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Interest is growing in the two Mexican restaurant formats of Mezcalita and La Taqueria, says Rizwan Amlani, head of brand. Mezcalita recreates a Mexican cantina, while La Taqueria is a modern taquería with more small plates and flavours familiar to Indian diners. Mexican food was seen as a tough category for outlets in India, despite similarities to Indian cooking.
Rising costs, shifting diners and tougher competition are pushing restaurant owners to rethink how they grow. Operators are weighing ingredient costs, prep time and wastage before keeping dishes, and using sales data to spot high-margin items. Pricing is also being reworked to offer more value without cutting quality. Chefs and founders say profit must sit alongside creativity.
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.
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.
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.
Mumbai's Masque has been ranked 26th on The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 list, while Naar in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, entered at No. 49. The results were announced in Lima on November 4. The listings mark the first time India-based restaurants have appeared in the top 50 since Delhi's Bukhara in 2004. Masque, founded by Aditi Dugar and led by Varun Totlani, serves a 10-course tasting menu. Naar also received the Sustainable Restaurant Award 2026.
Chef Amol Baool, senior sous chef at Aary Hospitality, discusses how Indian restaurant menus are changing as diners seek global flavours, healthier options and experiential concepts. He says rising ingredient prices can be managed through seasonal and local sourcing, menu engineering and careful inventory planning. He argues that value should come from quality and taste rather than simply cutting prices.
Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi's restaurant brand Karigari has rolled out an at-home dining service called The Karigari Experience. Chefs cook signature dishes in the host's kitchen and handle table settings, crockery, décor and service. The offering targets Diwali dinners, family gatherings, house parties, birthdays and anniversaries. Hosts can focus on their guests.
Wendy's India has launched 'The Great Burger Scam', putting five flavours on its value menu: Chipotle, Chimichurri, Korean, Teriyaki and Makhani. Priced between ₹59 and ₹99 across vegetarian and chicken options, the campaign was announced on November 4. Several flavours were already on the menu, but the new campaign bundles them into a low-price offer. Competitors mentioned include Burger King and McDonald's, which also sell value burgers in India.
Zoho has launched a restaurant point-of-sale platform in India, free for outlets with annual billing up to Rs 12 lakh. Kolkata sweet shop Asha Sweets is its first customer, having started during the festive rush. The cloud system handles billing, orders, menus, kitchen tickets and inventory, plus Swiggy and Zomato orders. Offline billing is supported.
Blue Tokai entered India's speciality coffee market in 2013, when the category was still young. Co-founder and COO Shivam Shahi says consumers now want to know where their coffee comes from and how it was processed. The company bet that rising incomes would lift coffee demand, as seen in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Restaurant investors are moving from rapid expansion toward profitable growth, with strong unit economics. Warmup Ventures' Sharad Bansal points to everyday categories like South Indian food, biryani, coffee and tea, plus cuisine-led brands such as Korean, Japanese and Mexican. An angel investor, Hari Balasubramanian, says investors remain cautious but new entrants are arriving.
Legacy Indian restaurants are updating menus while protecting the signature dishes behind their reputations. Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan added Pie Idli, a twist on idli-sambar, and Shiv Sagar is testing new items beside its pav bhaji and dosas. Nagarjuna keeps its menu small and tests dishes with regulars first. Records show about 100 to 120 legacy restaurants across India.
Indian QSR brands are widening the occasions they serve, moving beyond meals into drinks, snacks and desserts. Hybrid work and late shifts have loosened fixed meal times, and Gen Z tends to snack more often. Beverage-led formats need much less kitchen space than full meals. Delivery menus favour items that travel well.
Jasveer Singh, CEO of Knot Dating, has questioned why restaurants add a 15 percent service charge to bills when the menu price should already cover staff and other costs. Singh argued that restaurants should build such costs into prices and that tipping should not fall on customers. The X post sparked online debate about service charges and tipping.
Restaurant Brands Asia, the Burger King operator in India, reported its first positive standalone quarterly profit of Rs 15.59 crore for July to September 2026. India revenue rose 24.1 percent. Other income of Rs 29.62 crore exceeded that profit, and the wider group still posted a Rs 23.79 crore net loss.
At ET FoodXP 2026, industry leaders said social buzz can attract customers, but repeat visits depend on consistent food quality, value, efficient operations and pleasant experiences. Gulati of Paschion and Tibb of Tibbs Frankie stressed that a first visit is only the start of building loyalty. Affordability means value relative to what customers receive, not the lowest price.
At ET FoodXP 2026, café operators and a leasing head said India's café sector is shifting from a lifestyle outing to an everyday habit. Rising rents and shifting customer expectations push chains to rethink expansion. Panellists stressed that demand alone does not guarantee profit, so location economics, menu strategy and retention must be weighed before opening outlets.
Zorawar Kalra, founder of Massive Restaurants, argued at ET FoodXP 2026 that the bigger opportunity lies in taking Indian restaurant concepts abroad, not in waiting for global brands. He said international audiences are receptive to Indian brands, citing strong demand abroad. Lama cautioned that international moves, particularly in bars, need knowledge of India's regulations and local partners.
Dindigul Thalappakatti, a Tamil Nadu biryani chain with more than 100 outlets, traces back to a family restaurant opened in Dindigul in 1957 with seating for four. Customers nicknamed it after the turban worn by founder Nagasamy Naidu, a name later adopted officially. The business earned about Rs 475 crore in FY25.
Repeat visits deserve more attention, since they show whether a brand is building a dependable base or only temporary demand. Toast's Regulars Report 2026 found that about 7% of guests could generate up to half of order volume at analysed businesses. The approach has implications for cafés, QSRs and casual dining.
At ET FoodXP 2026, leaders from IKEA, Wow! Momo, Cremica and Nando's argued that brands stay relevant through consistency, local adaptation and consumer trust rather than constant new products. IKEA's India food offer includes local items such as samosas while keeping its Swedish identity. Speakers agreed that aggressive expansion cannot replace delivering on a brand's core promise.
Restaurants continue to add service charges to bills despite repeated objections from customers, courts and regulators. A Delhi hotel was recently fined for levying one. Many restaurateurs say the charge is optional because diners can ask for it to be removed, while critics say it should be opt-in instead. The column calls opt-out systems unfair.
NRAI Bengaluru and Mitti Café held an inclusive job fair at Mirage on St Marks Road, connecting more than 110 people with disabilities to hospitality jobs. Over 30 restaurant brands took part, including Empire and Samosa Party. Siddhant Vinod became co-chapter head and Dheeraj M. Kumar treasurer, and Ajay Kumar K R joined as marketing head.
A hospitality body in Western India held a food safety supervisor course in Lonavala on October 14, training 46 professionals. Trainer Dr V. Pasupathy taught safe food handling, cleanliness, sanitation and managing waste. With this batch, the association's certified total under the programme has climbed to 4,154.
