The week in Indian QSR
Week to 11 November 2026 · 67 stories from 36 sources · 71 chains added to the tracker
Top stories
Telangana's food authority, TG SAFE, suspended FSSAI licences of eight Hyderabad cloud kitchens and restaurants after inspections found pest infestation, expired food and contaminated ingredients, ordering them to stop business immediately. Teams inspected 23 outlets on Tuesday, collected 25 samples and discarded about 700 kg of spoiled food. Improvement and show-cause notices followed for other outlets.
The Hindu
Swiggy said food delivery orders rose 10.7 per cent year on year across the three-day Diwali period, averaging 97,545 an hour. Kaju Katli was the most ordered sweet nationwide. On Dineout, bookings on November 8 jumped 38.5 per cent from last year's Diwali, with Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai leading metro reservations.
ET Retail
Zomato has launched Limitless Delivery, which lets users order from restaurants as far as 40 km away in their own city. Announced on November 6, it is live in seven cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Swiggy made a similar move in October, adding multi-restaurant ordering for up to five restaurants in one checkout.
CNBC TV18
TG-SAFE cracked down on expired food items and discarded 60 kg of cake bases during an inspection of a Hyderabad cloud kitchen.
ANI News
Blue Tokai crossed Rs 500 crore in revenue for FY26, with operating revenue up 59.4% to Rs 518 crore. Losses grew by 53.7%, reaching Rs 83 crore, as costs rose faster than sales. EBITDA reached Rs 23 crore, though its margin fell to 4.44% from 5.97%.
Entrackr
KFC India has launched a Korean Dunked range, coating chicken in a gochujang sauce with toasted sesame and umami notes. The flavour is available across more than 1,400 restaurants nationwide. Five existing favourites get the treatment: the Zinger Burger, boneless strips, wings, leg pieces and Hot & Crispy Chicken. It expands the chain's flavoured Dunked lineup.
QSR Media Asia · KFC
Money and openings
- The Frame — Restaurant opening in Meherchand Market, Lodhi Colony, with French technique and Italian hospitality menu. Opening
- BuCo. — Opening its first flagship in Bengaluru this November, in Kodihalli, an extension of Indiranagar. Opening
- Common Time — Opening its first brunch house in Goa. Opening
- Linking House — All-day social culinary destination opened on Linking Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai. Opening
- NAMI — Vinyl listening bar by Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality opens in Bandra West. Opening
- Coffee Island — Opened its first outlet in Bengaluru, in Koramangala, an 80-seater café. Opening
- The Masala Story — Opened its first dine-in outlet on Golf Course Road, Sector 54, Gurugram. Opening
- Tarzan Jungle Cafe — EBG Group to open first flagship in Hyderabad by March 2027 and target more than 100 outlets across India over three years. Opening
- Tarzan Jungle Cafe — Group plans company-operated flagships before expanding through franchising. Franchise
- Gola Sizzlers — Opened latest outlet at Nirmal Ashram Estate on Mall Road, Kulri, Mussoorie. Opening
- Monkey Bar — Returns to Kolkata with a two-floor space on Park Street. Opening
- Beanlore — Opened its fourth outlet in Koramangala, set in an old bungalow across two floors. Opening
- Bella — Contemporary vegetarian all-day dining destination opened in Malad West, Mumbai. Opening
- Santosham — Opened a 60-seater South Indian vegetarian outlet in Malad, its entry into Mumbai's western suburbs. Opening
All funding, deals and openings →
Added to the tracker this week (71)
- KFC — Fried chicken · ~1,000 outlets
- Monginis — Bakery · Mumbai · ~1,000 outlets · franchise open
- Arun Icecreams — Ice cream & desserts · Chennai · ~1,000 outlets
- McDonald's India — Burgers · Mumbai · ~652 outlets
- Zorko — Multi-cuisine / other · Surat · ~550 outlets · franchise open
- Indian Coffee House — Coffee & cafés · ~400 outlets
- Mio Amore — Bakery · Kolkata · ~350 outlets
- Pizza Hut — Pizza · ~346 outlets
- Havmor Ice Cream — Ice cream & desserts · Ahmedabad · ~250 outlets
- Tea Post — Chai · Ahmedabad · ~250 outlets
- The Chocolate Room — Ice cream & desserts · Ahmedabad · ~250 outlets
- Tealogy Cafe — Chai · Indore · ~250 outlets · franchise open
- 7th Heaven — Bakery · ~250 outlets · franchise open
- Polar Bear — Ice cream & desserts · Bengaluru · ~200 outlets
- Wendy's India — Burgers · ~200 outlets
Expansion & openings
The Frame has opened in Meherchand Market, Lodhi Colony, with its kitchen at the centre of the building. Chef Adhyan Prasher leads a menu blending classical French technique with Italian warmth. Architect Nishit Chadha hand-shaped the facade in clay before reinforcing it, and mosaic walls and a painted ceiling carry a pelican motif through the rooms.
