Leading QSR Operators Converge At India's First Fast Food & Cafe Convention

The QSR and Café industry hosted the Fast Food & Café Convention on 29th November at The Lalit, New Delhi, in a bid to identify the changing dynamics of the fast food industry in India, as it responds to the discerning consumers and their ever-evolving tastes. In the last two decades, since the first Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) entered India, the industry has seen a constant growth and a momentum that has given operators the leverage and confidence of a promising future. The event provided an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs and people who are zealous about fast food and café industry. It saw over 200 delegates, over 120 brands and 30 speakers discussing about the future of the QSR industry and its promising growth.The convention brought together a host of renowned chefs, leaders of the food industry and successful restaurateurs, who shared ideas, thoughts and inspiration. "The Fast Food & Café Convention 2017 is India's first conference catering to the needs of rapidly growing Indian QSR market. This is a brilliant chance for QSR players to understand and map the changing dynamic landscape of consumer trends from what's new and hot to what's on the way out. We also hope the event will help boost innovation within the industry," shared Mini Jacob, Co-founder of Oddbox, who was the organizer of the event.Apart from a lot of new topics that were discussed through case studies, panel discussions and round table sessions, an interesting session on how to attract new customers and turn them into loyal, repeat customers is something that caught our attention. Panelists for this session included Ajay Khanna, CEO Food Courts, Kwal's hospitality, Sanjay Agarwal, Foudner of Salad Chef, Food Blogger Kalyan Karmakar and Chef Manager for Soda Bottle Opener Wala Anahita Dhondy. The panel discussed about how customer loyalty has changed over the years. From a time when most restaurants didn't even offer home delivery services, to a time when you would have to call and speak to someone to take down your order to loyalty programs that now offer rewards and discounts to regulars.Sanjay Agarwal, Founder, Salad Chef, made the perfect point when he said "If you are loyal to the customer and keep his interest on top, that's when the customer will be loyal to you. Salad Chef will soon be celebrating 25 years in the business and has third generation family members now as its regulars. Talk about loyalty!" The experts agreed that there are several tools to loyalty, but eventually, the quality and consistency of food is paramount.Apart from this, the congregation also celebrated the new advancements in the QSR and casual dining in the Indian food retail segment. Adam Rush, from COATES group, shared, 'We are looking forward to localised partnerships here and are looking to modernise brands through interactive touch-points. Customer Feedback and perception is key for successful fast food chains and a shift to quality digital merchandise can see a lift in sales with an improved buying experience. Coates Group offers end-to-end digital merchandising solution which includes software, hardware and content management as well."The leaders went on to discuss the positive changes that are taking place, the role of technology and how all these can be leveraged for better growth. The conference also mapped the landscape of consumer trends, from what's new and hot, to what's on the way out. The event has gained support from the key industry associations that includes National Restaurant Associations of India (NRAI), HOTREMAI, TIE and HPMF.