Author Topic: Amritsar: McDonald's to open first vegetarian outlet to target Indian pilgrims (Read 3691 times)

AmRind③r · « **on:** September 08, 2012, 11:11:32 PM »

McDonald’s will open its first ever vegetarian restaurant near the Golden Temple in Amritsar. They plan on opening a secondary location at Katra near the Vaishno Devi shrine.

US fast food giant McDonald's, famed for its beef-based Big Mac burgers, on Tuesday said it will open its first ever vegetarian-only restaurant in the world in India next year.

The world's second-biggest restaurant chain after Subway already tailors its menus to suit local tastes -- which in India means no beef to avoid offending Hindus and no pork to cater for Muslim requirements.

It will open its first vegetarian outlet in the middle of next year near the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in northern India, where religious authorities forbid consumption of meat at the shrine.

"It will be the first time we have opened a vegetarian restaurant in the world," a spokesman for McDonald's in northern India, Rajesh Kumar Maini, told AFP.

After the opening in Amritsar, the US chain plans to launch another vegetarian outlet at Katra near the Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Indian Kashmir -- a revered Hindu pilgrimage site that draws hundreds of thousands of worshippers a year.

It sees the potential for many more vegetarian restaurants across the country.

McDonald's in India already has a menu that is 50 percent vegetarian.

Its McAloo Tikki burger at 28 rupees or 50 cents -- which uses a spicy fried potato-based patty -- is the top seller, accounting for a quarter of total sales.

Among the chicken-only meat offerings, the Maharaja Mac is also a favorite.

Currently India, with its population of 1.2 billion, is still a "very small market for McDonald's", said Maini.

"We have just 271 restaurants in India and across the world we have nearly 33,000," Maini said.

The chain serves half a million customers a day in India, out of 50 million people it serves daily in over 100 countries.

"When you look at the potential of the country, it's one of the top priority countries and we're laying the groundwork for capturing the market," said Maini.

"We plan to nearly double the number of outlets to 500 plus within the next three years," he said.

McDonald's realized soon after it entered the country that it had to rework its international menu to Indian tastes.

"The reasons were very compelling -- cow slaughter is not allowed because of religious reasons and we couldn't do pork either," Maini explained.

Hindus, who account for 80 percent of India's population, regard cows as sacred. For Muslims, the consumption of pork is prohibited in the Koran.

"It was the whole idea of going local and creating flavors that would create acceptance for us," Maini said. "We had to look at the whole market innovatively and we realized only chicken-based and vegetarian food would work."

McDonald's is not alone in "Indianizing" its offerings. Domino's Pizza, another leading fast food chain in India, has created pizzas with extra spicy toppings.

But growing consumption of food high in fat is spurring concern that India is importing the Western disease of obesity, creating a ticking public health timebomb. This article was distributed through the NewsCred Smartwire. Original article © Agence France Presse 2012

Punjabi Janta Forums - Janta Di Pasand · « **on:** September 08, 2012, 11:11:32 PM »

Miss K · « **Reply #1 on:** September 08, 2012, 11:22:52 PM »

This is good news...thanks for sharing!

PB 08 TO · « **Reply #2 on:** September 08, 2012, 11:28:19 PM »

vadiya ho geya

█ ▌ﻝαᔕ ▌█ · « **Reply #3 on:** September 08, 2012, 11:32:51 PM »

Bad Bad Bad investment
I will never invest in a veg fast food resturant that will be serving to people who got option for eating free (langer)
They hav to shut down soon
I will rather eat at langar then junk food

AmRind③r · « **Reply #4 on:** September 08, 2012, 11:37:25 PM »

Quote from: █ ▌▌ﻝαs ਛੜਾ ਜੱਟ ▌▌█ on September 08, 2012, 11:32:51 PM

They hav to shut down soon
I will rather eat at langar then junk food

as a sikh i'm having the same feelings but apart from Sikhism people having different minds___ even macker noz it well but they still opening bro. time is been changed you can see the rush there soon.

Miss K · « **Reply #5 on:** September 08, 2012, 11:39:38 PM »

Ofcourse if you're doing darshan at Harmandir Sahib Ji then langar is the best. However, je McDonalds koleya aa close to the Gurdwara Sahib Ji I think its respectful that it's vegetarian because of it's proximity.

AmRind③r · « **Reply #6 on:** September 08, 2012, 11:57:58 PM »

Quote from: Apni Girl on September 08, 2012, 11:39:38 PM

Ofcourse if you're doing darshan at Harmandir Sahib Ji then langar is the best. However, je McDonalds koleya aa close to the Gurdwara Sahib Ji I think its respectful that it's vegetarian because of it's proximity.

well i'm from amritsar and have seen the other places around golden temple how people are crazy to eat food from there It is a matter of pride that McDonalds chose Amritsar near the Golden Temple for its first vegetarian restaurant jus like other vegetarian restaurants. And for your information local people does not go often to eat langar in gurudwara.

