Fast Food Recipes

The flavor, fragrance, taste and healthy ingredients in Lebanese cuisine have created a magnetic effect in making customers want Lebanese food several times in a week.

With the plethora of food and dining options around, in Indian market, a typical customer is often a confused one - swinging through his choices to make on the basis of variety, pricing, quality, health and most importantly, taste. Indian consumers have a deep-rooted middle-class mindset as “value for money" drives the maximum decisions.The dining behavioral pattern of middle class has literally defined the evolution of a highly progressive food industry – Quick Service Restaurants, apart from other relevant food industries.

Within last decade, Retail Food Industry in India has witnessed newer brands (Homegrown and Multi-National) that are driving higher consumption growth and have influenced the “eating out” quotient that is many times higher than the previous decade.While affordability is the most important driving factor for growth, there is a huge focus on eating “right” which is necessarily defined by what is “healthy” and “fresh”. If you look at the highly fragmented Indian food industry, there are not many “global or Indigenous” food chains that are living up to the expectations.

Healthy, fresh and tasty

It is fascinating how Mediterranean cuisine can churn out diverse set of food items using a very wide variety of food ingredients, ranging from breakfast to all day meals.Lebanese cuisine is a Levantine style of cooking that reflects a pattern from large area in the eastern Mediterranean (Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Jordan Cyprus, Syria and Palestine).

Quite contrary to amateur belief, Lebanese is a full-blown cuisine that involves whole grains, fruits and vegetables, poultry, meat and a variety of seafood. Some of the most popular dishes from Lebanese ensemble are Shawarma Fattoush, Shawarma, Kibbeh, Kofta, Tabbouleh and Falafel(among many others). Meats and vegetables, enriched by flavorful marination, are often grilled or sautéed, creating robust and earthy flavors.

Vegetables that are avidly used in Salads and Mezze are often sautéed in garlic, and olive oil. Lemon act as a smart ingredient and is extensively used in authentic Lebanese food. The variety of Mezze involves diverse collection of small dishes allowing customers to pick and choose what they want.

For the conscious patrons and health experts, Lebanese cuisine use of fresh producehas always been a big thumbs up and has led to huge adoption of this cuisine in many big multi-cuisine restaurants around the country(and abroad). To sum-up, Lebanese food is both tasty and healthy and this combination makes it a popular choice with restaurant for people across the globe.

the origin of “lub lub lebanese”

In the Quick Service Restaurant format, there is a massive need to have a chain of restaurant that does justice to human need for healthy, fresh and tasty food, that one can have quite regularly without worrying about hygiene and safety. In 2015, LubLub Lebanese was established with the sole aim to be the biggest shawarma sellers in the whole world. The first outlet saw outstanding success in terms of sales and recognition from customers and established a mark for the company within a span of 1^st year of establishment. The Award winning company operates 3 outlets in Gurgaon, including 2 being in A-listed places i.e. Golf Course Road and 32^nd Avenue. The hub and spoke operational model guarantee quality and consistency in taste at a central level and is in-line with “Global” thinking of the leadership team of LubLub Lebanese. The flavor, fragrance and taste in LubLub has created a magnetic effect in making customers want their food several times in a week, which is synonymous with the vision of the brand. The brand is working diligently on expanding their foot print across NCR before moving to other premier cities of India, while maintaining global appeal and international standards of hygiene and quality.

Fast food is one thing, which has everyone’s heart tucked in one string. We all have same cravings as we see Quick Service Restaurant (QSR)’s posters or hoardings, which is in a way giving the boost to keep this business running.

According to an analysis by apex industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the quick service restaurants (QSR) sector in India is currently growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25%, and is likely to touch the Rs 25,000-crore mark by 2020 from the current level of Rs 8,500.

By 2020 it is expected that 35% of India's population will be in urban areas by 2020 totaling to 52 crores compared to the current urban population of 34 crores.

Here are a few points to back the statement that QSR is an evergreen business:

Affordable:

People tend to incline towards something which fits their pocket at the same time fills their tummy. Moreover QSR provides equal options for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian eaters in affordable prices.

QSR serve food which is affordable for most of the population. Moreover it serves food which holds the capacity to satiate customers of all ages and the cost fits everyone’s pocket.

Recession Free:

QSR is considered as recession free business as the cost difference does not look that evident as it looks on the CSR or fine-dine restaurants’ menu.