ET HospitalityWorld
Gurugram-based The Masala Story has opened its first dine-in outlet on Golf Course Road in Sector 54. The brand, founded in 2020, had served north Indian and Mughlai food only through delivery and catering. The roughly 1,000 square foot space has soft lighting and music, and the choice of location reflects the area's mix of offices and homes.
ET HospitalityWorld
BuCo., a Mangalore favourite, will open its first flagship in Bengaluru this November, in Kodihalli, an extension of Indiranagar. Founded in 2017 by chef Shriya Shetty and Varun Shetty, the brand follows a rule that anything it cannot make in-house stays off the menu. It promises the same locally sourced ingredients and kitchen philosophy as in Mangalore.
ET HospitalityWorld
Common Time has introduced its first brunch house in Goa, taking its coffee-led format into a fuller neighbourhood destination. The space is meant for early coffee runs, leisurely breakfasts, afternoon talks and slow work sessions. The brand, which gives equal weight to coffee, food, design and hospitality, already operates across several neighbourhoods.
ET HospitalityWorld
Funding, deals & earnings
Jubilant FoodWorks reported consolidated revenue up 11.8% to Rs 2,608 crore for the September quarter of FY27. EBITDA rose 7.3% to Rs 513 crore, but net profit fell 42.7% to Rs 111.6 crore, partly due to discontinued operations. Domino's India like-for-like growth improved to 4.1%, while Popeyes revenue jumped 122%.
Storyboard18 · Popeyes India
Shares of Jubilant FoodWorks, the operator of Domino's and Popeyes, dropped about 5 per cent on Monday, extending a two-day slide after its September quarter numbers. Brokerages largely kept their forecasts because results matched expectations. Consolidated revenue rose 11.8 per cent to ₹2,607.88 crore, and the chain added 99 net stores, reaching 2,728. Management plans 300 openings a year.
Business Standard · Popeyes India
Bengaluru-based quick-service brand Samosa Singh has reached a valuation of ₹200 crore despite a net loss of ₹5.7 crore in FY25. The founders, Shikhar and Nidhi Singh, sold their ₹80 lakh home to fund a larger manufacturing kitchen instead of raising outside capital. Founded in 2016, the company now has more than 50 outlets and aims to standardise India's samosa market.
ascendants.in · Samosa Singh
Jubilant FoodWorks, which runs Domino's and Popeyes in India, reported strong delivery growth in the September quarter. Domino's India revenue rose 9.2% year on year, with delivery up 11.3% and making up 75.8% of sales. Popeyes revenue grew 122% with like-for-like growth of 53%, and the chain added 11 stores, taking its presence to 25 cities. Dine-in and takeaway revenue grew 2.4%, and the company has rolled out a ₹119 My Meal offer nationally.
The Economic Times · Popeyes India
Menu & marketing
Tata Starbucks has launched a Diwali campaign, 'Special Diwali ki Special Jagah', built around its coffeehouses as spaces for personal milestones. The film shows a young couple returning to their regular outlet, this time with the man's family, to mark a new stage. Product and marketing director Mitali Maheshwari says the brand sees higher footfall and more appetite for new flavours during the festive season.
