NEW DELHI: McDonald’s India North and East is set to double the number of outlets it operates to 300 in three years on the back of rising footfalls and strong consumer sentiment. In addition, the company is in the process of modernising its existing restaurants, having managed to revamp 36 outlets so far.
“The restaurants are old. We had to re-image them,” said Sanjeev Agrawal, chairman and development licensee, McDonald’s India North and East. “Our plan is to overhaul 150 outlets in two years. ”
Agrawal took over the reins of the McDonald’s business in north and east India in 2020 from the US burger giant, which had managed to pry it away from its long-estranged partner Vikram Bakshi the previous year after a lengthy legal battle that led to an outof-court settlement. While Bakshi and McDonald’s operated Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL), a 50:50 joint venture (JV), the sandwich maker’s other business in India is led by Amit Jatia’s Hardcastle Restaurants, which manages operations in south and west India.
“We are turning our focus to West Bengal, Rajasthan and UP next after having streamlined operations in Punjab and Delhi NCR,” Agrawal, who also runs one of Coca-Cola’s largest domestic bottling operations, told TOI.
The push for rapid expansion comes against the backdrop of legacy issues which crept into the business.