Dubai-based Restaurant Chain Doner & Gyros Eyeing India

Dubai-based restaurant chain Doner & Gyros is looking at foraying into India, with plans to open 150-200 stores in the country in the next five years. It will enter India with a partnership with FranGlobal, a subsidiary of Franchise India Holdings Ltd, according to a report.

UAE’s Naseeb Group developed the restaurant chain with inputs from Michael Markellos, the chef behind Gyro-mena, one of the most popular gyro eateries in Chicago, and chef Gul Fahrettin who sells his famous döners in Berlin.

In India, the group seeks to invest Rs. 200 crore in the next five years. The quick service restaurant, which was launched in 2014, has 22 outlets in the UAE, Lebanon, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.

“The brand is inspired from the street food of Chicago and Berlin; we will be offering hot and fresh products. We have already expanded to 21 locations in less than five years. By 2018, Doner & Gyros will be up and running at 30 locations,” Nabi Naseeb, the chief executive officer at Doner and Gyros, said, according to Live Mint. He added that the company will also enter North America, Canada and Los Angeles in 2018.

Learning from previous food chains, the company has said that it would adapt flavors and sauces to suit the Indian market.

“We will be adding more variety on vegetarian side of the menu. We are looking to open the first outlet in a food court, spread over 400 square feet. The plan is to open anywhere between 150 and 200 stores in the top 10-15 cities,” Venus Barak, the chief executive officer of FranGlobal, said. The company is still working on price points for the Indian market.

The group said that what sets them apart is that they are offering healthy and fresh products. Currently, Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd-operated pizza chain Domino’s rules the segment in India, followed by American burger chain McDonald’s and the Yum! Brands-owned KFC.

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands in India had been floundering after demonetization, GST and the ban on liquor sale near highways, but they are ready to bounce back now. According to the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), the food industry in the country is expected to grow to Rs 51,000 crore by 2021, with more disposable income available to the middle class.