█ ▌ﻝαᔕ ▌█ · « **Reply #7 on:** September 09, 2012, 12:48:30 AM »

No I'm thinking from a business point of view
If I was a owner of Mcdonald
I would have target whole market and get as much market share I can.
When you are business mind you don't care much about feelings you only need to care about profits

Every Single penny makes a difference

But it depends sometimes you have to do stuff just built your brand reputition and also to take over your competitors.
Most of the times fast food resturants fight over market share and they don't want their competitors to take thier market share

AmRind③r · « **Reply #8 on:** September 09, 2012, 01:05:53 AM »

Quote from: █ ▌▌ﻝαs ਛੜਾ ਜੱਟ ▌▌█ on September 09, 2012, 12:48:30 AM

No I'm thinking from a business point of view
If I was a owner of Mcdonald
I would have target whole market and get as much market share I can.
When you are business mind you don't care much about feelings you only need to care about profits

Every Single penny makes a difference

But it depends sometimes you have to do stuff just built your brand reputition and also to take over your competitors.
Most of the times fast food resturants fight over market share and they don't want their competitors to take thier market share

well bro act i saw last year whn i went there people are crazy for international menu. no matter its near to golden temple or any other pilgrims place. and of course everybody thinks profit first as they would have thought already.

ਪੰਗੇਬਾਜ਼ ਜੱਟ maan · « **Reply #9 on:** September 09, 2012, 03:08:46 AM »

gand :D: :D: :D: :D: :D:

AmRind③r · « **Reply #10 on:** September 09, 2012, 03:17:51 AM »

Quote from: ਪੰਗੇਬਾਜ਼ ਜੱਟ✿ on September 09, 2012, 03:08:46 AM

gand :D: :D: :D: :D: :D:

bilkul hai eh gand he asal ch lokin pta nahi kyu pagalan wang ehde piche paye ne___

҂ ȿḉặᵰɗἷἧäѷїѧҋ↔ᶀɍǐȶĩṧӊ ₰ · « **Reply #11 on:** September 10, 2012, 06:50:05 AM »

It's pure stupidity! and ridicule. Seriously so there's no meat? No meat = It's not mcdonalds. They need to to call it something else

Kamz~K · « **Reply #12 on:** September 10, 2012, 07:41:09 AM »

WoW!! Veggie McDonald’s :excited: :excited: :excited:

Chalo jake khawagi
Bas spicy n hot hovee :laugh: :laugh:

AmRind③r · « **Reply #13 on:** September 10, 2012, 08:32:01 AM »

Quote from: ※ḨҰĐṜØŞŦẨ₮ῘḈŜ on September 10, 2012, 06:50:05 AM

It's pure stupidity! and ridicule. Seriously so there's no meat? No meat = It's not mcdonalds. They need to to call it something else

i knows animals love animals :pagel: but that's religious place stig they cannot even think about shitt stuff as you thinking.Sikhs, who account for 80 percent of Amritsar population, chicken and other meat stuff would not work there. For Muslims, the consumption of pork is prohibited in the Koran. And they are not stupid they running their business in entire world they do not even care what very ordinary people i.e. (you) think.

҂ ȿḉặᵰɗἷἧäѷїѧҋ↔ᶀɍǐȶĩṧӊ ₰ · « **Reply #14 on:** September 11, 2012, 06:52:48 AM »

Quote from: AmRind③r on September 10, 2012, 08:32:01 AM

i knows animals love animals :pagel: but that's religious place stig they cannot even think about shitt stuff as you thinking.Sikhs, who account for 80 percent of Amritsar population, chicken and other meat stuff would not work there. For Muslims, the consumption of pork is prohibited in the Koran. And they are not stupid they running their business in entire world they do not even care what very ordinary people i.e. (you) think.

I wouldn't call myself "very ordinary" :wow: but my opinion still stands. You ought to know, they do care. Otherwise their business would fail. Whoever came up with a vegetarian mcdonalds needs to come up with his/her own ideas. Clearly, they need to be more original! vegetarian mcdonalds, what a load of crap!

Eating meat doesn't make us any less better than vegetarians. In fact it makes us better in a way.

AmRind③r · « **Reply #15 on:** September 11, 2012, 08:31:57 AM »

Quote from: ※ḨҰĐṜØŞŦẨ₮ῘḈŜ on September 11, 2012, 06:52:48 AM

I wouldn't call myself "very ordinary" :wow: but my opinion still stands. You ought to know, they do care. Otherwise their business would fail. Whoever came up with a vegetarian mcdonalds needs to come up with his/her own ideas. Clearly, they need to be more original! vegetarian mcdonalds, what a load of crap!

Eating meat doesn't make us any less better than vegetarians. In fact it makes us better in a way.

oh common that's wott i was trying to explain that apart from you and me there lot of people who does not eat meat @ all , they are pure vegetarian dude especially that sacred place where they are going to open it due to golden temple. i think its not your fault go around the world and have a look the importance of various places.

҂ ȿḉặᵰɗἷἧäѷїѧҋ↔ᶀɍǐȶĩṧӊ ₰ · « **Reply #16 on:** September 13, 2012, 07:11:44 AM »

Quote from: AmRind③r on September 11, 2012, 08:31:57 AM

oh common that's wott i was trying to explain that apart from you and me there lot of people who does not eat meat @ all , they are pure vegetarian dude especially that sacred place where they are going to open it due to golden temple. i think its not your fault go around the world and have a look the importance of various places.

Hahaha wow you sound so sure of many things. Fault? Right ok. And by the way, there are more non vegetarians than there are of vegetarians