Demonetisation and GST shook the base of almost all businesses but QSR business seems to have bounced back with new energy.

"Even after demonetisation, which sucked liquidity out of the system, we reported positive same-store sales growth at 5.1 per cent in the first quarter of FY17-18," says Amit Jatia, vice-chairman of Westlife Development.

Active Crowd:

“Around 15 years back when multinational QSR formats like, KFC, Dominos, Mc Donalds etc entered into Indian food industry they were more of aspirational brands to India. They have never seen those brands and also there was an increase in income at that time so people started liking sitting there and enjoy. Now these aspirational brands have become commodity brands because they are more known for a quick bite and they are less expensive. Delivery and take away are becoming new trend in QSRs as 80per cent business in QSR belongs to delivery and take away only,” says Sandeep Singh, CEO at Papa Johns.

Constant Improvement:

For any company or business to grow there should be constant improvements done in the project, which gives the business the required boost because stagnant is boring. A little innovation in food or arranging the menu or adding a couple of new dishes in the menu is all that keeps customer to look forward to eat at your QSR.

As Amit Jatia says, “Innovation in menu, brand extensions and launch of value-for-money products such as Happy Price Combo and Chatpata Naan are the key factors driving growth.”

Low Investment:

In QSR business model, there are no unnecessary investments in making interior decorations, sitting arrangements or parking space. The business entirely focuses on the quality of food and serving the customers. Getting staff is also cheap and easy, as the chef does not have to be an H-school graduate or well trained.

Unlike other businesses, QSR requires low investment in the initial stages, as it grows with time, the profit as well as investment also grows, which is one of the reasons why it is an evergreen business.

Almost the entire urban population starting from kids to the college going students, from vegetarians to non-vegetarians, everyone is fond of fast foods. One just looks out for occasions to make an excuse and bump into a fast food restaurants.

A report produced by Research and Markets say that Indian fast food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% by 2020 due to changing consumer behavior and demography.

Fast food market in India is expected to be worth US$ 27.57 billion by 2020.

About 10% of the fast food market in India is organized. NOVONOUS estimates that the organized fast food market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27% by 2020.

Vegetarian fast food constitutes of around 45% of the whole fast food market in India and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% by 2020.

According to the report, global fast food market was valued at over USD 539.63 billion in 2016, is expected to reach above USD 690.80 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of slightly above 4.20% between 2017 and 2022.

It looks the stars are aligned in the favor of the aspiring fast food restaurateur, then what are you waiting for! Hit the road to be the leading businessman in this field.

Here are a few points to help you in opening a fast food restaurant in India:

1.Market study and business plan:

First of all, analyse the market and study the customers’ taste of any particular area, where you want to set your restaurant up.

Try to open a fast food restaurant, which is different from existing fast food chains in the area. A variety will keep you afloat in the competition as well as it will be proved to be a point to attract your customers.

After thorough study, make a business plan for your reference and to keep a check on the work as it progresses. A proper business plan will also fetch you investors as well as build trust on the bans, to provide you loan.

2.Rent an outlet:

Look out for space, where you can set up your restaurant. It should be at the main market and not at the farthest end or lost-in-the-crowd sort of place, because then your business would not be able to fetch desired customers.

Check for proper electricity, gas, grocery, water and ventilation in the place.

3.Build your business:

After renting an outlet area, decide what you are going to offer your customers, and design the place accordingly.

Cutleries, chair and tables, color of walls, decorative and kind of music you are going to play, deciding these things is equally important as the menu you are going to serve.

First please the customers with the aura, then with the food.

4.Staff and proper equipments:

Now comes the hiring part, where you need to hire chefs, managers, accountant, waiters, waitresses and cleaners, who are going to run your business on daily basis.

Hire smart employees, who can take care of emergency situations.

Moreover hospitality is an additional factor in running a restaurant business.

Also it is your job to keep the staff happy, as the saying goes by, ‘Take care of employees and the employees will take care of the customers’.

Provide them training, send them for holidays, give them bonus and take time out to talk to them and take feedbacks from them.

5.Market your business:

Before finally having a grand opening, market about your restaurant through all the media channels.

It is advisable to invite a celebrity or politician for the inauguration, so that the opening will be grand and this will let the people notice you.

