Mcdonald's India secures Rs 70 crore funding from its US parent

McDonald's Corporation today announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. 

The QSR chain saw 1.5 per cent decrease in global comparable sales, with 0.3 per cent increase in U.S sale.

The International Operated Markets segment decreased 2.1%, International Developmental Licensed Markets segment decreased 3.5%. However, the consolidated revenues increased 3% (2% in constant currencies).

“We will stay laser-focused on providing an unparalleled experience with simple, everyday value and affordability that our consumers can count on as they continue to be mindful about their spending,” said Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski. 

According to him, the burger chain will continue to follow their Accelerating the Arches playbook to drive long-term growth globally and win in this environment.

“Our strategy is working, and we continue to focus on providing compelling value, generating menu excitement, and using the power of our marketing to capture market share and drive long-term growth,” added Kempczinski.

The company also declared a 6 per cent increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $1.77 per share.

Ever imagined a McDonald’s burger in AI? McDonald's India – North and East is all set to leverage generative artificial intelligence (AI) to launch its new ‘Signature Collection’ of gourmet burgers. 

The brand has launched ‘Imagined in AI’ campaign, bringing to life gourmet burgers by combining user-provided inputs with AI-generated visuals, offering customers a unique, interactive experience with the brand along with a chance to avail exciting offers. 

Each McDonald’s customer becomes a culinary expert figuratively, as they use an AI chatbot to imagine a gourmet burger. The chatbot will prompt users to select from a diverse range of ingredients from classic favourites to unique, exotic options, and creative combinations to craft a gourmet burger that brings gastronomical dreams to life. 

Through this initiative, McDonald’s aims not just to engage customers but also involve them by inculcating their imagination in its upcoming collection much ahead of the official launch.  

Once customers have imagined their signature burgers, they get the chance to join the exclusive McDonald's Signature Collection Club and avail exclusive offers. 

How to Participate
•    To participate, customers can click the link: ‘Imagined in AI’ to access the AI chatbot. 
•    Start imagining McDonald’s Signature burgers, after agreeing to general T&Cs.
•    Imagine all ingredients (bun, patty, exotic veggies).
•    Voila, welcome to the Signature Collection Club. 
•    Customers can collect their reward card from their nearest McDonald’s restaurant (in North and East India). 

The Signature Collection of burgers will be available across select McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India starting 4 September 2024 and will be gradually available across rest of the restaurants in the region.

McDonald’s India - North and East has strengthened its coffee presence with the opening of 50th McCafé in the region. 

This expansion is a part of McDonald’s India – North and East’s growth strategy, leveraging the key tenets of McCafé, which is McDonald’s in-restaurant, coffee brand making great tasting coffee accessible to coffee lovers around the world.

“We are excited to launch our 50th McCafé offering Barista crafted, great-tasting coffee, served in a warm and welcoming environment at a very affordable price. We are delighted with the rapidly increasing acceptance and preference of our McCafé offerings among our esteemed customers. We plan to rapidly expand our McCafé footprint and keep providing feel good, delicious moments to our customers,” shared Rajeev Ranjan, Managing Director, McDonald’s India - North and East.

McCafé aims to establish a leadership position in the coffee market by offering freshly brewed, Barista crafted, great tasting coffee made with 100% Arabica beans, sourced sustainably (certified by the Rainforest Alliance). 

McCafé offers a range of hot and cold beverages such as Mocha, Hot Chocolate, Americano, Frappé, coolers, shakes and delectable food. McCafé classic cappuccino is priced at Rs. 99 (starting), demonstrating the brand’s continued commitment to affordability. 

Much like McDonald’s, McCafé offers utmost convenience that starts with being situated at convenient locations within McDonald’s restaurants and providing ease of ordering through multiple options including ordering from comfort of a car through drive-thru (mostly on highways), digital self-ordering kiosks inside the premises or delivery for doorstep convenience. 

McDonald’s restaurants in North and East of India are operated by Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd that operates more than 190 restaurants across North and East of India and provides direct employment to more than 5,500 people. 
 

Maharashtra will expand its inspection to global fast-food chain outlets, investigating the misrepresentation of products claiming to contain real cheese but possibly using alternatives.

This scrutiny, which extends beyond the recent McDonald's crackdown aims to ensure accurate labeling and product representation, according to a senior official.

Recent inflationary pressures have impacted the consumption of burgers and pizzas, which are relatively expensive for many Indian consumers, leading global brands to introduce discounted offerings.

This situation poses a potential challenge for these brands as the increased scrutiny from inspections could add further complications.

Westlife Foodworld, the largest franchisee of McDonald's in India, has been asserting the authenticity of its "real cheese" usage following media reports indicating that certain products were found to contain cheese analogues made from vegetable oil instead of genuine cheese during inspections conducted by state authorities last year.

The McDonald's franchisee disputed the findings; however, it opted to remove the term "cheese" from the names of numerous burgers and nuggets sold across the state in December, according to correspondence reviewed by Reuters.

For instance, it rebranded a "corn and cheese burger" as an "American vegetarian burger."

Abhimanyu Kale, the chief of the state's Food and Drug Administration, informed Reuters that inspectors will now conduct visits to all McDonald's outlets, along with those of other major brands, to ensure compliance with display and labeling regulations and to detect any similar violations.

"We intend to inspect every McDonald's outlet," he stated. "Additionally, we will address compliance issues at other popular global fast-food chain outlets," he continued, refraining from disclosing the specific brands under scrutiny.

A senior official from the state government, speaking on condition of anonymity, mentioned that inspectors would be visiting Indian franchise outlets of well-known brands like Domino's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and KFC.

State authorities in India possess the authority to revoke the licenses of restaurants discovered to have violated food and safety regulations in a manner that deceives consumers.

Saurabh Kalra, the managing director of Westlife, which operates McDonald's in western and southern India, expressed readiness for any inspections and emphasized their commitment to maintaining the "highest standards."

