Ravi Jaipuria, Non-Executive Chairman, Devyani International
Image: Madhu Kapparath
You can’t be in the QSR (quick service restaurant) business if you don’t realise that the name—QSR—itself is a misnomer! Ravi Jaipuria says there is nothing quick about QSR. “It’s a patience game, and a long-term play,” reckons the non-executive chairman of Devyani International, the largest franchisee for KFC and Pizza Hut in India and the sole franchisee for Costa Coffee in the country.
In 1995, KFC’s first outlet in India had a controversial debut in Bengaluru. The store was ransacked multiple times, the brand was forced to exit the market, and it came back after four years in 1999. “It jolted us. Eventually, it got settled but the episode was shocking. You might call it growth pangs,” says Jaipuria, who realised that it takes time for a foreign brand to get rooted in the country. “QSR takes time; takes years, and needs lots of patience,” he reiterates.