You can distribute pamphlets to the houses in the nearby locality and in between newspaper pages, where you can offer first 100 or so customers some gift voucher or discount or things as such to attract more and more customers.

Take the help of these points and start you business plan today. The fast food restaurant business is on demand and will continue to be till the love for food in people’s heart exists.

In the past few years we have seen dozen of global food brands making news in India. From sharing their sweet success stories to combating all the challenges to grow in a new market, these brands were all over India. But, lately there are many brands who are struggling in fast competitive market like India. From casual dining chain Wendy’s that opened its outlet last year to the age old brand McDonald’s which was once top player in the market and it was one of those brands which was first to make the India entry.

Talking to experts in the industry, Restaurant India found that there are 4 major reasons that are hitting the growth of these restaurant chains in India:

• Location: As everybody knows, a location can break or make a restaurant business. Hence, selecting a location which has low footfall and is not located near to any neighbourhood areas, corporate offices or market can hardly sustain in this fast evolving markets where restaurant owners are paying a huge amount to real estate people to get the best sight
• Team: Team management and team work is very important when it comes to a fruitful result. At a time, when most of the brands are choosing well experienced and leaders in the industry, many brands are mistaken by employing amateurs at their workplace leading to fall out of the business in the region.
• A laid back attitude: No one today wants to go to a restaurant which is not ready to give a ‘Wowastic’ experience to its customers. Today’s customers want experience together with the food. A good service together with good food is the need of the hour.
• Formats: Always make sure that the formats you are operating is catering to particular and a target customers. Once it is diluted, the restaurant is a big ‘No’ to the customers’.

And, hence these brand doesn’t offer the food similar to Indian palate, it can be in big trouble if it doesn’t learn to tweak its menu according to the customers’ and location it operates. 

2015 could be named as the year of fast food revolution in India in the history of Indian food industry. From global players to local vendors, all have experimented a lot to make their food suitable for Indian palate.

Amid all this, the growing demand of local and healthy ingredients with twist of menu and a variety to linger upon, these players are introducing new snack options to target customers’ who are always on the go and who are poised to try something new.

What’s cooking? Wendy’s, the world's third largest burger chain is introducing a new menu with snacking options that will cater to consumers looking for a quick bite between meal times.

“The new menu was developed after exhaustive consumer insight and research, is part of our strategy to strengthen Wendy’s as an all-day dining restaurant,” shared Jasper Reid, Director, Wendy’s India.

On the other hand, its competitor, Burger King is also sailing on the same boat, Burger King which entered Indian in November 2014, is planning to start selling chicken fries in Indian market, to grow stronger customer base in the country.

"Around half of our menu in India is vegetarian. We have a big assortment of grilled products as well. The chicken fries will be fried in oil that will have zero trans-fat. The portions are white meat from chicken breasts,” added Rajeev Varman, CEO, Burger King India, who believes that this new addition would them a new customer base in the country.

Feasting on best

The delectable new menu at Wendy’s consists of some delicious snacking options, for those looking for a quick bite. There are classics like the vegetarian Railway Cutlet and Railway Cutlet Wrap. For non-vegetarians, a new addition is a Crispy Chicken, Caesar Salad and brings some amazing frosty shakes.

“We have expanded our menu, with these great new snacking options, that are just perfect for consumers seeking good quality light snacking options and are competitively priced as well.,” added Jasper.

Likewise, the fries at Burger King will be launched in two packs - five pieces for Rs 79 and nine pieces for Rs 139, and will be coated in a light crispy breading, seasoned with savoury spices and herbs, said the company.

"Chicken fries are a new product for India but it is not new to the western market. We are not trying to compare or compete with anyone. I don't think that it is a parallel product with KFC either,” added Varman.

Earlier, Carl’s Jr also launched The ‘Green Burger’ which are called ‘low-carb’ or a ‘lettuce-wrapped’ burger will consist of the guest’s choice of any patty with fresh veggies and sauces inside, wrapped by a thick layer of lettuce leaves.

With more new entrants and small tech start-ups, fast food is likely to continue to grow further over the forecast period, according to Euromonitor.

And, with a price range that is affordable to all and is easy to grab, fast food industry will continue to grow in markets like India where majority of populations are young and experimental.