Domino's franchise holder Jubilant FoodWorks, Restaurant Brands Asia, which operates Burger King, and Devyani International, responsible for running Yum Brands' Pizza Hut and KFC in India, did not provide responses to queries from Reuters.

Inspired by the country’s love for street food flavors, McDonald’s India – North and East has added an exciting “Chaat Twist” to its McAloo Tikki burger with the launch of Chaat Twist McAloo Tikki burger. Priced at Rs 42, Chaat Twist McAloo Tikki burger is yet another great-tasting burger customized as per Indian taste preferences and comes at an affordable price backed by the safety and hygiene promise of McDonald’s.

Chaat Twist McAlooTikki burger will be available across McDonald’s restaurants for dine-in, take away and drive-thru customers and through McDelivery in the north and east region for a limited period.

This newest addition to McDonald’s menu is a mouth-watering combination of golden crispy vegetarian patty prepared with peas, potato and infused with aromatic spices, clubbed with shredded onions and topped with a tangy, sweet, and spicy green chutney, prepared with a perfect blend of mint, coriander, tamarind, jalapeno chilies, and cumin powder.

Robert Hunghanfoo, Head, CPRL (Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. operates McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India), said, “We are excited to bring the new Chaat Twist McAloo Tikki burger to our customers in North and East India. McDonald’s has a proud legacy of bringing authentic local flavors and Chaat Twist McAloo Tikki burger is yet another option in our vegetarian menu that is close to the Indian taste palate, comes at an affordable price, and great quality that only McDonald’s can offer.”

In its 25th year of operation in the country, McDonald's India - North & East, plans to leverage technology, restaurant modernization, and menu innovation to drive better customer experience and engagement in 2021 and beyond.

With Food safety and quality always at the core, all McDonald’s products go through comprehensive quality checks, from farm to table, so that the customers can enjoy safe and delicious food every time they choose McDonald’s. As a commitment to quality and safety in the current times, McDonald’s India – North and East has introduced the Global ‘Safety+’ program that includes nearly 50-plus process changes in the restaurant operations. Safety+ is a Global system of enhanced hygiene and safety practices that help ensure that every part of the McDonald’s experience is safe for its customers and employees. It builds on more than six decades of safety-first leadership in McDonald’s restaurants.

With a focus on Delivery, McDonald’s India (North and East) has partnered with Swiggy, one of India’s leading food delivery platforms. The partnership with Swiggy will allow McDonald’s to reach out to new customers, offering additional growth potential for its business.

The service will be available through more than 125 McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India.

Robert Hunghanfoo, Head, Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt Ltd, said, “We are excited to be available for customers on Swiggy and are committed to deliver a great experience every time they order from us.”

Delivery is one of the key growth drivers for McDonald’s, not only in India but also globally.

“Delivery provides us a way to both attract new customers and regain customers who have not ordered from us for a while. It also enables us to service and win over those customers who are seeking convenience in this increasingly fast paced world,” Robert added.

Srivats TS, VP Marketing at Swiggy, stated, “We know our consumers love the convenience of getting their favorite dishes right at their doorstep. Through this partnership, we look forward to delighting our consumers in the North and East of India who can now order their McDonald’s menu favourites seamlessly through Swiggy.”

With one of India’s leading food delivery platforms Swiggy on board, McDonald’s will offer increased accessibility and availability of McDelivery to its customers in North and East India.

QSR’s Statistical View

As per a recent report, the Food Industry is no doubt booming at a fast rate, with Full-service restaurants and Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) together accounting for around 73% of the total restaurant industry.

According to the report by the National Restaurant Association of India, the overall restaurant market will touch Rs 510 billion in the next four years, from the current Rs 205 billion. It said that QSR space would be amongst the fastest-growing, touching nearly Rs 250 billion of the overall market in the next few years.

Popularity of QSR in India

QSRs have gained popularity with evolving lifestyles, urbanisation, and growing nuclear families. They are growing faster than the full-service restaurants across the globe due to their quick deliveries and competitive pricing that attract consumers. McDonald’s was the first QSR in India followed by various others such as KFC and Dominos.

QSRs have always been a zone of attraction for both consumers and business investors, making its franchises a lucrative segment for investment. QSR can be a one-stop destination for budding entrepreneurs that are stepping in this industry for the first time.

McDonald’s India (North and East) has announced a new partnership with Zomato, further expanding the availability and accessibility of McDelivery. Customers in North and East India will now be able to order for their favorite McDonald’s food items on Zomato, and get it delivered to their doorsteps.

The service will be available through more than 125 McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India.

Rudra Kishore Sen, Senior Director, Operations and Training, McDonald’s India (North and East), said, “At McDonald’s, we are constantly looking for new and convenient ways to serve our customers, whether they are dining-in, or picking up their food on-the-go via our drive-through restaurants or ordering through McDelivery. We are excited to make McDelivery accessible to customers on Zomato, one of India’s leading online food delivery platforms, making it even more convenient for them to enjoy their favorite McDonald’s menu items.”

Mohit Sardana, Chief Operating Officer (Food Delivery), Zomato, stated, “It is absolutely wonderful to partner with a brand that revolutionized the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) segment in our country. Indians have endorsed, loved and cherished McDonald’s for more than two decades, and there’s only one thing to be said on Zomato now empowering McDelivery – I am lovin it.”

The partnership with Zomato has added a new dimension of convenience to McDonald’s core of serving great tasting food to the customers every day. Zomato’s live order-tracking feature is streamlined with the in-restaurant operation to provide the best experience for diners by delivering their food as hot and fresh as possible.

QSR’s Statistical View

As per a recent report, the Food Industry is no doubt booming at a fast rate, with Full-service restaurants and Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) together accounting for around 73% of the total restaurant industry.

