It ain't the Burger, stupid!

Its never about the burger, Its the Burger business, stupid!

Now that's something Indian Fast Food wannabes must keep in mind. The McDonald's Juggernaut ensures that the Burger Business is almost rocket science. The result? The consumer is fed on a product that is standardised to the point of perfection. Also , the Burger system is perfected to the point where the standardised output rolls out exactly the same, day in, day out. The process behind the burger is near perfect.

Can you beat that? If you can't, don't take the leader head on. The Indian Food and Beverage market is mouth watering enough for home grown business groups to step in. The Rs 25,000-crore food and beverage market looks set for a new crop of homegrown players to take on the global biggies in the eating-out arena. At least 12-15 new Indian brands, across formats, are opening shops to compete with McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, Domino’s Pizza.

Savour this: Lite Bites—the Amit Burman and PVR Cinemas JV—is rolling out Asia 7 and Fresc Co to add to its existing platter of Street Foods of India (SFI), Punjab Grill and Bakers Street. Similarly, RHW Management—promoter of The Great Kabab Factory (TGKF) and Superstars—will launch two new brands, Chinese and Italian, by the next year. That apart, the Rs 7000-crore Alchemist Group is also investing Rs 1,300 crore in its F&B foray. It has recently launched its chain of quick-service restaurant (QSR), Republic of Chicken (ROC), and plans to start brands of fine-dining restaurants of varied cuisine.

While most upmarket streets are dominated by the presence of international players, food courts in malls have given some visibility to local players at lower rentals. But to get higher footfalls, Indian brands are eyeing transit points and unconventional set-ups such as hospitals. So if Kwality is present in Fortis and Apollo, besides other hospitals, RHW Management and Lite Bites are in talks with airport and railway authorities to set up shop.