Burger King opens beef-free restaurant in India
Global fast food giant Burger King Worldwide, Inc. (Burger King) has opened its first Burger King restaurant in New Delhi in India.
The opening marks not only its debut in India, but also a milestone for the Burger King brand, which is now operating in its 100th country.
“It is fitting that the celebration of our 100th country is happening in India, a vibrant and exciting marketplace,” said Elias Diaz Sese, president, Burger King Asiapac, Pty. Ltd. “I’m excited about our potential in India and believe we have the right partner and experienced team to make this market a success for the Burger King brand,” he said.
Founded in 1954, Burger King is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world. The Burger King system operates in approximately 14,000 locations serving more than 11 million guests daily in nearly 100 countries and territories worldwide. Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations.
Vegetarian and non-vegetarian dual production lines
The debut restaurant opened on Sunday, November 9, 2014 in India at Select Citywalk, Saket, New Delhi, a location that Burger King said was chosen for its reputation as one of the best malls in the country in terms of traffic and business generation and a top destination for guests living in and around New Delhi. The restaurant is equipped with a dual production line (one each for vegetarian and non-vegetarian products) and the staff managing the vegetarian and non-vegetarian products are different.
Burger King said it spent months developing a unique locally sourced menu, which was researched and tested by more than 5,000 customers across 8 cities. Some of the products include The Vegetarian WHOPPER sandwich, The Mutton WHOPPER sandwich, The Chicken WHOPPER sandwich, The Chicken Tandoor Grill, and The King’s Paneer Melt.
The opening was preceded by a full week of celebratory activities leading up to the brand’s debut including a promotion allowing guests to pre-order a WHOPPER sandwich online on eBay — 1,200 WHOPPER sandwiches were sold in 36 hours — and a special invitation-only tasting for food critics from across Delhi followed by a pressure test game hosted by renowned TV show hosts Rocky and Mayur, former emcees of the NDTV Good Times National Food Awards, and Celebrity Chef Vicky Ratnani, host of “Vicky Goes Veg” on NDTV Good Times.
Joint venture with Everstone Capital
Burger King India Private Limited is a joint venture formed last year by BK Asiapac, Pte. and Everstone Capital, a leading India and South East Asia focused investor with dedicated private equity and real estate funds, to develop the Burger King brand in India. Similar joint ventures established in China, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and France have contributed to industry-leading global restaurant growth for the Burger King brand. Burger King said entry into a large and complex market like India was “a further example of BKW’s commitment to deliver on its aggressive international growth strategy”.
Founded in 2006, the Everstone Capital is a leading India and South East Asia focused investor with private equity and real estate funds. Headquartered in Singapore, the firm has around 150 people working across five offices (Singapore, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Mauritius).
“We are extremely pleased to launch this iconic brand into one of the largest and most dynamic consumer markets in the world,” said Sameer Sain, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Everstone Capital.
“We have managed to successfully combine the Burger King brand philosophy of exceptional taste, fresh ingredients and good value with Indian flavours and locally sourced produce,” Mr Sain said. “The response has been overwhelming and we look forward to delivering exceptional food and an extraordinary guest experience as we continue to open outlets across the country,” he said.
The restaurant opening in New Delhi is expected to be followed by additional openings in New Delhi and Mumbai as well as expansion into new cities and regions in 2015.