According to the report by the National Restaurant Association of India, the overall restaurant market will touch Rs 510 billion in the next four years, from the current Rs 205 billion. It said that QSR space would be amongst the fastest-growing, touching nearly Rs 250 billion of the overall market in the next few years.

Popularity of QSR in India

QSRs have gained popularity with evolving lifestyles, urbanisation, and growing nuclear families. They are growing faster than the full-service restaurants across the globe due to their quick deliveries and competitive pricing that attract consumers. McDonald’s was the first QSR in India followed by various others such as KFC and Dominos.

QSRs have always been a zone of attraction for both consumers and business investors, making its franchises a lucrative segment for investment. QSR can be a one-stop destination for budding entrepreneurs that are stepping in this industry for the first time.

The Changing Behavior of Customers

Standardization across food outlet chains in terms of ambiance, hygiene, easy accessibility, and service has caused an instant interest in the mind of the customers, increasing the QSR’s footfall. QSR’s are helping Indians to warm up the western cuisines.

Despite Indian food being the ultimate winner, cuisines like Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and American are gaining significant popularity because of the curious customers who are willing to experiment with their taste buds.

Seeing the potential of the Indian food industry, more franchisors could be seen entering the QSR segment for marking their existence as a brand.

Inspired by Indian taste palate, McDonald’s has introduced ‘Dosa Masala’ burger to its menu across restaurants in north and east of India. Priced at Rs 59, the new burger is a part of the all-day menu and will be available across all restaurants in north and east of India.

The new Dosa Masala burger is made with a tasty and spicy grilled vegetable patty flavored with a mix of Indian spices, exclusively crafted by McDonald’s for its Indian customers to deliver the iconic taste customers know and love. The patty is topped with a tangy rasam sauce to give a burst of authentic regional flavors, and all that packed in a whole wheat bun topped with black and white sesame seeds.

Ajita Saxena, Director (Marketing), McDonald’s, North and East India, said, “We are excited to bring Dosa Masala burger to our customers in north and east of India. We have a proud legacy of bringing authentic local flavors to our customers. McAloo Tikki is one such menu item that is very popular among our consumers here.”

“With Dosa Masala, we are providing more options in the vegetarian menu, staying close to the Indian taste palate. At McDonald’s, we remain committed to develop products as per the tastes and preferences of our customers,” Saxena added.

McDonald’s recent launch of its breakfast in North & East of India

Recently, McDonald’s launched its popular breakfast menu in the north and east of India, which has received positive feedback from the customers.

The menu offers a choice of breakfast options such as Veg McMuffin, Egg & Cheese McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin, Egg & Sausage McMuffin, Hotcakes, Hash brown along with coffee and available beverages.

Adding delight to the mornings, McDonald’s is offering the choice of a complimentary beverage with Veg McMuffin or Egg & Cheese McMuffin. Additionally, dine-in customers can enjoy unlimited coffee refills during breakfast hours.

Saxena stated, “Our customers are at the core of everything that we do at McDonald’s. We have been receiving continuous customer feedback to bring the breakfast menu back in North and East of India. We are excited to launch breakfast with a variety of menu items. We look forward to their continuous patronage.”

McDonald’s top priority is to deliver overall value with the highest quality restaurant experience to the customers by offering hot, fresh, great-tasting food with fast, friendly service, in a welcoming, comfortable environment. Consumer’s willingness to explore different options makes McDonald’s breakfast a great choice.

McDonald’s has launched its popular breakfast across restaurants in North and East of India. The menu offers a choice of breakfast options such as Veg McMuffin, Egg & Cheese McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin, Egg & Sausage McMuffin, Hotcakes, Hash brown along with coffee and available beverages.

Currently, select restaurants across North and East of India will serve breakfast between 8 am to 11 am with extended timings in highway Drive-thru restaurants. McDonald’s breakfast will also be available through McDelivery.

Adding delight to the mornings, McDonald’s is offering the choice of a complimentary beverage with Veg McMuffin or Egg & Cheese McMuffin. Additionally, dine-in customers can enjoy unlimited coffee refills during breakfast hours.

Ajita Saxena, Director, Marketing, McDonald’s, North and East India, said, “Our customers are at the core of everything that we do at McDonald’s. We have been receiving continuous customer feedback to bring the breakfast menu back in North and East of India. We are excited to launch breakfast with a variety of menu items. We look forward to their continuous patronage.”

McDonald’s top priority is to deliver overall value with the highest quality restaurant experience to the customers by offering hot, fresh, great-tasting food with fast, friendly service, in a welcoming, comfortable environment. Consumer’s willingness to explore different options makes McDonald’s breakfast a great choice.

“Our breakfast menu items are very popular across the globe and we are sure that our customers here will love it too,” Ajita added.

Among the must-try items in the McDonald’s breakfast menu are the fluffy steamed Hotcakes that are served with butter and maple flavoured syrup. McDonald’s coffee is made with 100% Arabica beans. 

McDonald’s to soon bring its first-ever fully vegan meal in the UK

McDonald's will soon launch its first-ever fully vegan meal, joining a growing list of fast food restaurants selling fully vegan meals in the UK. The move follows the likes of KFC and Greggs in introducing vegan options.

The brand will launch its Veggie Dippers meal, including vegan nuggets, served with chips and a soft drink, in the UK on 2 January.

The new dippers of McDonald's are made of rice, red peppers, tomato pesto and split peas, fried in breadcrumbs. This product will be fried separately from products containing meat and will be served with McDonald's UK chips, which are vegan-friendly.

The recent development by McDonald's comes as restaurants are capitalising on increasing demand from UK customers for vegetarian and vegan food options.

The fast food chain announced that in the last 12 months it had seen an 80% uplift in customers ordering vegetarian options.

McDonald's will soon launch its first-ever fully vegan meal, joining a growing list of fast food restaurants selling fully vegan meals in the UK. The move follows the likes of KFC and Greggs in introducing vegan options.