Storyboard18 · Starbucks India
Atelier House Hospitality has unveiled The Bareekk Experience at the InterContinental on Mumbai's Marine Drive, a reworked version of Kebab Korner, known as KK. Founded in 1971, it keeps the dishes of Old Delhi, Amritsar and Lahore. The revamp adds a refreshed dining hall, a small bar and a terrace facing the Arabian Sea. Head chef Mayank Kannauji runs the kitchen.
ET HospitalityWorld
Burger King India has launched a limited Avengers: Doomsday Collection on November 3, with black buns and green sauces inspired by Doctor Doom. The star item is the Doomsday Whopper, with a glazed black bun and a spicy green garlic sauce. The range includes ten food and drink items. Individual items start at ₹99 and burgers from ₹199.
News9live · Burger King India
People
Reliance Brands has promoted Karan Sachdeva to Head of Operations – India for Pret A Manger. He joined the company in December 2022 as Regional Operations Head – West and has more than 13 years of experience in retail, food and hospitality. In his expanded role he will oversee team management, outlet performance and customer experience as Pret grows its footprint in India. He announced the promotion on LinkedIn.
Indian Retailer
Policy & regulation
FSSAI inspected 56,431 food establishments between September 1 and November 5 in a nationwide enforcement drive. The regulator issued over 10,000 improvement notices, suspended more than 1,100 licences and cancelled 52, and sealed 314 establishments. About 3,280 tonnes of non-compliant food, including paneer, ghee, milk and sweets, were seized, worth an estimated Rs 81.8 crore. Jefferies says restaurants and quick-commerce platforms may face higher compliance costs.
ET Now
Sula Vineyards reported a GST order over services at its Nashik restaurant.
TipRanks
Food safety officials in Ganderbal district carried out a surprise late-evening inspection of markets and roadside eateries in Sonamarg, checking restaurants, dhabas and street vendors. Several outlets were found breaching hygiene rules and were collectively fined Rs 12,000. Samples were also sent for lab testing. Unannounced drives will continue, and repeat offenders risk cases and licence suspension.
Greater Kashmir
The Securities Appellate Tribunal has set aside SEBI's January 2023 penalty of ₹26 crore on Coffee Day Enterprises and ordered a fresh investigation. The probe concerns the alleged diversion of ₹3,535 crore from seven subsidiaries to Mysore Amalgamated Coffee Estates, an entity linked to the promoter family. The November 5 judgment directs SEBI to finish within six months, identify the ultimate beneficiaries and examine insider trading and possible restitution to shareholders.
Storyboard18
Closures
Telangana's food safety body TG SAFE shut four food establishments in Nizamabad district and suspended the FSSAI licences of 13 others after inspections of 28 units on November 3. Inspectors found pest infestations, unhygienic kitchens, expired products and improper storage. Officials collected 26 samples and seized or discarded 9,645 kg worth ₹17.28 lakh.
The Hindu
Industry
Indian quick-service chains saw sales recover in the September quarter as cheap deals drew diners back. Burger King and McDonald's operators reported double-digit growth at existing outlets, while Pizza Hut sales kept falling. Rising costs for gas, power, wages and ingredients are squeezing margins, so chains are leaning on bargains rather than passing the full burden to customers.
India's food and beverage sector is gaining ground as one of the country's most promising growth engines. Rising disposable incomes, urbanisation and a growing middle class are reshaping demand, with younger diners experimenting with new cuisines while regional dishes regain popularity. Delivery platforms, digital payments and kitchen technology are also changing how restaurants operate.
FnB News
Molten cookies, warm and gooey with a chocolate centre, have become a social media favourite in Mumbai, with queues forming outside some outlets. Bandra's Not Far is known for cookies, cupcakes and coffee, while Muvn Coffee serves a Nutella molten cookie with ice cream. Mr. Misu in Bandra is known for its tiramisu.
Esquire India
IMPACT Magazine