Johnny Rockets of US plans 20 restaurants in India in 5 years

NEW DELHI: Johnny Rockets, the all-singing, all-dancing American diner-style restaurant chain, plans to open 20 outlets in India over the next five years.
The California-based fast-food chain made its India debut earlier this year with two stores in the National Capital Region – one each in Select Citywalk Mall in Saket in New Delhi and Ambience Mall in Gurgaon. It plans to open outlets in Noida, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata in the coming months and years.

“We are very excited about India,” Scott Chorna, the California-based fast-food chain’s vice president-international market said in a telephonic interview. “India is obviously a large country that has been growing very strongly and the acceptance for global brands – within food and outside – has been very good. India can play a big role in our future growth globally.”

The chain is opening its outlets in India through New Delhi-based franchisee Prime Gourmet.

Johnny Rockets provides a wide choice of vegetarian menu in India in addition to its global fare. There are five burgers with both veg and non-veg options, Chorna said, adding, “So you can choose veg or non-veg options. This is for the first time we are doing it this way in India.”

The chain is the latest entrant into India’s so-called quick service restaurant (QSR) segment, which is expected to grow 30% annually until 2015, according to a Rabobank study. The annual QSR market is expected to swell to Rs 16,785 crore by 2018 from Rs 5,500 crore now, according to consultancy firm Technopak Advisors.

Johnny Rockets restaurants are known for their diner-style theme, playing music from the 1950s to 1970s and staff that entertains guests with song-and-dance routines. Its ambience will be maintained in India as well, with a team from the US set to visit the country to train its employees.