Westlife Foodworld, which operates McDonald's across West and South India, is preparing to open its 500th restaurant as it reports a 12% year-on-year revenue rise to ₹736 crore for the start of FY27, according to an interview with CEO Akshay Jatia published by ETRetail. The company ended the period with 482 outlets operational across 79 cities and more than 10,000 employees, Jatia said, underscoring the scale of its food-service production footprint in the region.
Three decades, 500 restaurants, one supply chain
McDonald's West & South completes 30 years in India this year, ETRetail reported. Amit Jatia, chairman and father of the current CEO, recalled the early days when no organised quick-service restaurant industry existed in India: "India had no organised QSR industry, eating out was still an occasional habit, and the ecosystem needed to support a brand like McDonald's simply didn't exist. But we believed India's young, aspirational consumers would increasingly value convenient, affordable and trusted dining as the country evolved. Looking back, we didn't just enter a market, we helped create one."
Akshay Jatia, who now leads the business, described the milestone as emotional and tied directly to job creation. "We have over 10,000 employees today, and every restaurant represents years of trust built with consumers," he told ETRetail. The company is preparing to open its 500th restaurant even as it undergoes "one of its biggest transformations from being a restaurant-first company to becoming an omnichannel consumer brand," the report said.
Operational metrics behind the expansion
ETRetail's interview highlighted several quantitative indicators of the company's recent performance, which are summarised below:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| FY27 revenue growth (year-on-year) | 12% to ₹736 crore |
| Same-store sales growth | 4.3% |
| Share of sales through digital channels | Nearly 75% |
| McDonald's app downloads | Over 55 million |
| Operational restaurants | 482 outlets across 79 cities |
| Employees | Over 10,000 |
Same-store sales rose 4.3%, which Jatia described as the strongest performance in recent years, according to ETRetail. Nearly three-quarters of sales now come through digital channels, and the McDonald's app has crossed 55 million downloads, the report said.
Leadership, legacy and the next chapter
Akshay Jatia's reflections point to a deliberate evolution rather than a break with the past. "In 1996, who would have imagined we'd be here today?" he asked. "My parents took a risk because they believed in India's consumer story long before it became fashionable to talk about it."
The CEO is not rewriting the legacy built by his parents, but rather repositioning the business for the next generation of consumers, ETRetail noted. The interview, part of the TOPSHELF Digital Cover Story, frames this as a paradox: how to change something that already works without anyone noticing the change.
For manufacturing and supply-chain executives, the key takeaway is the scale of Westlife Foodworld's operating network: nearly 500 restaurants serving as production and distribution points, backed by a workforce of 10,000, with digital orders driving the majority of throughput. The company's shift to an omnichannel model implies additional investment in kitchen automation, packaging and logistics — although ETRetail did not disclose specific capital expenditure figures.
Production timeline
Westlife Foodworld is "preparing to open its 500th restaurant" in West and South India, according to ETRetail. The company has already passed 482 operational outlets, meaning the next 18 openings are needed to reach the milestone. Given the reported growth trajectory, the 500th outlet is expected in the near term, though ETRetail did not provide an exact opening date.
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