Harpreet Singh Tibb, Director of Tibb’s Frankie speaks about his professional challenges and accomplishments in the retail industry
Tibb’s Frankie, the homegrown fast-food chain known for its wraps called ‘Frankies,’ boasts a legacy spanning 54 years. The brand redefined street food with its globally inspired rolls deeply rooted in Indian culinary traditions.
The journey began in 1967 when Amarjit Singh Tibb, on his way back to India via Beirut, tasted the famed pita bread. Inspired by this experience, he and his co-founder and wife, Surinder Kaur Tibb, began experimenting with recipes. After months of innovation, they introduced the freshly prepared Indian snack “Tibb’s Frankie” in 1969. Initially, they served their mutton curry rolled in roti from the backseat of their car near Powai Lake, Mumbai.
Interestingly, the product had no name until 1969. During a historic India vs. West Indies cricket match, Tibb heard the crowd cheer ‘Frankie’ for West Indies cricketer Frank Worrell after a six. Inspired by the crowd’s enthusiasm, he decided to name the snack ‘Frankie,’ aspiring for it to receive similar adoration. He promptly registered it as a trademark.
More than five decades later, Tibb’s Frankie has become a household name, with nearly 200 outlets nationwide and over 120 million rolls sold. Over the next couple of years, the company plans to expand into other key mini metros and double its store count.
Harpreet Singh Tibb, the founder’s son, discusses his vision and aspirations with IndiaRetailing.
I enjoy being in retail because: It is about delighting consumers with great experience and drawing conversions to grow business.
The biggest professional challenge I face is: Lack of accountability among Gen Z
To achieve full potential, Indian retailers must: Invest in technology, visual merchandising and data analytics
I think my key professional accomplishments are: Building brands and sustainable business; reinventing our family legacy business to adapt to the changing consumer needs post the COVID19 disruption; building Tibb’s Frankie as an only channel brand and being market leader in both offline and online platform.
Harpreet Singh Tibb
Designation: Director
Company/ Organization Name: Tibbs Foods Pvt. Ltd.
Brand/s Name: Tibb’s Frankie
Company Vertical/s: F&B / QSR
Core Business: Food
Address: Dr. Charat Singh Bungalow Compound, Dr. Charat Singh Colony, Andheri (East), Mumbai: 400093
Company e-mail: info@tibbsfrankie.com