Burger King enters Indian market with beef-free burger

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

India is the world's second most populated country and a huge huge market. Vegetarian burgers look like they're set for humongous sales in this rapidly modernising market. Have to take our hats off to the Yankees for marketing, they are indeed quick to cash in this market. I personally think that fast food burgers suck, but they sell.

Cheers!


http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Cons...-free-Whoppers

November 11, 2014 9:51 am JST

Burger King enters India with beef-free Whoppers

KIRAN SHARMA, Nikkei staff writer

NEW DELHI -- Burger King, the U.S. fast food chain, opened its first outlet in New Delhi with beef and pork missing from the menu but chicken, lamb and fresh cheese delicacies to entice locals.
The launch of Burger King at the Select Citywalk, a popular shopping mall in the Indian capital, also marked the Miami-based hamburger chain's opening in its 100th country.
"It is fitting that the celebration of our 100th country is happening in India, a vibrant and exciting marketplace," Elias Diaz Sese, president of Burger King Asiapac, said in a statement.
The Burger King brand is being developed in India in partnership with Singapore-headquartered Everstone Capital, an investment company focused on India and Southeast Asia. The pioneering New Delhi outlet is equipped with dual production lines -- one vegetarian and one for meat-based fare. Even the staff on the two sides are different.
Burger King, the second largest hamburger chain in the world after McDonald's, has kept its Indian menu free of beef and pork in deference to the beliefs of Hindus and Muslims. Its team "spent months developing a unique locally sourced menu that has been researched and tested by more than 5,000 customers across 8 cities", the fast food chain said.
Menu includes vegetarian, mutton and chicken Whopper sandwiches, chicken Tandoor grill, and the King's Paneer Melt made from a fresh cheese popular in Indian cuisine.
"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 at Everstone Capital. "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."
Further openings in New Delhi and Mumbai are planned along with expansion into new cities and regions in 2015, the company said.
According to retail consultancy Technopak, the Indian food service market will soar to $92 billion by 2020 from the current $48 billion. Of this, the $3-billion chain restaurant segment is expected to see some of the fastest growth rate, and touch $8 billion by 2020.
"In India, McDonald's is the only significant player, though Dunkin and KFC are also present," Arvind Singhal, chairman and managing director of Technopak, told the Nikkei Asian Review, describing the U.S. fast food presence in India.
"Overall, even if you combine all the three together, their penetration is very, very limited," said Singhal. "Personally, I feel very optimistic about Burger King's entry into India -- I think it will only expand the market further."
Singhal noted that there has been a lot of pressure on the fast food and casual dining restaurants in India over the last three years with high inflation and low consumer income: "In the next 12 months, if the inflation moderates further and consumer spending increases with economic growth, discretionary spending on eating out will increase too. I think it's a good timing for Burger King to open in India."
Singhal also commended Burger King's inclusion of lamb as an alternate meat choice: "They have added lamb which is not there in the product mix of any of the main players in India," he said. "McDonald's doesn't have a lamb burger. As far as red meat goes, at least there is an option at the Burger King restaurant."


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