Delhi’s oldest fast food chain gets young and contemporary in a new avatar.
Nirula’s, Delhi’s oldest fast-food chain, is donning a new look again. The Nirula’s outlet under the flyover in upmarket Defence Colony was relaunched two weeks ago in a different avatar. No longer a quick service restaurant, it is now a casual diner.
The Defence Colony Nirula’s is an old outlet and has been around for 25 years now. In its new avatar, it has been extensively redesigned. Spread over two floors with a large outdoor seating area, it has contemporary styling while retaining touches of the earlier design.
Nirula’s is an iconic brand in Delhi; the first outlet opened in Connaught Circus in 1934. It was a landmark eatery, serving offering Westernised fare such as burgers, pizzas and icecreams; its hot chocolate fudge ice-cream sundae, especially, was extremely popular.
In June 2006, the company was acquired by Navis Capital Partners, a private-equity firm based in Malaysia, and Samir Kuckreja, a hospitality industry professional. Post-acquisition, Nirula’s transformed into a quick-service restaurant offering a range of Indian cuisine (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian); the aim was to grow it into the first Indian fast-food chain. The brand also spread to kiosks, express take-aways at Metro and railway stations and airports; and then there was Potpourri, which is a fine dining restaurant. In the years following, Nirula’s expanded aggressively to more than 85 locations across Delhi and the National Capital Region, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.
Speaking about the new format, Kuckreja, chief executive officer and managing director, Nirula’s, says, “Eating out today is an experience. It is a way of socialising with friends and family. This is the first restaurant that we have launched in this enhanced dine-in format.” There are plans to open more outlets like it and convert some of the other prominent locations into this format.
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Kuckreja is clear that Nirula’s is not emulating Potpourri model this time as the focus is to cater to the demands of huge customer base. “Potpourri is geared more towards premium and luxury dining, while a casual and affordable diner is accessible to a larger clientle,” he explains.
The “new” Nirula’s will serve the signature dishes like old favourites Big Boy Burger and Hot Chocolate Fudge as well as have a variety of pastas, burgers, pizzas and range of Indian curries and kebabs. The new Nirula’s also serves beer and wine, but prices have been kept affordable — a meal for two will come to around Rs 500 to Rs 600.
Anand Ramanathan, an analyst with KPMG, believes, “Indians want variety, so it is a feasible idea to experiment.” Nirula’s is targeting the generation aged between 15 and 30 years with its new format. “The retail landscape is rapidly changing, so fast-food chains want to tap youngsters and middle-aged adults,” adds Ramanathan.
Nirula’s meanwhile intends to continue with its aggressive expansion and plans to open 50 new outlets in seven new cities by next year, taking the outlet count to 150 by the end of 2012.