2. Fast-food major McDonald's has stepped up its game, launching
what it calls "next-generation" restaurants in India, as the
pressure to reinvent itself grows in a competitive market.
Westlife Development, which runs McDonald's restaurants in the
west and south of India, will make available everything from
digital kiosks for smooth ordering to digital menu display boards,
free wi-fi for those wanting to be connected to the Net, gaming
zones, and cell phone charging points as consumers increasingly
demand convenience at fast-food joints.
Westlife will also introduce table service at these "next-
generation" stores, in a departure from the principle of self-
service that has characterised McDonald's restaurants across the
globe.
The format, says Amit Jatia, vice-chairman, Westlife Development,
was introduced in the US a few months and has subsequently been
unveiled in different parts of the world. In India, the first such
store was launched on Thursday in Mumbai, with plans to convert
a quarter of McDonald's 250 stores in the west and south of India
to the new format. This, Jatia says, will happen over the next three
to four years as the company gears up for the future.
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