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McDonald's plans 80 restaurants in India

The world's largest food service chain, McDonald's, plans to have a total of 80 restaurants in India by 2003, including 43 in the northern region.

At present, McDonald's has 29 restaurants in India including 16 in Delhi, ten in Bombay and one each in Jaipur, Pune and on the Delhi-Agra highway. The latest was opened in New Delhi on Saturday, which owners say recreates Lutyen's Delhi by bringing back the colonial era.

Asked about the choice of the theme during the opening of the new outlet, McDonald's Delhi MD Vikram Bakshi told UNI: ''McDonald's aims at preserving the 'historical periods', as has been done by the chain in Greece, France and Italy.''

Connaught Place, which came up largely during the Raj, has a distinct charm, which has been brought alive in the restaurant with Sepia-tinted, stark-framed images of Delhi like the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the India Gate, he added.

Talking about the menu, Bakshi said, ''Food across the chain is usual, with of course regional variations, but more important is the feel of the colonial era, generated by the main colonnade promenade and the central walkway, flanked on either side with customer seating.''

To a query about the fast-paced expansion and the chain's future plans, the MD said, ''Research is conducted twice a year on customer preferences and the basic factor that has emerged is 'convenience'. So, for real expansion, the group plans to open more outlets in residential areas and central shopping places''.

The issue of using beef tallow, which generated a controversy for the chain in May, also came up. Bakshi reiterated McDonald's stand that while beef was the main ingredient all over the world, it had never been used in India.

Having due regard for customer preferences and Indian culture, beef was never used in the preparations. Moreover, after the inspection conducted by the Bombay Municipal Corportion in seven restaurants, ''our stand has been vindicated,'' he claimed.

As part of its social initiatives, the chain is also looking forward to a tie-up with the Delhi Traffic Police for road safety programmes said Daljeet Kataria, the restaurant's marketing executive.

When asked about the turnover of the 'complete family restaurant', Bakshi said, ''It is corporate information which we do not disclose''. However, with an average of about 4,000 people coming to each restaurant every day, an estimate of the turnover could be made, he quipped.

UNI

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