McDonald's to open more vegetarian outlets in India
05 Sep 2012
After a vegetarian outlet in Amritsar, MacDonald's the US food retail chain plans to launch another at Katra the tourist base camp at the foot of the revered Vaisho Devi cave shrine in Jammu & Kashmir.
The global fast food chain sees the potential for many more vegetarian restaurants across India.
In India, McDonald's has a menu 50 per cent of which is vegetarian, led by its flagship McAloo Tikki burger priced Rs28. Made of spicy fried potato-based patty, it is the top seller, accounting for a quarter of total sales. Of the chicken-only meat offerings, the Maharaja Mac is also a favourite.
The chain serves 50 million people daily in over 100 countries with India accounting for half a million of those.
McDonald's realised soon after entering the country that it had to rework its international menu to suit Indian tastes, given that the majority of Hindus, who make up 80 per cent of India's population, regard cows as sacred, while for Muslims the consumption of pork is prohibited in the Koran.
McDonald's kitchens in India have separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian cooking sections.
