The $13-billion Indian QSR (quick service restaurant) market, which is growing at 25-30 per cent annually, will see a lot more buzz with the entry of three international brands this year — Fatburger, Lord of the Fries and La Tasca.
Fatburger, a US-based premium burger chain that operates in 27 countries, will open in Cyber City, Delhi NCR, this month. Vazz Foods Pvt Ltd, the master franchisee for Fatburger in North India, will deliver the signature Fatburger experience with a variety of burgers customised to match the Indian palate.
“Vazz Foods has hired the best chefs to completely overhaul the original beef burger menu and customise it to match Indian tastes; much like McDonald’s, KFC and Domino’s did to popularise their food in India. The gourmet chicken, veggie and lamb burgers at Fatburger will be priced at 30-40 per cent more than McDonald’s burgers.
Vazz Foods is planning to open five 1,500 sq ft Fatburger restaurants at an estimated cost of ₹1.5 crore each by December.
Lord of the Fries (LOTF), an Australian family-owned vegetarian QSR chain, has set its sights on the predominantly vegetarian Indian market. It will open its first restaurants outside Australia, sized between 600 and 1,000 sq ft in Delhi NCR this October. SGK International, promoted by Rajiv Vohra, has won the pan-India market franchise rights for opening 50 restaurants over 10 years.
While the first three-four restaurants will open in Delhi NCR at an estimated cost of ₹40 lakh a restaurant, SGK plans to open in Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. The fries which are freshly cut, not frozen, using less fat and fried with high quality oil can be paired with a variety of sauces in vegetarian options.
Interestingly, the motto of the chain is “Our burgers are made with love – not animals”.
“LOTF is the first QSR chain in the country that offers fries as its core menu along with other vegetarian options such as hotdogs and burgers with mock-chicken/mutton patties made up of soy protein.
The consumer move from occasion-led dining to casual dining over the last few years has inspired the entry of several international brands such as Nando’s and Chili’s into India. The latest to join the fray is Spanish Tapas bar chain La Tasca, which has 45-50 restaurants in the US and the UK.
With rising disposable incomes, global exposure and the need to eat out more often, the under-penetrated India market could do with many more convenience, casual and fine dining options, according to experts.