The brand will launch its Veggie Dippers meal, including vegan nuggets served with chips and a soft drink, in the UK on 2 January.

Animal rights activists Peta said, “A vegan meal was the very definition of a happy meal.”

The new dippers of McDonald's are made of rice, red peppers, tomato pesto and split peas, fried in breadcrumbs. This product will be fried separately from products containing meat and will be served with McDonald's UK chips, which are vegan-friendly.

The recent development by McDonald's comes as restaurants are capitalising on increasing demand from UK customers for vegetarian and vegan food options.

The fast food chain announced that in the last 12 months it had seen an 80% uplift in customers ordering vegetarian options.

McDonald's is the latest fast food chain to serve vegan products. Greggs unveiled a vegan sausage roll at the beginning of the year, which it credited with boosting sales. Other chains with vegan options are Frankie & Benny's, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Nando's, Papa John's and Pizza Hut.

McDonald's Announces Ian Borden as President, International

Recently, McDonald's has also announced Ian Borden as President, International, effective immediately. He was most recently the President, International Developmental Licensed (IDL) Markets.

Ian Borden will be continuing his reporting to Chris Kempczinski, President and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's. This development follows the appointment of Joe Erlinger to President of McDonald's USA.

Chris Kempczinski, President and Chief Executive Officer, McDonald's, said, “Ian has a proven record of focusing on the customer to deliver profitable business growth while strengthening collaboration with our global franchise community.”

“His deep experiences leading McDonald's in markets across the world uniquely position him to connect the dots to drive strong results. I'm delighted to announce his expanded role for McDonald's and am confident he and the talented leaders in our wholly-owned and developmentally licensed markets will make McDonald's even better throughout the communities in which we operate,” Kempczinski added.

Borden will be assuming oversight for all international markets in his new role. These markets include International Operated Markets (IOM) that comprises all wholly-owned markets outside of the US, in addition to over 80 markets in the IDL segment that he oversees in his current role.

Borden stated, “Our international markets have strong momentum and incredible growth opportunities. I look forward to working closely with franchisees, suppliers and company teams across all of our international markets to strengthen the ties between McDonald's and our customers.”

McDonald’s Corp has named Christopher J. Kempczinski as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Kempczinski replaces Stephen J. Easterbrook, who left McDonald’s following the disclosure that he violated company policy by engaging in a consensual relationship with an employee.

McDonald’s Corp has appointed Kempczinski in 2015, when he was responsible for global strategy, business development and innovation. Recently, he was serving as President of McDonald’s USA.

Enrique Hernandez Jr., Chairman of the board, said, “Chris takes the reins of this great company at a time of strong, sustained performance, and the board has every confidence that he is the best leader to set the vision and drive the plans for the company’s continued success.”

“He has the right mix of skills and experience to lead us forward having run our US business, where franchisees are delivering strong financial and operational results, and overseen global strategy, business development and innovation,” Enrique added.

Joseph M. Erlinger will be replacing Kempczinski as President of the US business. Prior to this new appointment, Erlinger was President of the company’s international business.

McDonald’s Happy Meal is back with Super Mario across all restaurants in North & East (N&E) India. Starting at Rs 147, customers can choose from the current favourites like McAlooTikki Burger, McEgg, Chicken McNuggets, McVeggie Burger, McChicken Burger, with a beverage and a toy.

Customers can collect a toy from the adventurous Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and five other characters from the Super Mario game, every time they buy a Happy Meal.

Happy Meal will now be a regular feature on the restaurant menu in N&E India and McDonald’s will continue to introduce an exclusive collection of toys across its restaurants. Customers across all age groups have largely associated Happy Meal with feelings of nostalgia and great joy along with the special toy that raises the happiness quotient.

Generations across the world have grown up with Happy Meal as well as Super Mario, thus bringing back loving childhood memories that the brand stands for.

McDonald’s has launched new mini outlets with a reduced menu in order to serve its meals faster. The fast food giant’s first mini outlet is opened on Fleet Street in London.

These new outlets will be helping those who don’t have long for lunch, or who need to grab lunch super quickly so that they can get back to their desks. The outlets doesn't have in-store seating as it focuses on takeaways.

In a mini outlet, people don’t have to wait in queues, they will have to order food using a touchscreen. The outlet offers a more limited menu of favourites like Big Macs, McNuggets and Big Flavour Wraps, all of which staff will have ready at peak times.

Henry Trickey, Head of IT for McDonald’s, said, “Changing tastes, new technology and more competition mean we need to continue to innovate. We know that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ and that’s exactly why we are launching McDonald’s to Go.”

“We want to trial different formats in different locations, depending on customer needs,” he added.

McDonald’s has reopened its outlet at City Centre II in Kolkata. This is the first outlet to have relaunched in West Bengal after the US fast-food chain settled an almost six-year-long dispute with estranged partner Vikram Bakshi.

Since May 9, the eight outlets in Kolkata and Durgapur had remained closed. Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt Ltd (CPRL), which operates the chain of quick service restaurants in northern and eastern India, is now wholly owned by McDonald’s India. Earlier, CPRL was owned by Vikram Bakshi. 

Under the out-of-court settlement, McDonald’s bought out for an undisclosed sum Bakshi’s and his entities’ 50% in CPRL.

Rob Hunghanfoo, Head of CPRL, said, “We are thrilled to have started the re-opening process and look forward to serving our customers a more authentic McDonald’s experience. Our CPRL teams have been fully focused on the work needed to prepare the restaurants over the past few weeks, and these openings are the result of their dedication, collaboration and professionalism.”

“We will continue to work around the clock and plan to gradually reopen more restaurants in the coming days and weeks. While we are confident this will result in the best possible experience for our customers, we sincerely regret any inconvenience the continued temporary restaurant closures may cause,” he added.

McDonald’s has 38,000 locations in more than 100 countries, with over 90% owned and operated by local business partners.

