To further strengthen its position in the Indian market, popular QSR chain McDonald’s is planning to open several new outlets to cross the total store count of 250 by the end of the current calendar year.
“We currently have 211 restaurants across the country and plan to have over 250 outlets by the end of the ongoing calendar year,” says Vikram Bakshi, MD and JV partner for McDonald’s India (North and East), in an exclusive interaction with IndiaRetailing.
He stresses the company plans to extend its presence in tier I and II cities, while continuing to increase accessibility in metros. “We are targeting to open around 40 stores across India with a total investment of around Rs.150 crore,” he adds.
Maintaining that Punjab and Delhi-NCR remain key focus area for McDonald’s, Bakshi says, “Though we have a significant number of restaurants in these regions, we feel these markets are still underserved and offer tremendous scope for expansion. We are also looking at fueling our growth in Eastern India.”
On the company’s expansion strategy, Amit Jatia, vice chairman, McDonald’s India (West and South), shares, “We intend to open 35-40 restaurants year-on- year. Our focus is to expand the presence in cities where we are already present, with special focus on South India, where 50 per cent of the expansion will take place.”
McDonald’s serves more than six lakh customers on a daily basis across India. On an average, a McDonald’s outlet covers an area of 2,500-3,500 sq.ft depending on the location and format.
– Juhi Sharma
