to partner

Who runs it every day. That is the only difference.

Same plot, same build, same brand and technology. Choose whether ZEN Z operates the site for you, or you operate it as a franchise.

For investors and land owners

Model A

ZEN Z-operated

You invest in the setup and hold the lease. ZEN Z designs the build, hires and trains the team, runs the kitchen, the counters, the rooms and the shops, does the marketing and reports to you every month. You never step into the kitchen.

25%of net profit after all expenses, to you, settled monthly

12% p.a.paid by ZEN Z on the lease amount you have put in, as rent

Who runs the site: ZEN Z, with its own trained team
Who pays the expenses: The mall, from its revenue
ZEN Z retains: 75% of net profit, and carries operations
Franchise fee or royalty: None
Lease rent to you: 12% a year on the lease amount, for as long as ZEN Z operates
Term: 9 years (3 + 3 + 3), renewable
Your time: A monthly review call

Ask about Model A

For operators

Model B

Owner-operated franchise

You invest, build to ZEN Z specifications and run the site with your own team, full time. ZEN Z gives you the brand, the recipes, the operating manual, training, the app and POS, marketing support and the supply chain. What is left after expenses stays with you.

10%of ZEN Z food and beverage sales, to ZEN Z

60 dayswith no royalty after opening

Who runs the site: You, with your team
Who pays the expenses: You — rent, staff, stock, power, everything
The 10%, split: 6% royalty · 2.5% technology · 1.5% brand fund
Rents, parking, ads, rooms: 100% yours, no royalty on them
Term: 5 years, renewable at ₹0
Your time: Full time on site

Ask about Model B

"Net profit after all expenses" is what the ZEN Z POS billed in the month, less food cost, staff, land rent, power and fuel, packaging, marketing, repairs, licences and insurance — every line on your dashboard. In a month with no profit there is no share that month; the lease rent under Model A is still paid. Both models give you a 25 km exclusive territory on the stretch, the assets stay yours, and the deposit comes back to you at exit.

Aasan bhasha me: Model A — paisa aur zameen aapki, chalana ZEN Z ka; kharcha nikaal ke jo bacha uska 25% aapko, aur lease amount par 12% saalana rent ke naam par. Model B — sab kuch aap chalao, ZEN Z sirf food sales ka 10% le, baaki poora aapka.

The process

From your first message to opening day.

Enquiring creates no agreement and takes no payment. The clock on the build starts when the lease is signed and the land is legally usable for commercial activity.

Day 0–2
Send your site
Share the highway, the nearest town, the plot size and whether it is owned or on offer. We call within one working day.
Day 3–15
Site visit and scoring
Traffic count, direction of travel, access, land status, water and power — scored on the ZEN Z checklist. If the site will not work, we say so.
Day 15–25
Choose the model, sign the term sheet
Model A or Model B, the itemised scope and the commercial terms in writing. A token is adjusted in the first milestone.
Day 25–40
Lease and agreement
Registered lease with the land owner and the ZEN Z agreement, with time for your lawyer to read both.
150 days
Build
Drawings and permissions, then structure, services, kitchen and fit-out. Weekly photo reports and four ZEN Z inspections.
Opening
Launch and operate
Team hired and trained, licences in hand, bus-operator tie-ups signed. Live on the ZEN Z app from day one.

20%at signing — agreement and lease executed

40%at build start — structure and civil orders

30%at fit-out — kitchen, counters, rooms

10%before launch — stock, staff, marketing

Who does what

Your part. Our part.

You bring

The site — owned, or a plot you can take on a nine-year lease
The setup capital, paid to vendors in four milestones
Land conversion to commercial use, GST and your own registrations
Under Model B: your operating team and your time on site

ZEN Z brings

Drawings, bill of quantities, vendor shortlist and four stage inspections
The brand, 218 recipes across eight concepts, costing sheets and the operating manual
Customer app, POS, kitchen display and your live owner dashboard
Hiring support and 15-day training; under Model A, the whole team and daily operations
Highway signage, Maps listing, launch campaign, bus and fleet tie-ups
FSSAI, fire, lodging and late-night permissions filed on your behalf
Monthly hygiene and mystery audits, seasonal menus, 25 km exclusivity

Site checklist

What makes a highway plot work.