Started by Sagar Daryani and Binod Homagai in 2008, Wow! Momo is known for its unique and specialised momos. Started with a mere investment of Rs 30,000, the brand has grown rapidly, becoming the country's largest momo chain with good turnovers and new innovations. Currently operating 61 stores across Chennai, Pune, Bengaluru, Kochi, Delhi, NCR, Coimbatore and Digha, the group is targeting to open  100 stores in next two years.

What all is included in your product line?

Our menu comprises of mainly momos and thupka. We serve 11 different flavours of momos available in steamed, fried, pan-fried, sizzler and baked variants in Chicken, Vegetable, Fish, Mushroom momo, Paneer, Prawn, Corn Spring Onion and even Chocolate and momo burger.

How do you do the pricing of Momos?

Our ranges start from Rs. 70-150 and even our ABC is Rs.100 as we value the money. 

There are so many unorganised momo chains in India. How much competition do you face from them?

Yes, there are many momo chains and unorganised players and no organised player like us. So, we are way ahead; now many more companies are coming up with their  momo businesses. What we think is that increase in  competition will  make things more challenging.

According to you, what are the global trends coming in 2016?

Earlier, there was only MC Donald’s and KFC but now Carl’s Junior and other global chains are entering Indian market, giving a way to the global brands. Lots of finger food will be coming up and also international food. Even now, eating out has become a fashion. People want quick food as everyone has a busy lifestyle. So, this the correct time for the huge open market QSR to flourish.

Where do you stand  in terms of revenue?

This year our turnover was Rs 40 crore which is growing gradually. 

What are  your expansion plans?

We are planning to open 100 stores by March 2017. Presently, we have seven in Delhi, 33 in Kolkata. We want to be the best in what we do with presence  in 5-6 different cities.  We are looking at IPO from 7 years and  want to target the Indian market, as its expanding rapidly.

Goli VadaPav, was one of the first franchisee brand in the Indian market, which started its journey way back in 2003 from a single outlet in Nagpur. Started by a corporate professional, the company was initially funded by his friend and family. And, today, the brand operates more than350 stores in around 88 cities and 19 states in India, with two rounds of funding already in its bouquet.

How the journey of Goli Vadapav got started?

It was during 1995-96 that I was thinking of doing something of my. Having worked with the MNCs, I have seen that the daily consumption of these foods was very high and the QSR was more of a concern that time. And, hence I got into this business by starting first Goli Vadapav outlet in 2003 and from a corporate sector I entered into restaurant industry.

Why Vadapav as the offering?

Vada Pav is very famous in Mumbai and Pune. It is a fast, mobile food and people like it very much. We developed the technology, wherein we are focusing on delivering the best quality vadapav to the customers.

Who do you see as your major competitors today, is it the local vendors or players like JumboKing?

I do not see any player as a competitor; rather, believe that it’s a good opportunity that many brands are spreading the awareness about vadapav. And, my competition comes from the local ethnic products not from vada pao players.

As you have a wide franchisee presence. Which is the top franchisee according to you?

Our key business is from franchise. We have an average footfall of 40,000-80,000 people at our outlets. However, all our outlets are doing well in terms of giving the numbers.

And some of the top selling franchisees are Maharashtra, Karnataka and north every store.

What is Goli’s online presence?

Online is an evolution. And, we are basically offline store. It will take time in online like 20-25 per cent revenue can come from online. We recently tied up with delivery and app service providers to focus on the delivery business starting with Bengaluru which will move to Pune, Gurgaon, Mumbai etc.

What is your expansion plans in taking the number count forward?

We are coming up in North and East as we have completed in South- Karnataka, Maharashtra. In next two years time we are targeting around 700 stores in north India alone.

How do you make sure that the franchisees do not compromise on the quality of food?

We buy each and every things, make vada for them and also do bulk marketing for them. Their involvement should match our support system and that’s how we give our franchisee.

How about taking a global entry?

At this point of time our focus is India, but very soon, we may enter the UK and Dubai market.

Yum! India has been on a roller coaster ride from last two years, from opening global franchisee of Taco Bell in India, to closing many KFC outlets in North India, QSR brand has seen it all.

World’s favourite QSR chain has also sold its year-and-a-half-long exercise to reorganize its business under larger, well-capitalized franchisees to Sapphire Foods India Pvt Ltd.

In a bid to grow the business in India more actively, the brand has some key developments. Niren Chaudhary, former President and CEO Yum! India, who’s driving the Yum! growth in India, is relocating to Dallas to a greater responsibility by looking over  the KFC business across Asia, Canada and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Though Unnat Varma is leading the Pizza Hut business in India, Rahul Shinde and Ankush Tuli is looking over KFC and Taco Bell’s business respectively. Also, all the GM”s will no longer report to Niren and will report directly to their heads in the US.

According to Restaurant India, there are three major reasons for this strategic development:

1) Ramping up sales: As the local arm of fast food chain Yum! Brands reported a 9% decline in its third quarter sales, with 18% decline in same-store sales growth. This is the fourth quarter in which it has seen a double-digit decline in same-store sales growth, indicating sluggish growth in the fast food market in the country. And, to beat this sluggish growth, the QSR major is targeting to step up sales and make operations quick in a slowing consumer market.

2) More powers to GMs: As there will be no country head or CEO for Yum! in India, it will provide more opportunities for general Managers to drive the business at national levels as there will be no chief executive for Yum India and operations have been split into three divisions — one each for KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

3) Focus on expansion: With this strategic development, Yum! is targeting at achieving compelling growth strategies, distinct investment characteristics and optimised capital structures by focusing on India as a key development market. The QSR chain is planning more investmenst in Tier II and III cities as they find the customers in those cities more experimental.

McDonald's, the world largest burger chain, is focusing on delivery business, brand extension and innovation this year to give a boost to its revenues in the country.

The brand which has entered into 20th year of operation into the Indian market, will sharpen focus on innovation, delivery business, and brand extensions like McCafe in 2016, that have "significantly boosted" the company's revenues in the past year, Smita Jatia, MD of Hardcastle Restaurants, the master franchisee of McDonald's India (West and South) told PTI.

Major focus

"We are emphasising on innovation, and our brand extensions like McCafes and our delivery business, which have significantly added to our revenues," shared Jatia.

The fast-food chain is also betting on alternative, healthy offerings in the face of competition. "We have a slew of innovations in our menu that we will unveil this year," Jatia said.

McDonald's is facing competition from other international chain of restaurants, most recently Burger King, besides Domino’s, Pizza Hut and Dunkin Donuts among others, and food-on-demand delivery services.

However, Jatia says that the entire category is still nascent, and needs to mature. "The more the category grows, the better for our business," she said.

The burger category is growing at a healthy clip along the western fast food category, which is growing at 13-15 per cent every year, based on industry estimates.

Betting big on deliveries

With advent of food-tech business and growth of delivery players, McDonald's says that its home-deliveries have tripled in last seven years riding the wave of food technology.

"Our overall deliveries have tripled in the past seven years, and it's a good time to focus on building it," Jatia added. "Nearly 40 per cent of revenues from the McDelivery Service comes from online ordering, and it up from single digits in just three years," she added.

McDonald's India had said last year that it is stepping up its operations in the western and southern markets by doubling its outlets by 2020 from the present 216 with an investment of Rs 750 crore.

McCafes were introduced in 2014, and there are about 62 so far, which is expected to go up to 140 by 2017, the company had said.

In the last few months, fast food restaurants have done strategic partnership with technology players and IT people to bet big on the technology part.

From players like Burger King, which started selling its whopper online before its official launch in India, to recently teaming up with Swiggy, the food delivery player, to fasten its delivery services, these chains are focusing much more on the technology part of the business.

Likewise, Johnny Rockets, the global restaurant chain, announced the appointment of Harry Yu to the position of Senior Director of Information Technology. Yu has more than twenty years of experience analyzing, developing and implementing the IT infrastructure and operational improvements for a variety of brands.

Harry Yu joins the Johnny Rockets team from Amazon.com, where he was responsible for the Amazon fulfilment centres, managing IT operations, services, governance and budget control. He trained and managed a team of engineers and technicians and was part of the group responsible for launching Amazon's world-class fulfilment centres. Earlier to joining Amazon.com, Yu headed up IT for Fresh Enterprises, the parent company of Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill and Canyons Burger Company.

"Harry is an important addition to our team," said James Walker, President of Development and Operations at Johnny Rockets.

"Over the last two years, Johnny Rockets has become more information and data driven. We are committed to continue our investment in state-of-the-art technology at our restaurant support centre and in our restaurants in both domestic and international markets. Harry will be instrumental in helping us align our business strategies with our IT strategies and working with us to build new ways to engage our restaurant guests and our stakeholders", he added.

Harry Yu will report to James Walker at Johnny Rockets corporate headquarters in Aliso Viejo, CA.

Meanwhile, the two year old start-up, Sattviko, has also acquired Call A Meal, a Jaipur based delivery start-up to fasten its delivery services

Every food brand introduces innovation in its offering to enhance its business and increase footfall. This is highly important as customers demand novel experiences and are keen on trying something new. So, once a concept is introduced in market, how does one spread it across? Here is where franchising comes into play. Franchising is all about carrying forward the consistency and helping in delivering the same customer experience across all outlets of the brand.

The combined F&B service market is worth INR 204,438 crore, growing at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23-24% and is expected to touch INR 380,000 crore by 2017. According to FICCI Report 2015, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) and casual dining are the two most popular formats that form 45% and 32% of the overall market respectively.

Burgers dominate a large portion of QSR segment. Let us explore how franchisors are increasing the size of their bite in burger market.

Black burgers at national and international front

One of the leading hamburger chains of the world, Burger King is a US based brand. The system operates more than 14,000 locations in approximately 100 countries and the US territories. Almost 100% of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees. The brand had introduced black burgers in Japan last year. Recently it announced the launch of black burgers in the UK. The black burger is a part of the limited edition Burger King Halloween line up that will be available at participating restaurants nationwide until 31st October, 2015.

Commenting on this growing trend, Matthew Bresnahan, Marketing Director, Northern Europe, the Middle East & Africa says, “The introduction of the black burger in Japan created a lot of excitement for Burger King fans, with many people in the UK, interested in trying the burger. We love creating new and innovative experiences for our guests and we felt that Halloween was the perfect occasion to satisfy this demand.”

South African brand, Barcelos introduced black burgers in India in May, 2015. Sharing a word on the influence casted upon the market by these exquisite burgers, Rohit Malhotra, Head of Operations, Barcelos says, “Black burger has changed the dynamics of business. Sales have shot up. People are coming just to experience the product. We have seen a lot of tourists who have stepped in just to have a taste of this product. This apparently has affected the sale of other items as well in the menu with the overall impacted footfall.”

The increasing colour quotient

When black burgers have already impacted the business scenario, brands are coming up with other colouring concepts in the market. Carl's Jr. is a US - based brand, operated by CybizBrightStar Restaurants, owned by Gurgaon-based CybizCorp, through a Master Franchise agreement with Carl's Jr. Restaurants, LLC. For Carl's Jr. colours should not overrule the health aspect. The brand recently introduced lettuce wrap, which is a form of green burger for the brand. “We will introduce coloured burgers using natural colours. Haldi can be used for yellow burger and spinach for green burger,” says Sana Chopra, Executive Director, Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC. When it comes to colours, Barcelos has launched red and white burgers also.

Introducing healthy options

Burger was introduced in the Indian market almost two decades ago, which is not a very long time for such a vast country. However, what was considered a snack or a junk item initially, has now become a complete meal. The brands have started to serve healthy variants of burgers. There are gourmet burgers and burgers with different bread options. The brands are catching up international market trend. Malhotra of Barcelos says, “Burgers in India come in local or regional flavours. International brands to domestic players, all are coming up with flavours to satisfy the local palates. Internationally giant burger and steak burger are in trend.” Carl's Jr. has come up with honey oats and wheat option focusing on the health portion.

Customisation for Indian appetite

The Indian palate is unique. Indians seek Indian flavors in international cuisines. Sana of Carl's Jr. India says, “We have done extensive research and development and come up with a menu that caters to guests who are biased to Indian flavors as well as non-India flavors. On one side, we have a Chargrilled Tandoori Pepper Chicken Filet Burger or a Chargrilled Paneer Tikka Burger, which are spicy and have very authentic Indian flavors, on the other side we have a Mango Jalapeño Pepper Chicken Filet Burger which is a new product not just in any burger restaurant in India but also for Carl's Jr. globally.”

Burger King also undertook an exhaustive exercise to closely understand Indian meal preferences across tier I and II cities. Rajeev Verman, CEO, Burger King India says, “The diverse menu was accordingly created to ensure quality offerings across price-points. Special emphasis was given to setting up an extensive vegetarian menu.”

Vadapav versus Burgers

“Vadapav is the Indian burger and so are burgers the American vadapav,” says Dheeraj Gupta, Managing Director, Jumboking Foods Pvt. Ltd.

Burger brands operate out of 2000 sq. ft stores, Vadapav brands operate out of 200 sq. ft stores. The use of each has different meaning for the end consumer. The problems will begin if burger brands decide to launch 200sq ft stores. As long as each of them sticks to their knitting, both will complement each other. The Indian market today is too large for there to be a vadapav versus burger war.

Adding to the heat in the Indian burger market, Californian premium burger brand, Carl’s Jr. has announced its nationwide brand launch date as August 8th, 2015 at the Select Citywalk mall complex in Saket.

The burger chain, along with sister brand Hardee’s, collectively owns over 3500 restaurants across 35 countries. Carl’s Jr. will be introducing a specially designed menu dedicated to the Indian palate along with unique offerings such as beer on tap and an all-you-can-drink soft beverages bar.

Commenting on the launch, Sam Chopra, Group Chairman, Cybiz Corp said, “We are extremely excited to announce that Carl’s Jr. is now arriving in India. These are exciting times for the QSR space, especially the burger market. We are confident that customers will enjoy the differentiated gourmet experience that our premium brand offers and are looking forward to the launch.”

The brand is being brought to India by Cybiz BrightStar Restaurants Pvt. Ltd, owned by Gurgaon based Cybiz Corp, through a master franchise agreement with CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., (“CKE”), parent company of Carl’s Jr.

Expressing views on the matter, Sana Chopra, Executive Director, Cybiz BrightStar Restaurants said: “Carl’s Jr. is bringing distinct offerings targeted at young hungry guys and gals. Carl’s Jr.’s mix of casual dining ambience, gourmet food quality and QSR speed of service will finally eliminate the consumer’s conundrum of choosing between speed and quality. We are globally known for excellent quality and wholesome products and those same stringent standards have been applied to the Indian market as well.

Ever since global brands have entered the Indian market, they have something lucrative to offer to the hungry Indian customers. And with competition getting tougher at the fast food segment, these brands are coming up with value added offers to shower on customers.

Food giants like Domino’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonald’s and Subway, amongst others, have come up with many such offers to overcome their same stores sales drop which has highly affected the QSR market in India. McDonald’s which was amongst the first global majors to tap the Indian market, entered India by opening its first outlet in October 1996 at Vasant Vihar, Delhi. Since then, it has seen several ups and downs in its operation in the last 19 years. The master franchisee for the brand in India, Hardcastle Restaurants (HRPL) serves approximately 185 million customers, annually, at its 202 (as of December 31, 2014) McDonald’s restaurants across 24 cities in the states of Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Madhya Pradesh, and provides direct employment to over 7,500 employees.

But despite all these growth, the brand has to face repetitive fall in the same store sales, closing few of the outlets and coming up with various techniques to draw fair business from the Indian market. McDonald’s operates through various formats and brand extensions including standalone restaurants, drive-thru’s, 24/7, McDelivery, and dessert Kiosks in the Indian markets. Not only this, the brand included McCafe outlets at a few of its McDonald’s outlet, tapping the cafe customers in the market. The brand recently announced to open over 150 McCafes in 3-5 years by actively opening these outlets in South India. McCafe will take the expression “let's talk over a cup of coffee" to a whole new level with its aromatic coffees and flavoured teas that can be enjoyed in a relaxing ambience. The brand said in a release issued during the launch of McCafe in Bengaluru.

Commenting on the same, Smita Jatia, Managing Director - Hardcastle Restaurants, shares, “With the launch of McCafe, we will strengthen our beverage strategy and build our restaurants as a one-stop destination for all customers to enjoy across all day parts.”

On the other hand, Domino’s Pizza India which enters India in 1995, but began operation in 1996 is successfully running its outlets in the country.  The brand which renamed itself as Jubilant FoodWorks in 2009 has also faced several setbacks in its same store sales. The brands sales in the same quarter, Q3 of FY-15, has seen a 1.9 per cent surge in same-store sales (2.6 per cent decline the year before), despite losses in Dunkin Donuts. Domino's operating in the same space as Yum Brand’s Pizza Hut is bombarding its customers with different offers to maintain its sales in the country. Having claimed that India is the largest market for Domino’s outside the US, the brand has lots more in its menu to offer to the ever rising demands of the customers.

On the same lines, Yum Brands which is struggling globally has announced to close its few outlets globally, operating brands like KFC, Pizza Hut and TacoBell in the country. Yum which competes with Domino’s in the pizza space may threaten Domino’s business speculates experts. On the other hand, its KFC business which has been cold in the last few months is seeing new items on the menu to beat the drop in sales. KFC, fresh off a campaign for a fiery brand of preparation, claims to have met with success with its menu innovations.

Earlier talking to a national daily, Dhruv Kaul, CMO, KFC India, shared, "There is a faster uptake of our menu innovations. In the past, our branded beverage Krushers and Fiery Grilled chicken have done well. Our legacy of consistent innovation is not a reaction to competition."

Meanwhile, the entry of other global competitors like Burger King, Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr in the same segment may give these iconic chains a stiff competition as these brands have spent a lot of time in researching about the Indian market to take on well established brands in the market.  Thus, we can say that the fast food or the quick service space in the country will have lots of spice in their operations competing with each other in the same race.

Today’s vast landscape of digital and social media tools have provided more opportunities for restaurants to connect with guests, but with limited budgets and time, restaurateurs are still struggling to choose the most effective mix of marketing and loyalty solutions, according to new industry research conducted by LivingSocial.

“We know restaurateurs have little confidence in the value of their overall marketing spend as they keep experimenting to get more bang for their buck”

In the LivingSocial “Restaurants Trends & Insights for 2015” report, 68 percent of restaurateurs in the survey cited limited marketing budgets and 49 percent of respondents noted trouble tracking the real ROI of marketing investments as top marketing challenges.

And more than a third indicated that managing customer interactions online was another top issue that their businesses faced.

Restaurateurs said they recognize the growing importance of social channels to interact with patrons, build their brand and manage their reputation, but effectively maintaining the sheer number of channels has become a complex problem.

“With the addition of these social media tools, the number of marketing channels that today’s restaurants use is so varied and broad that it’s not a surprise that making sense of the marketing mix can be overwhelming,” said Doug Miller, Chief Revenue Officer, LivingSocial.

In terms of growing the business, almost 60 percent of respondents said they plan to offer new or additional menu items, while exactly half of them said they would adjust their promotional mix to maximize ROI.

At the same time, a majority of survey respondents (86 percent) said they rely on their own experience or the advice of others to make marketing decisions without the help of any supporting data.

“We know restaurateurs have little confidence in the value of their overall marketing spend as they keep experimenting to get more bang for their buck,” said Miller. “There is an information gap which presents an important opportunity to help restaurant merchants have more visibility and better tools to understand the performance of those marketing investments and to make smarter decisions.”

Meanwhile, respondents identified the months of January, February, July and August as slow months for business. To compensate during these months, those surveyed said they offered special promotions.

Nearly 80 percent of survey respondents think online deal sites, such as LivingSocial, are successful in driving sales; 18 percent stated that online deal sites are more beneficial than other marketing channels.

Sixty-one percent of respondents said they used deal sites two to four times a year, while 17 percent leveraged them five or more times per year.

A majority of restaurateurs find that multiple promotions are successful in driving sales and repeat business but offering a dollar savings with a minimum spend requirement is most successful in meeting both goals.

According to a latest research by researchers at Tufts University in the US the average calories, sodium and saturated fat content is as high in fast food today as these were in 1996, says a research.

The researchers also found little change in fast food portion sizes during the study period - 1996 and 2013, reported IANS.

"Restaurants can help consumers by downsizing portion sizes and reformulating their food to contain less of these over-consumed nutrients," said Alice Lichtenstein from Tufts University in the US.

"This can be done, gradually, by cutting the amount of sodium, and using leaner cuts of meat and reduced-fat cheese," Lichtenstein added.

The researchers also added that a notable exception was seen in trans fat content.

"The decline in trans fat we saw between 2005 and 2009 appears to be related to legislative efforts," Lichtenstein pointed out.

For the study, the researchers analysed the calorie, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat content of popular menu items served at three US fast-food chains between 1996 and 2013.

They found that average calories, sodium and saturated fat stayed relatively constant, albeit at high levels.

The researchers focused on four most popular menu items: fries, cheeseburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, and regular cola.

The findings appeared in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.