McDonald’s breakfast menu gets a makeover as the fast food chain added three new Blueberry McGriddles at over 100 locations in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area for a limited-time test run.

Offering a fruity twist on a breakfast favorite, the new McGriddle sandwiches being tested are the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Blueberry McGriddle; Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Blueberry McGriddle; and the Sausage Blueberry McGriddle.

The fast food giant’s move to bring Blueberry McGriddles came after customers stated that they were looking for a more craveable breakfast option on the go.

Carol Martino, Culinary Innovation Spokesperson for McDonald’s USA, said, “The new breakfast items are the perfect selection to get your day started. The Blueberry McGriddles breakfast sandwich will satisfy both the sweet and savory senses.”

“The flavors from the real blueberries balanced with the sweet taste of maple, reminds me of the blueberry pancakes my mother used to make for us growing up. Imagine that combined with your choice of sizzling breakfast sausage or thick-cut bacon nestled under a creamy slice of American cheese and fluffy egg. It’s everything you love about breakfast in one sandwich,” Martino added.

Carlos Mateos Jr, local McDonald’s franchise owner-operator, stated, “With the testing of Blueberry McGriddles, we are building a better McDonald’s by fulfilling our customers’ desires for a little indulgence at breakfast. We’re excited for our local customers to have the first chance and opportunity to test the limited time only Blueberry McGriddles sandwich and to hearing our customers’ response to this sweet and savory breakfast sandwich.”

Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited (CPRL), now fully owned by McDonald’s, has resumed its McDelivery service in Delhi NCR and select cities in North and East India. However, McDelivery will currently be available at select restaurants only.

CPRL will introduce the web and app ordering platforms. McDonald’s menu items can also be ordered through leading online delivery apps in the future.

A McDonald’s spokesperson said, “We had stopped McDelivery on May 9, 2019, due to the temporary closure of our restaurants in North and East India. We have restarted the service with reopening of our outlets in N&E India now.”

CPRL will further be continuing to re-launch restaurants over the coming days and weeks in North and East India.

McDonald’s is bringing its vegan burgers, named the Big Vegan TS, in Germany. This burger is being described as the “meatless alternative with the real McDonald's taste”.

Nestle is producing the meatless patty for McDonald’s in Germany. The vegan burger patty is made of soy and wheat.

Presently, McDonald’s locations in Finland and Sweden offer a McVegan sandwich.

Most restaurant chains have provided a vegan burger alternative to the standard patties made of meat for a while now. But many meat-eaters have complained about its texture and the taste.

In the past several years, the plant-based protein trend has exploded, particularly with the rise of companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, which produce plant-based burger patties that taste like beef or chicken.

Burger and fries chain McDonald’s India posted its biggest ever loss of Rs 305 crore in the year to March 2017 after writing off investments in licensee partner Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL) due to a five-year old legal dispute with the latter.

McDonald’s India’s northern & eastern business is operated by estranged partner Vikram Bakshi, also managing director of CPRL.

Westlife Development is the master franchisee of McDonald’s restaurants in the eastern and southern markets.

“Considering that CPRL is having significant accumulated losses as of date and considering that the company has terminated all its franchise arrangements in favour of CPRL, the management feels that its investments in CPRL are impaired and accordingly a provision of Rs 198.20 crore has been considered in the financial statements of the company for diminution in value of investments in CPRL,” McDonald’s India said in its latest regulatory filing.

In FY15-16, the fast food chain had a net loss of Rs 2.8 crore. Nearly 22 years after the burger chain entered India, the company is still in the red with accumulated net loss of Rs 422 crore.

The higher loss was also on account of one-time provisions of nearly Rs 105 crore made for the discharge of the tax liability arising from the prolonged litigation with the Indian tax authorities as well as the Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) proceedings. The company is involved in MAP proceedings in terms of transfer pricing additions made on the remittance of royalty to its US-based parent firm between 2004 and 2012.

“To finance losses arising from these one-time adjustments, the company proposes to seek infusion of fresh capital from its shareholders to support the company,” added the filing.

McDonald’s has also increased its authorised share capital to Rs 408 crore during the year by infusing new equity shares worth Rs 90 crore.

McDonald’s had terminated its joint venture with CPRL last August, directing the Bakshi-led CPRL to stop using its brand system, trademark, designs and associated intellectual property. The deadline for compliance ended on September 6, 2017. CPRL, however, continues to operate 164 stores across north and east India.

The Bakshi versus McDonald’s legal battle dates to August 2013 when the latter was fired as the managing director of the joint venture.

Trouble between Bakshi-led CPRL and the 50:50 JV between him and McDonald’s India escalated when Bakshi challenged his removal at the Company Law Board (now National Company Law Tribunal or NCLT), accusing McDonald’s India of mismanagement and oppression.

NCLT had reinstated Bakshi as managing director in July 2017. Bakshi’s allegation was that the termination of the JV by McDonald’s violated an earlier NCLT order which asked McDonald’s Corp to refrain from interfering in the smooth functioning of CPRL. This resulted in NCLT issuing a show cause notice to McDonald’s Corp, which the US chain challenged in the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

McDonald’s flagship store at Park Street, which has been a witness to an eventful decade on the city’s food street, shuts down for good on Saturday.

The sprawling eatery opposite Flurys shuts down after the landlord, Park Street Properties (PSP), secured a favourable court order over a rent dispute with the lessees.

The once illuminated and bustling outlet wore a desolate look with its fancy interiors pulled down. The legal team of PSP inspected the outlet before closing it. One of the owners of PSP said their immediate plan was to restore the place before deciding what to do with it.

On Saturday afternoon, representatives of Dipak Singh and Sanjay Singh (of Munna Maharaj)  the lessees handed over the keys to the sprawling 3,500sqft outlet to the owners after removing all furniture and fittings.

The spat between PSP, owned by the Karnani family, and the Singhs (of the Munna Maharaj fame) has been in the court for the past few years. PSP had filed an eviction suit against Dipak Kumar Singh and Sanjay Singh in 2009-10.