Traffic. Four-lane highway, 60–150 km from a major city, on the side where traffic leaves the city in the morning and returns at night.
Plot. About one acre, 200 ft of frontage, at road level, no curve or bridge within 300 m.
Status. Non-agricultural commercial land, or conversion possible — this is the longest lead item, so it starts on day one.
Services. Electricity within 500 m, borewell water, room for parking and a one-way entry and exit.

Highway franchise enquiry

Tell us about your location.

Share the details you have. ZEN Z will use them to discuss your site, the model that fits you and the written scope.

+91 89045 92399
info@zenzindia.com
WhatsApp ZEN Z

Your consent is requested below. No payment is collected on this page.

Your name Phone / WhatsApp

Email optional City

Highway and location optional

Enquiry format: Highway food mall. Layout, model and scope are agreed after the site review.

Setup capital you are planning Do you already have a site?

Site details — area, owned or leased, access, rent optional

Which model interests you? What do you do currently? optional

Timeline and questions optional I agree to be contacted by ZEN Z about this enquiry by phone, WhatsApp and email, and I have read the Privacy Policy and Terms.

No payment is taken here and no agreement is created by submitting this form.

FAQ

Questions people ask on WhatsApp.

Do I need to own the land?

No. ZEN Z highway sites are always on lease. You sign the lease with the land owner and pay the deposit; the monthly rent is paid out of the mall's revenue as a normal expense. If you already own a highway plot, there is no rent and no deposit.

What does "net profit after all expenses" mean?

Everything billed through the ZEN Z POS in the month, less food cost, staff, land rent, electricity and fuel, packaging, marketing, repairs, licences and insurance. Every line is visible on your dashboard, and the share is settled by the 10th of the next month.

In Model A, what does "12% on the lease amount" mean?

The deposit and any advance rent you pay to the land owner is money you have put in for the site. While ZEN Z operates the site, ZEN Z pays you 12% a year on that amount, monthly, under the head "rent". It is separate from your 25% share and it stops if ZEN Z stops operating the site. The deposit itself comes back to you from the land owner at exit.

Why 25% under Model A and everything under Model B?

Under Model A, ZEN Z carries the whole operation — the team, the kitchen, the rooms, the marketing and the day-to-day risk — so the larger share of profit stays with ZEN Z. Under Model B you carry the operation yourself, so after expenses and the 10% on food sales, everything is yours. Pick by how much of your own time you want to put in.

Is the setup figure fixed?

No. ₹1.5 crore for the mall and ₹75 lakh for the rooms is the indicative scope so you can plan. Your itemised figure is written after the site review and depends on the plot, the finishes and local rates. It excludes land, deposits, statutory fees and GST.

Can I start with the food mall only?

Yes. The ZEN Z Stay rooms are a separate module. The back of the plot is reserved so the rooms can be added later without stopping the mall.

How long until it opens?

About 150 days from the day the lease is signed and the land is legally usable for commercial activity. Land conversion and building permission are the longest items, so they start first.

Who handles the licences?

ZEN Z files FSSAI, trade licence, fire NOC, highway access and signage, the lodging licence for the rooms and late-night operation. Land status, GST and your own registrations are yours, with our help.

Is a ZEN Z highway food mall an investment product?

No. It is a food and hospitality business built on your site. The terms on this page describe how the business is shared, not how it will perform. ZEN Z does not pool anybody's money, does not sell financial products and does not guarantee a return to anyone.

Considering a smaller format? Explore ZEN Z outlet and city franchises. Learn about ZEN Z or contact the team.

A food mall on the highway. On your plot.