Jubilant Foodworks is all set to bring Popeyes to India, neighbouring countries

Jubilant Foodworks on March 24, 2021, announced that it has entered into an exclusive Master Franchise and Development Agreement with PLK APAC Pte. Ltd to develop, establish, own and operate hundreds of Popeyes restaurants in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan in the coming years.

With this, Jubilant FoodWorks will introduce the American multinational chain of fried chicken fast-food restaurants 'Popeyes' to India.

In a regulatory filing, Jubilant FoodWorks said, "The Company has entered into an exclusive Master Franchise and Development Agreement with PLK APAC Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc., to develop, establish, own and operate, and to license Franchisees to develop, establish, own and operate, Popeyes® Restaurants in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan."

In a joint statement, Mr. Shyam S. Bhartia, Chairman and Mr. Hari S. Bhartia, Co-Chairman, Jubilant Foodworks Limited said, "We are happy to announce the signing of a multi-country agreement to acquire the exclusive rights to operate and sub-license the iconic Popeyes® brand in India and neighbouring countries. Chicken is one of the largest and fastest-growing categories in India and is expected to grow rapidly in the years to come. Popeyes® will be an exciting addition to the JFL portfolio and is expected to become one of the key drivers of growth for us in the coming years."

David Shear, President International at RBI, commented: "We're excited to introduce our iconic Louisiana-style chicken to a new population in the world that already celebrates and loves bold and delicious flavours. At Popeyes®, we believe that the best food takes time, we marinate our chicken for 12 hours in bold Louisiana seasonings, then hand batter and slowly cook it to make it the juiciest and crispiest chicken that I think our guests will ever have."

Founded in New Orleans in 1972, Popeyes has more than 45 years of history and culinary tradition. Popeyes distinguishes itself with a unique New Orleans style menu featuring the iconic chicken sandwich, spicy chicken, chicken tenders, fried shrimp, and other regional items. Popeyes uses proprietary seasonings and techniques developed by an in-house culinary team of chefs that makes its fried chicken a point of reference for Michelin Chefs and celebrities.

The brand's passion for its Louisiana heritage and flavourful authentic food has allowed Popeyes to become one of the world's largest chicken quick-service restaurants with over 3,400 restaurants in over 25 countries around the world.

Jubilant Foodworks Limited (JFL) is the largest food service company in India. It is a part of the Jubilant Bhartia group its Domino's Pizza franchise extends across a network of 1,314 restaurants in 285 cities (as of December 31, 2020). The Company has the exclusive rights to develop and operate Domino's Pizza brand in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. At present, it operates in India, and through its subsidiary companies in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

PLK APAC Pte. Ltd is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI) which is one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies with approximately $31 billion in annual system-wide sales and 27,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories.