Restaurant India News: Sandeep Malik Appointed CEO and Director at Drunken Monkey

Sandeep Malik has entered the food and beverage sector with his appointment as Chief Executive Officer and Director at Drunken Monkey, marking a significant leadership move for the smoothie-led QSR café brand. The appointment comes at a time when Drunken Monkey is preparing for its next stage of growth in both domestic and international markets.

With more than two decades of experience in fashion and lifestyle retail, Malik brings a structured retail mindset to a hospitality business operating in a highly competitive segment. Drunken Monkey currently runs over 43 franchise outlets and has recently expanded its footprint to Abu Dhabi. The brand has outlined plans to scale to 100 stores across India, along with five outlets in the UAE, positioning itself as one of the faster-growing players in the smoothie café space.

The brand’s flagship café in Bengaluru continues to serve as a strategic anchor for its market positioning, helping define operating standards and customer experience as the network expands. As QSR formats face increasing pressure on consistency, margins, and scalability, Malik’s appointment signals a shift toward tighter operational control and long-term sustainability.

Malik brings over 25 years of leadership experience across P&L management, brand launches, omnichannel retail operations, and large-scale execution. His previous senior roles span established organisations such as Bestseller India, Raymond, Reebok, and Sharaf Retail, where he worked across India and international markets. This background is expected to play a key role in shaping Drunken Monkey’s next growth cycle.

At Drunken Monkey, Malik’s mandate focuses on building a disciplined and scalable QSR organisation. Key priorities include strengthening the franchise model, improving unit-level economics, and ensuring a consistent customer experience across locations. As the brand moves deeper into expansion mode, especially in new geographies, operational efficiency and standardisation are expected to be central to its strategy.

Malik’s transition from fashion and lifestyle retail to food and beverage reflects a broader trend of cross-sector leadership moves, as QSR brands increasingly look to retail veterans to navigate scale, profitability, and execution challenges in crowded urban markets.