Trans Continental Venture Fund is to invest around $1 million (Rs 6.5 crore) in Impresa Hospitality Management Pvt Ltd, the company that owns and operates Maroosh, that offers Lebanese cuisine.

Trans Continental Venture Fund (TCVF) is an early stage venture capital fund focusing on young and promising companies in India. The fund invests around $1 million per transaction, and is sector agnostic. Other investments include companies in technology and manufacturing.

Impresa Hospitality (IHMPL) owns and operates a chain of restaurants and bars. It operates through its brand Two One Two Bar and Grill, DaVinci’s, Maroosh, and a nightclub Fire N Ice. The company is based in Mumbai.

Maroosh is a QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) brand that caters to Lebanese cuisine, offering West Asian flavours. Maroosh has said it would use the funds to take advantage of the rapidly growing opportunities in the food services industry.

Post the transaction, TCVF will be represented on the IHMPL board by Jayendra Shah, who is partner at N A Shah Associates, and also one of the founding directors.

In a statement, he pointed out that Ketan Kadam, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of IHMPL, was a seasoned restaurateur with a track record of having built several restaurant brands.

"He has created a strong launch pad for his business through the use of technology and outsourcing of non-core operations, both of which are critical for any QSR to succeed," he said.

Last year, media entrepreneur-turned-investor Ronnie Screwvala’s Unilazer Ventures had acquired substantial equity stake in IHMPL.

The company said there are many drivers of growth in QSR. A rising female work-force increasing the frequency of dine-outs, increased awareness of global cuisines and tastes, growth in the economy and incomes which are improving affordability, and a young population, with India hosting around 356 million people between the age of 10 to 24.

As a result, QSR in India has been growing at rapid speed. Many domestic QSR chains have also attracted funding recently. The Indian fast food sector is also expected to reach $1.12 billion by 2016.