PSP had filed an eviction suit against the lessees due to a dispute over the rent. They got a favourable order, which was challenged in the higher courts. But it was ultimately delivered in PSP’s favour.

CPRL, the Indian franchisee of McDonald’s, is locked in litigation with the American burger brand with the latter barring CPRL from using the brand, trademark and other intellectual properties.

All the five McDonald’s outlets in Kolkata and one in Howrah had been forced to shut before Christmas when Radhakrishna Foodland Pvt Ltd, the authorized supplier to McDonald’s in east and north India, discontinued the supply due to growing uncertainty.

Court representatives visited the Park Street eatery twice over the past six months to serve the court order, but the restaurant continued to operate as there was confusion over who will remove the furniture. PSP was unwilling to take responsibility of the furniture.

Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt Ltd (CPRPL), a McDonald's franchisee, told the Delhi High Court that the US fast-food giant's plea to stop it from using the brand name was an abuse of the process of law.

McDonald's has sought that CPRPL, a 50:50 joint venture of the US company and its estranged Indian partner Vikram Bakshi, be restrained from using its name as the franchise agreement with the Indian entity has been terminated.

CPRPL, on the other hand, told the high court that it has challenged the termination in the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) where it is pending consideration and hence the suit filed by McDonald's was an "abuse of the process of law".

The joint venture (JV) company also told the court that the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had told the fast food giant not to interfere in the management of CPRPL, but this direction was being violated by McDonald's by writing to the suppliers not to supply food products and packaging to the franchisee restaurants.

CPRPL has alleged that by writing to the suppliers, McDonald's has interfered with the affairs of management and is therefore, in contempt of the NCLT direction.

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, before whom the proceedings in the civil suit are going on, listed the matter for further hearing on February 5.

The court on the last date of hearing had declined to pass an interim order restraining CPRPL from selling products under the name of McDonald's.

During the day's arguments, McDonald's told the court that a terminable agreement or contract cannot be enforced and the only remedy was to seek damages.

It also said that re-instatement of Bakshi as the Managing Director of CPRPL would not be a deterrent against termination of the franchise agreement.

Bakshi has been at loggerheads with the fast-food chain over the management of CPRPL after he was ousted from the post of MD of the McDonald's franchisee in August 2013. He had moved the NCLT following termination of the license by McDonald's.

McDonald's in its plea in the high court has contended that the franchisee restaurants were using products and packaging which did not measure up to its quality standards as different suppliers were being used.

The fast food company has sought orders restraining CPRPL and Bakshi from "duplicating the McDonald's system" which pertains to its food and packaging quality standards.

McDonald's Corp and a U.S. labour board are in talks to settle a case claiming the fast food company is liable for purported labour law violations by its franchisees, leading a judge on Friday to pause a trial that began in 2015.

Administrative Law Judge Lauren Esposito in Manhattan said that even though the trial is expected to wrap up as soon as next week, McDonald's, its franchisees, and the National Labour Relations Board's general counsel should have a chance to pursue a settlement.

The office of General Counsel Peter Robb, appointed by President Donald Trump and took office in November, requested the stay on Wednesday. The general counsel said a board decision released last month in a separate case that narrowed the definition of "joint employment" may have wiped out some of the claims against McDonald's.

McDonald's case had been seen as a test of when franchisors may be considered joint employers and required to bargain with unions or be held accountable for franchisees' labour practices.

"McDonald's USA is simply not a joint employer with its franchisees, and we are hopeful that this development will lead to a long overdue and successful resolution of the pending cases” Shared McDonald's spokeswoman Terri Hickey.

Adriana Alvarez, a McDonald's employee in Chicago and an organizer with SEIU affiliate Fight for $15, said in a statement that McDonald's had illegally harassed and fired workers who pushed for higher wages. She said pausing the trial amounted to "a get-out-of-jail-free card" for the company.

National company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday adjourned the hearing of plea filed against fast food major McDonald’s and its Indian Partner Vikram bakshi.

During the proceeding, lawyer of McDonalds informed that the Delhi High Court on October 25 would hear a petition in which it has challenged the show cause notice for contempt issue by the tribunal.

NCLT bench headed by Chairman Justice MM Kumar adjourned the matter to November 7.

MIPL, a subsidiary of McDonald’s had filed a writ petition before the High Court questioning the validity of the contempt notice issued by the NCLT against it. On September 5, NCLT had issued show cause notice to fast food major McDonald’s and McDonald’s India over the contempt plea filed by Bakshi.

Vikram Bakshi had alleged that by terminating its licence the US- based food giant has violated the NCLT order dated July 13 which reinstated him as the managing director of CPRL and also refrained McDonald’s Corporation to interfere in the functioning of CPRL.

McDonald's estranged partner Vikram Bakshi has claimed that 126 outlets in north and east India still continue to operate fully even as the US-based fast food chain said it was taking action to enforce cancellation of its franchise licence.

The group is still operating the outlets in Gurugram, Kolkata, Durgapur and Lucknow operated by Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL).

"Apart from the 43 outlets that are shut for some time, the remaining are open and operating,” shared Bakshi.

There has been uncertainty over the fate of McDonald's outlets operated by CPRL after McDonald's India sent a termination of notice to CPRL last month. McDonald's India had given time till September 5 to CPRL to operate, post which it said the franchise was barred from using McDonald's brand, trademark, and its associated intellectual property, among others.

CPRL runs a total of 169 outlets in north and east India, out of which 43 were shut down in June after expiry of eating house license.

In an unprecedented move, the infighting between Connaught Plaza Restaurants (CPRL), the 50:50 local joint venture between Vikram Bakshi and the US-headquartered McDonald’s that operates the fast food chain in north and east India, and the global burger giant took an ugly turn with the CPRL board deciding to shut down 43 out of 55 restaurants in Delhi from 29 June.

