When you think of McDonald’s usually the likes of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or McChicken Sandwich may spring to mind. But in India it is a completely different story as many people are vegetarian.
McDonald’s tailor their restaurant menus depending on their location. Currently the company has 271 commercial properties in India which offer a 50 per cent vegetarian menu. But now the company is to open a totally meat-free restaurant in Amritsar, North India.
Speaking of the move to open a meat-free restaurant in India, Rajesh Kumar Maini, a spokesman for McDonald’s, said: “It will be the first time we have opened a vegetarian restaurant. There is a big opportunity for vegetarian restaurants as many Indians are vegetarian.
“At the moment, India is still a very small market – we just have 271 restaurants in India, and across the world, we have nearly 33,000.”
People of India don’t eat meat for religious regions. Hindus, which account for 80 per cent of the country’s population don’t eat beef as they regard cows as sacred, whilst Muslims don’t eat pork as they regard pigs as dirty and it is forbidden in the Koran.
The signature dish which accounts for 25 per cent of all sales in India is the McAloo Tikki burger which consists of spicy potatoes. Unfortunately UK McDonald stores do not serve this tasty alternative to the Big Mac and there are only really two choices for non-meat eaters; the Spicy Veggie Sandwich and the Spicy Veggie Wrap.
McDonald’s currently has 33,500 restaurants in 119 different countries. It employs around 1.7 million people and is the second largest food chain behind Subway.
Are you a vegetarian? Do you think the UK market should take a leaf out of the Indian market and serve more veggie friendly food in its restaurants?
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