Jubilant FoodWorks’ QSR Success: A Joint Vision Led by Shyam S Bhartia and Team

Jubilant FoodWorks QSR Success Under Shared Vision

The Jubilant FoodWorks growth story is one of strategic leadership and scalable operations. Founded in 1995 by Shyam S Bhartia and Hari Bhartia, the group secured the master franchise for Domino’s Pizza, and later expanded into Dunkin’ Donuts in India by Jubilant FoodWorks (2011) and Popeyes India rollout via Jubilant (2021)

While Shyam S Bhartia set the vision and secured franchise agreements, the brand’s scale-up—2,100+ Domino’s outlets, fast-growing Dunkin’ and Popeyes—was executed by CEO Sameer Khetarpal and the operational leadership team.

Strategic Foundation — Leadership by Shyam S Bhartia

Shyam S Bhartia, as Chairman of the Jubilant Bhartia Group, defined long-term strategy—entering QSR through master franchise rights for Domino’s, Dunkin’, and Popeyes across South Asia

His leadership ensured:

• Capital support for expansion
• Long-term governance and board-level oversight
• Alignment with group values and CSR strategies
• Partnership with industry experts and negotiation of favorable master franchise contracts

However, the day-to-day scaling required a new-level operating model.

Operational Excellence & Growth Under Sameer Khetarpal

Digital Innovation & AI Integration

Appointed CEO & Managing Director in September 2022, Sameer Khetarpal brought deep tech experience from Amazon and McKinsey. He led the rollout of Elate, India’s first Android-based POS and order-taking system, and store.ai, an AI-driven demand forecasting and resource-optimization tool—part of a cloud kitchen and tech-led QSR model

Value & Pricing Strategy

To capture share during demand slowdown, Khetarpal’s team kept prices stable for 10 consecutive quarters, waived delivery fees on app-based orders, and introduced free delivery and added cheese in pizzas to increase perceived value—all boosting like-for-like sales growth Jubilant

Rapid Expansion & Tier‑2/Tier‑3 Focus

From ~465 cities in early 2025 to targeting 700 cities by 2028, the company is executing aggressive tier‑2 tier‑3 city expansion. Domino’s is slated to reach 3,000 stores, while Popeyes aims for 200–250 outlets within three years, opening 30–50 annually

Brand Diversification

Beyond Domino’s, Jubilant is steadily building Popeyes as a fast-growing chicken brand and sustaining a modest portfolio of Dunkin’ Donuts in India by Jubilant FoodWorks, along with homegrown brands like Hong’s Kitchen and Ekdum!

Real‑World Impact & Financial Performance

Strong Sales & Profit Recovery

In Q4 FY25, Jubilant FoodWorks posted a 12% year-on-year rise in same-store (like-for-like) sales, with profit before tax reaching ₹695M (~$8M), up from ₹548M a year prior. Online sales and new store additions (52 Domino’s outlets) lifted revenue 33.6% to ₹21.03B. These results outpaced peers like Sapphire Foods.

Challenges from Rapid Expansion

Earlier in FY25, profit fell ~35% in one quarter due to high food and wage costs amid rapid store rollout—130 new stores created operational cost headwinds. Despite this, strong top-line growth remained intact due to value strategy and expansion

Strategic Pillars Driving Success

Master Franchise Rights & Brand Control

Jubilant holds exclusive franchise rights for Domino’s (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh), Popeyes (India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan), and Dunkin’ Donuts (India). This enables strategic control over product rollout, supply, menu innovation, and territorial expansion.

Product Innovation & Menu Localization

Innovations like Cheese Volcano, Paratha pizza, and vegetarian–non-veg variants illustrate product and menu innovation, catering to Indian tastes while maintaining brand consistency

Supply Chain & Delivery Efficiency

Jubilant's owned last-mile delivery reduces dependence on Zomato and Swiggy platforms. With delivery within 20 minutes, and about 70% of orders coming via digital channels (app/website), they achieve high operational throughput and customer satisfaction

Sustainability & Social Impact

Beyond growth, Jubilant FoodWorks invests in CSR via skill-building (JFARM), food-safety training (Project Suraksha), and health camps—supporting sustainability and social impact in food services

Case Studies

Domino’s India — From 1 Outlet to 2,100+ in 2024

India’s first Domino’s opened in 1996. By mid‑2024, Jubilant crossed 2,000 outlets across over 400 cities, offering under‑30‑minute and now under‑20‑minute delivery, localized flavors, and strong digital-first operations

Popeyes India — A Strategic Growth Asset

Launched in January 2022, Popeyes already has ~60 outlets. JFL expects it to reach 200–250 stores by 2027, making it potentially India’s fastest-growing chicken QSR brand, especially in Tier I & II cities

Dunkin’ Donuts India — Revived with Evolution

Since 2012, Dunkin’ has maintained ~30 outlets in key cities. Recent repositioning aims at urban youngsters, focusing on beverage-led modernization, though growth remains cautious pending stronger brand pull.

Conclusion

Jubilant FoodWorks' QSR success stems from a joint vision: Shyam S Bhartia’s leadership secured franchise rights and guided strategy. Execution—under Sameer Khetarpal’s digital-first leadership and operational discipline—delivered on aggressive expansion, value-driven consumer propositions, and efficient scaling via AI-led systems.

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