In a statement, the Indian arm of the US-based burger chain confirmed that "the eating house licenses of a number of McDonald’s restaurants in Delhi have expired."

It added that CPRL is working to obtain the required licenses.

Vikram Bakshi, Former Managing Director, CPRL, "It's unfortunate, but operation of 43 restaurants operated by CPRL has been temporarily suspended."

The closure of the restaurants comes against the backdrop of a legal battle between Bakshi and McDonald’s.

In 2013, McDonald’s voted against the re-election of Bakshi as the managing director of CPRL, following which Bakshi challenged his removal in the Company Law Board (CLB), accusing McDonald’s of mismanagement and oppression.

Later in 2013, McDonald’s had revoked the JV agreement and invoked arbitration.

McDonald’s has been pursuing arbitration against Bakshi in the London Court of International Arbitration.

McDonald's India said, "While there are on-going legal disputes, suspending the operations of the restaurants is a collective decision of the CPRL Board of Directors."

Brand strategist Harish Bijoor contends that unless McDonald’s sorts out its legal battle, things might worsen.

"Every passing day is a slur on the frontend brand," he says, adding that there is nothing really bigger than the brand.

McDonald’s operations in west and south India have not been affected. In those markets, its master franchisee rights are owned by a separate company Westlife Development, through its subsidiary Hardcastle Restaurants.

To avoid long lines and waiting by customers, McDonald’s Corp is all set to test its long-awaited U.S. app. But it also wants to avoid the kinds of service mistakes made by digital debuts by companies such as Starbucks Corp.

McDonald's sees mobile as a way to win back customers after four straight years of traffic declines, but the project is not without risks.

Jim Sappington, Executive vice President of operations, digital and technology, McDonald's, said, “We can't impact the speed or the quality of our food. If its famous french fries are served cold or if mobile customers have to wait for orders, you get a question of 'Why did I use the app?',” Sappington said. "Our focus is to make the overall experience clearly better."

McDonald's believes that automating more orders should cut transaction times, reduce errors and free up workers to do things like deliver food to tables or cars in spots designated for mobile orders.

The app will also track a customer's location to ensure that orders are sent to the right restaurant and timed. Along with this, McDonald's is making adjustments in its kitchens, dining rooms and parking lots.

When the customer arrives at the restaurant, the app will ask for confirmation and payment before sending orders to the kitchen.

"It's better to be right than to be first to market," McDonald's Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook said recently.

McDonald’s India has decided to undergo brand transformation by launching a series of concept restaurants with enhanced digital capabilities in Mumbai. It is expecting to open 5-10 outlets in the city in the next 18 months.

McDonald’s brand new ‘experience of the future’ (EOTF) outlet has features like self-ordering kiosks, table service, and has also introduced several healthy options on the menu.

Amit Jatia, Vice- chairman, Westlife Development, said, "This is the next phase of brand transformation for McDonald's in India. We are launching our EOTF outlets in Mumbai first, and will take this to other cities over the next 2-3 years. In the next 1.5 years we could open about 5-10 outlets in Mumbai”.

Westlife Development is the franchise owner of McDonald's in south and west India.

Jatia said, "It intends to have 20 per cent of its restaurants as EOTF in the next 3 years. With EOTF we want to also provide customers with brand new menu choices."

Jatia said, "We are launching farm fresh salads and transitioning existing wraps to wholegrain wraps. The launch follows consumer demand for more variety."

McDonald's India has launched a digital campaign to promote the new update in its delivery app.

The new updated app has now more consumer centric features like maps integration which allows consumers to just drop the pin on the map and know if they're in the delivery service area to get delicious food delivered at their doorsteps and also to customize their favorite burger. The app also has enhanced digital payment solutions and FreeCharge e-wallet for easy cashless transactions.

McDelivery has partnered with Zomato and Food Panda for customers to order McDonald's meal at their doorstep.

Ranjit Paliath, Vice-President, Business Operations, Hardcastle Restaurants, McDonald's India, said, "We launched our McDelivery Services App (MDS app) in 2014 with the objective of providing consumers their loved food at their fingertips. In fact, our web and mobile platforms contribute over 55 percent sales of the total McDelivery business for McDonald's (West & South). With the revamped MDS app, we are confident of connecting more than ever with consumers and offering them easy, personalized and truly useful features."

Kedar Teny, Director- Marketing and Digital, McDonald's India (West & South), said, "The new web film shot for McDelivery showcases an unexpected yet endearing tale of two retired frenemies who later come together over food. It clearly depicts a simple message of offering customer convenience and allowing consumers to enjoy their favorite meal from McDonald's anywhere and anytime of the day."

Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett, South Asia, said, "The joy about working with McDonald's is that in every brief, we have a strong opportunity to build India's most loved food brand. When we heard about McDelivery's new features, we were sure how we wanted to pitch it to our users. Not as a set of features, but as endearing, everyday moments that make up our lives. In this execution, we've achieved that beautiful balance between a story that people want to watch and share, and a product idea that improves our lives."

McDonald's, one of the famous American hamburger and fast food restaurant chain, is planning to introduce other flavours of coffee alongside McCafe brand, as it feels to challenge its rival beverage and snacks brand, which includes Starbucks Corp. and Dunkin' Donuts.

The company will reintroduce the McCafe concept next year, about eight years after it debuted nationwide. The push follows efforts to upgrade its java and get more of its beans from sustainable sources, mimicking a move by its Seattle-based rival.

Kristy Cunningham, Senior VP-strategy and insights, McDonald's U.S., said, "We're really excited about the McCafe brand and what it can do to complement our food offerings."

"The new McCafe campaign will include special deals, more seasonal beverages and increased marketing of the chain's coffee rewards program, she said.

According to research firm Technomic, coffee is still a booming business in the U.S., but fast-food companies haven't been able to capitalize on much of that growth. Sales at burger chains rose just 3.3 percent last year, compared with an almost 10 percent jump for coffee cafe.

