Delhi far ahead on the dining table

A survey of more than 1,200 restaurants in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore throws up interesting results. SUNDAY PIONEER tells you more

In the last few years, the Food and Beverages (F&B) segment, globally and in India, has undergone a transformation. It is moving away from a ‘sub-segment of retail’ to a ‘full-fledged segment’ that is capable of functioning independently of traditional retail.

 The F&B is no longer a means to only complete the retail experience, but possesses the ability to elevate, and sometimes be the sole retail experience for a consumer. This  food revolution has happened not only due to the diversity that F&B now offers, but also due to a changing and maturing consumer profile and dining out being looked at more than just a way to satiate hunger.

The change in India’s F&B landscape has been due to structural shifts in the eating out equation — increasing urbanisation, rising disposable incomes, rising trend of socialising, nuclear families, and rising consumerism; all of which have orchestrated a change in the way India dines.

Most global operators realise that India is a market that offers significant potential for growth, in the metropolitan cities and beyond.

This realisation is evident in the measures these operators have taken while entering the Indian market — from customising their menus, offering home delivery in India as an exception and expanding their standard offerings — global operators are going all out to ensure acceptance and success.

Anshuman Magazine, chairman, India and South East Asia, CBRE says: “George Bernard Shaw once said: ‘There is no sincerer love, than the love of food.’ This is true for any country in the world. Increasing globalisation, growing exposure to international trends and cuisines has led to India’s food and beverage segment going through a transformation in recent years. This evolution is positively impacting the real estate sector as well with allocation for restaurant spaces going up in high streets and organised retail developments.”

Key take-aways

• Asian food leads the way in Delhi followed by Mumbai & Bangalore
• With a true spirit of party hoppers, Delhi beats Mumbai & Bangalore dominated by pubs and bars culture in the city
• Other cuisines including Mexican, Mediterranean, lebanese and Arabian are gaining significant traction among consumers
• Ambience Mall Gurgaon, Select City Walk Delhi, Mall of India Noida are the key malls for eating out dominated by 22-26% F&B outlets
• While casual dining is the clear category that dominates across the key cities  but domestic chains have gained significant traction with the cities of Mumbai and NCR witnessing a significant cross expansion
• In terms of nationality, almost 82% of the restaurants were domestic standalone outlet/chains with around 18% restaurants being of international origin
• The US-based restaurants accounted for almost 70% of the restaurants in the international category
• In terms of location choices were divergent; 62% of all international restaurants are located in malls; 68% of all domestic restaurants are located on high streets
• Casual dining restaurants (CDR)has been a category that has gained significant traction in the past couple of years, accounting for almost 46% of all restaurants that were a part of the survey; more than 60% of CDR’s in the survey are located on high streets.
• 60% of Indian Millennials make more than three visits a month for eating out
• Indian cuisine dominates the country’s taste palette with a 24% share, followed by multi-cuisine with a 22% share.