In this edition of VideoBrief, Gaurav Pande, Executive Vice President & Business Head – Popeyes (operated by Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd., the company behind global QSR heavyweights like Domino’s Pizza, Dunkin’, and more in India), discusses the brand’s recent debut in Mumbai. He shares insights into the unique challenges and opportunities faced during the expansion, and how Popeyes is tailoring its globally loved flavours to suit Indian palates. Pande also speaks about the brand’s product philosophy, consumer feedback-driven innovations, and Popeyes’ strategy to carve out a niche in India’s competitive QSR landscape.
Mumbai’s vibrant food culture has a new entrant that promises to bring the authentic flavours of Louisiana to Indian palates. Popeyes, the global fried chicken giant, has officially made its debut in the city, with its first store opening at Phoenix Market City, Kurla. Speaking about the launch, Pande says, “Mumbai was on the cards for a long time. We always wanted to expand here.”
But for Popeyes, expansion isn’t just about opening stores—it’s about maintaining the brand’s uncompromising quality standards. On this, he says, “One of the core things about our product is its freshness. All the chicken we serve is chilled and never frozen. That requires significant capability building in terms of supply chain and back-end infrastructure, where we marinate our chicken for 12 hours.”
The brand first built these capabilities in the South, starting in Bangalore, then expanded to the North. “When we came to Mumbai, the first thing we did was build the supply chain capability because we never want to compromise on the quality of food.”
He continues, “One of the core assets of our chicken is flavour, which comes from our marination, and juiciness, which comes from freshness. That is why we were two years late to Mumbai. But now we are all set—we are opening five stores in the next four or five weeks, and I’m sure Mumbaikars will love the food here.”
Popeyes’ India journey so far
Reflecting on Popeyes’ journey so far, Pande shared, “Globally, Popeyes stands for fried chicken, which it has been selling for over 50 years in Louisiana. In the last decade, we launched the famous chicken sandwich, which became viral.”
In India, the brand quickly realised that the market is “underserviced, especially when it comes to flavours. Indians today are more globally exposed—they want more variety.”
This, Pande shares, led to a string of innovations over the past two years, including a range of vegetarian sandwiches, flavourful chicken wings in six flavours, and the ‘Hot and Messy’ range. “All of these have been tailor-made and designed for Indian consumers to really amp up the flavours in their favourite fried chicken formats.”
Weekly consumer connect sessions too have been key to refining the menu, informs Pande. “We do a very, very strong connect with consumers every week to understand what they are liking, what they want, and that helps us fuel our innovation pipeline.”
Sharing his personal favourites, Pande favours “The range of chicken wings because you get an assortment of six flavours. If you want less spice, go for Ranch; if you want very spicy, try Korean or Hot Chili.”
He adds, “Variety is very important—none of us like the same flavour on everything on the plate.”
He also swears by the chicken sandwich: “It’s now made in brioche buns, uniquely crafted for the brand. The patty is whole muscle, marinated for about 12 hours in real flavours. It’s a simple construct, but it has an amazing taste.”
“The brand is known for its flavours and its crunchy, juicy chicken. These are the promises we make to consumers through our communication and our products,” Pande adds.
Pande reiterates that everything is founded on authentic Cajun flavours. Popeyes carries that legacy into India. “Everything you eat here is marinated in Cajun flavours—even the vegetarian range, which is very tailor-made for India.”
He adds, “We have a huge vegetarian range so that groups with both vegetarians and non-vegetarians can have a hearty meal together. The core principle is the Cajun philosophy of keeping flavours and the product at the centre of what we offer.”
The ‘viral chicken sandwich’ is a global and local hit. “It’s priced around ₹200 and comes in Classic (mild) and Bold (spicy) flavours. We also have value combos with fries and beverages,” Pande added.
Another favourite is the bone-in chicken, often ordered in combo buckets mixing bone-in, boneless, and wings—priced at ₹699. “These have been selling very well in Mumbai.” He also recommends the chicken wings platter—three flavours for ₹179.
On the vegetarian side, the menu includes four vegetarian burgers, large wraps, rice bowls, onion rings, and fries. “Our veg products get very good feedback. Some of our wraps are hearty enough to be a meal on their own.”
Popeyes’ media strategy in India
Speaking about Popeyes’ media strategy in India, he shares that digital is at the heart of it. Elaborating on this, Pande says, “We use channels which allow us to be hyperlocal. A lot of our spends go behind Meta (Instagram & Facebook) and YouTube.”
Pande also informs that the brand leverages its Instagram following for announcements and product launches, and uses CRM to reach its large customer database.
Influencers too make an integral part of the mix—but not just for one-off promotions, says Pande. He adds, “We partner with influencers who are also consumers for us. We build deep partnerships with them to understand their feedback. We want authentic feedback because they represent the audience that consumes our product.”
Beyond digital, Popeyes is making its presence felt on the streets. Pande said, “You will see a fleet of taxis branded with Popeyes. For the next two days, customers from Kurla station to Phoenix Market City can get free branded cab rides.”
As Popeyes takes its first bite out of Mumbai’s competitive QSR market, Pande is confident about the brand’s India-first approach. He wraps up by sharing, “We’re here to serve food that’s fresh, flavourful, and true to our Cajun heritage—while listening to what Indian consumers want. This is just the beginning for us in Mumbai.”