Though McCafe generates USD4 billion annually in U.S. sales, it could better cater to customer needs, Cunningham said.

Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts have attracted customers with high-margin espresso, lattes and mochas. Though McDonald's offers a wide range of coffees these days, it hasn't become as much of a go-to source for upscale drinks.

McDonald's is looking to build on the success of its all-day breakfast, which rolled out last year across the U.S. It's also upgrading stores with table service and more touch-screen ordering kiosks. The all-day breakfast push helped fuel a return to growth, but the resurgence has been waning: Domestic comparable sales rose just 1.3 percent last quarter, and McDonald's is facing declining foot traffic.

McDonald's isn't alone in struggling to build a more sophisticated coffee menu. After Burger King introduced 10 new Seattle's Best drinks in 2013, including flavored lattes, the rollout fizzled. The company later merged with Tim Hortons, a Canadian coffee chain, though the two brands remain distinct.

The company is planning a USD 1 drip coffee and USD2 small specialty-beverage deal for the first quarter of next year, Cunningham said.

In another sign of Starbucks envy, McDonald's sold pumpkin-spice lattes across all of the U.S. this fall -- the first time it's done so in three years.

In the U.S., McDonald's is upgrading its espresso machines with equipment that creates more consistent-tasting drinks, Ms. Cunningham said. The new gear, which has better milk-steaming technology and can make a wider variety of drinks, costs about USD12, 000 apiece.

McDonald's has been rebounding after a prolonged slump, helped in part by the October launch of All Day Breakfast. Still, low-priced offerings are key for the world's largest restaurant chain with consumers focused on value.

The next version still carries the name McPick, though the items are now two for $5 rather than two for $2. Four Golden Arches items are in the program: Big Mac, a 10-piece order of Chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

The $5 price makes McDonald's more expensive than smaller burger rivals that have used $4 value combinations in recent months. Wendy's set the tone in October with a 4 for $4 meal including a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, small fries, and a small drink. Burger King followed with a 5 for $4 meal that includes a bacon cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, small fries, small drink and a cookie.

McDonald's has had limited-time discounts on the four items before, but they have never all been offered together on one value menu, the chain said Wednesday. The Big Mac was introduced to the chain's national menu in 1968, when it carried a price of 45 cents.

"We wanted to thank our guests for providing their feedback as we continue to build a better McDonald's," Jessica Foust, a chef and McDonald's director of culinary innovation, said in a statement.

The 2 for $2 menu that began in early January let patrons choose from the McChicken and McDouble sandwiches, mozzarella sticks and small fries.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said the 2 for $5 platform will be available nationally for a limited time, without specifying the end date. "The McPick menu definitely has long term potential as we continue to look for ways to give our customers both great tasting food and value," spokeswoman Lisa McComb said. 

McDonald’s has announced to offer Books along with the Happy Meals in India. The brand is planning to offer nearly three quarter of a million books for two months every year. In 2014, the program will run throughout August and September; and will include limited edition books that feature fun and playful themes to make Family Time, a Happy Time.

Commenting on the initiative, Rajesh Kumar Maini, General Manager, Corporate Communications, said, “Serving families is in our DNA and providing a fun and relaxing experience for our customers has always been a priority for us. We are always looking for opportunities that offer families and children something that is fun; exciting and educational”.

Themed around animals, space, history and human body, the Happy Meal books present scientific facts through stories and imagination; and include beautifully illustrated and inspiring books such as Watch Me Grow and WOW. The books sold as part of Happy Meals have been developed in partnership with Dorling Kindersley (DK) and Scholastic Inc.

McDonald’s has introduced new saucy wraps available in three different variants, namely the Aloo; the Egg, which are priced at Rs 49 and the Grilled Chicken Wrap which is priced at Rs 59 exclusive of state taxes.

Commenting on the new launch, Kailash Aggarwal, Director, McDonald’s India (North & East) & Member -- McDonald’s National Menu Development Council in India, said, “This is the first time that we have introduced products that address the preferences of Vegetarian; Eggitarian and Non Vegetarian Customers in a single launch.”

The new saucy wraps will be available across all the McDonald’s restaurants located in North & East of India.

McDonald’s in association with FIFA has launched their ‘Player Escort Program’ in India where one lucky kid and their parent / guardian will be given a chance to travel to Brazil and escort their favourite player on the field.

McDonald’s will also be launching customised package of ‘Fry Box’ which will carry the artwork of 12 world renowned artists reflecting their passion for football.

McDonald’s, a US-based burger chain to bring its global coffee format McCafe in India. The maker of burgers and fries hopes to leverage the growing coffee-cafe market, estimated to be about Rs 2,000 crore and growing at 30% year-on-year over the past three years, to add incremental revenues to its core business in India.

McDonald’s subsidiary in India WestLife Development (WDL), a part of the Mumbai-based BL Jatia will first introduce the format in western and southern India, followed by an expansion in the rest of the markets by Connaught Plaza Restaurants and led by franchisee owner Vikram Bakshi.

Mr. Amit Jatia, vice-chairman, WDL said “We built and established our core business over the last two decades. It’s now time to introduce this new format as the acceptance for coffee is growing. This format will bring incremental business to our overall business while establishing McDonald’s a coffee destination as well.”

McDonald's, the QSR chain, plans to expand its presence in the country from the current 161 (year ended March 31, 2013) restaurants to 250 by FY 2015.

Hardcastle Restaurants, the company that operates and manages McDonald’s restaurants in South and West India, will engage approximately 12,500 employees across the region by FY 2015. For this it has hired over 150 trainee managers and trainee floor managers at the restaurant level.

Commenting on the initiative Ms. Seema Arora Nambiar, Senior Director – People Resources, Hardcastle Restaurants, said, “McDonald's offers young people a chance to start a challenging and rewarding career.”