Explore the five largest “made in India” burger chains, distinguished not only by their extensive retail presence but also by their significant impact on the global fast food scene
Bengaluru: Burgers, once considered an exotic indulgence in the culinary landscape of India, have now become an ubiquitous delight, embraced by people of all ages and backgrounds. As the nation’s appetite for fast-food items continues to grow, a wave of homegrown burger brands has emerged, redefining the burger experience with their unique flavours, innovation and a dash of desi inspiration.
The Indian QSR market, currently estimated at $16.72 billion in 2023, is poised for remarkable expansion, with projections suggesting it will soar to $32.22 billion by 2028, at a staggering compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.2%, as per global market research firm Infogence Global Research. Undoubtedly, the fast food burger chains in India are playing a pivotal role in this phenomenal growth within the QSR segment.
Let’s discover the five largest “made in India” burger chains, (arranged in descending order of store count) that are making their mark in the world of fast food, celebrating the rich tapestry of Indian flavors while delivering a truly global culinary experience.
Jumboking
Vegetarian burger chain Jumboking (JK) was incepted in August 2001 by Dheeraj Gupta with its first restaurant at Malad, Mumbai.
He started his business to sell vada pav with an initial investment of ₹2 lakh according to The Economic Times. The outlet was initially named Chaat Factory, and vada pav was sold at ₹5. The name was later changed to Jumbo King and in 2015 it repositioned itself as a burger brand.
Presently, Mumbai-based the burger chain boasts a presence of over 155 stores scattered throughout cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad, with 116 outlets concentrated within Mumbai itself, according to the company’s official website.
Biggies Burger
Biggies Burger was founded in November 2011 by Biraja Rout, an IT professional turned entrepreneur. The brand operates under the umbrella of Bengaluru-based Beamer Food & Beverages.
The burger chain started as a small kiosk in Electronic City, Bengaluru and after the launch of two prime outlets, it introduced franchising in 2016. The company runs two formats of the quick service burger chain – regular outlets and Bigg Cafés (gourmet burger café similar to Burger King’s BK cafe) which was introduced in January 2023.
Today, the homegrown burger brand operates over 152 franchise stores in 28 cities and 14 states across the country as of February 2023. It is also aiming to open 306 outlets by end 2023 with a plan to launch 10 stores each month, Rout told IndiaRetailing
Burger Singh
Burger Singh was founded in 2014 by Kabir Jeet Singh with the launch of its first outlet in the city of Gurugram.
The concept for the brand took shape when Kabir was working at a burger shop in the UK while pursuing his studies. He noticed a distinct absence of spices in the food, prompting him to experiment by introducing a spice blend to the burgers, which quickly gained popularity among customers and classmates. In 2008, upon his return to India and armed with knowledge about the logistics of running a business, he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey.
Today the burger chain has over 150 outlets across 14 states and more than 56 cities with another 12 franchises under fit-outs across the country. The brand is also known for being the first Indian burger chain to establish an international presence with three outlets and one food truck in London, according to a previous press release.
The Haryana-based brand aims to open over 1,000 outlets by 2026, as per the brand website.
The Burger Company
The Burger Company was founded in 2018 by Neelam Singh, and it commenced its journey with the opening of its first outlet, occupying a compact 250 sq. ft. space in Gurugram. In 2020, the company embarked on its franchising journey.
The brand was born from the vision of a young small town girl who dreamed of creating a chain of cafes, with a primary focus on tier 2 and tier 3 cities. In 2017, Singh made the decision to leave her corporate job and embark on her entrepreneurial journey.
As of today, the bootstrapped brand has expanded its presence to encompass more than 100 outlets in 40 cities throughout the country. Also it has successfully fulfilled over 15 lakh orders to date.
Currently, the brand is on track to achieve a store count of more than 175 outlets by the end of 2023, as per its website.
Wat-A-Burger
Wat-a-Burger was founded by Farman Beig and Rajat Jaiswal in February 2016, with the launch of its first outlet located at Sector-18, Noida.
The brand is known for its emphasis on Indian flavors with desi recipes offering consumers a taste of fusion burgers in a market dominated by US fast food quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains. In 2021, the brand celebrated the milestone of its 50th outlet.
At present, the burger chain has a network of more than 65 company-owned and franchise-owned outlets spanning across more than 27 cities and 15 states nationwide. The cities include Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Guwahati, Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, Muzaffarpur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kozhikode, and Gurugram. According to the brand’s website, they have successfully sold over 2.5 lakh burgers to date.
