-KH News Desk
Taco Bell is a unit of American restaurant major Yum Brands Inc. serving Mexican cuisine.Recently, Taco Bell’s master franchise partner, Burman Hospitality has decided to invest over $100 million to speed up its pan-India expansion plan by spreading its presence across 19 cities in India, with a goal being set to open its 100th outlet later this month and plans to increase the number to 600 in the medium term soon.
Gaurav Burman, director of Burman Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, commented; “We are investing aggressively in new stores. We’re hoping to open our stores every three to four days over the next few months. We’re investing obviously in headcount. We are 3,000 people now. We’re investing in the head office, we’re building a great team where we’re getting more and more people that understand the brand in India…our plan is to continue investing,”
Currently, India is the fastest growing and among the largest markets outside the US and Canada, said Julie Masino, president of Taco Bell International, Yum Brands, stating that it is almost the largest growing communities in context, compared to Spain and UK, who have crossed 100- stores by count.
In 2019, Burman Hospitality signed the master franchise agreement with Taco Bell India. That time, the goal was set to the target of opening 600 stores by 2029. Luckily, the store countsdoubled between October 2021 and August 2022, signalling a wider acceptance of its taste for tacos and burritos in India.
The company continues to localize its menu and open outlets in tier II and III cities. Meanwhile, the chain has also localized sourcing of raw material and worked on improving the supply chain, apart from building a brand presence across malls, high streets, and food courts, said Burman, adding that the strike of Covid was what delayed the progress, unfortunately as an obstacle.
QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) chains are rapidly expanding after the pandemic led consumers to shift to organized fast food chains. A recent report in June by Yes security stated that the growth for QSR in India rises by consumer preference for online food ordering, giving Taco Bell the benefit of better growth.
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