1. TREND
60 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2014 FOODSERVICE INDIA EDITION
The simplicity and convenience of making and consuming wraps and rolls
has enhanced their popularity and acceptability as a commercial offering
by Reetesh Shukla
Wraps and Rolls
A growing pie in the QSR market
T
he fondness for wraps and rolls goes back to the school lunch-box which
featured a roti or a paratha rolled with vegetables, butter, or jam. Now, F&B
players are increasingly offering ever greater variants of this convenient
household meal, which is widely popular across the globe as well. The
simplicity and convenience of making and consuming wraps and rolls product
has enhanced their popularity and acceptability as a commercial offering.
As a product, wraps and rolls have evolved internationally over the years, with delectable
fillings such as leafy salads, roasted chicken/meat, and grilled vegetables. In like fashion,
wraps and rolls have also evolved within the Indian market, and are known by different
names within the Indian food service market, such as kathi rolls, Frankies, kebab
rolls, etc. According to industry sources, the inception of the kathi roll can be traced to
Nizam’s Restaurant of Kolkata in 1932. This roll started life as a layered paratha with a
kabab filling. The name ‘kathi’ sprung from the use of bamboo sticks for making kebabs,
rather than the traditional steel skewers. However, over the years, the product has been
transmuted into a culinary wonder as many versions have evolved with different fillings.
The product has also gained in popularity within the Indian food service market, being
sold largely through the QSR segment. The chained restaurant QSR market in India,
which was pegged at USD 1.1 billion in 2013 and projected to grow at a CAGR of ~20
percent over the next five years, is the key for the retail growth of wraps and rolls. Given
the high growth projected for the QSR segment, the market for wraps and rolls can also
be expected to grow at a similar rate, of ~20 to 25 percent, over the next five years. The
product’s gaining penetration into menus across the food service market will underpin
this growth. Demand drivers also include the increasing popularity of this product thanks
to enhanced product offerings with varied flavors and proteins wooing the taste buds of
consumers. The increasing acceptability of this product and the consequent confidence
of food service operators towards it can be sensed from the surge in the number of brands
that have focused on this category.
Some brands have placed wraps and rolls as core product offerings and are focused
solely on making them better and tastier with each passing day, for example, Faaso’s,
Kaati Zone, Pita Pit, RollsKing, Chowringhee Kathi Rolls & Kabab’s, Snackoz, etc..
Rollsking has over 80 types of rolls as product offerings, including protein suppliers like
paneer, chicken, mutton, egg, mushroom, veggies, etc. These are complemented with
different flavors, which have increased sales to more than 300 wraps per outlet per day.
In addition, there are brands which are enhancing existing product offerings through the
inclusion of wraps in their menu. Brands like McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and More are
some examples in this regard. For instance, McDonald’s has recently launched wraps like
McAloo/Grilled Chicken/Egg wrap with chipotle sauce. Dunkin’ Donuts has launched the
“wicked wrap” and the “not so wicked wrap”, both in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian
category. The product has also gained popularity as a street food with many roadside
eateries, which are serving them not only in the metros and mini metros but also in
smaller, Tier I and Tier II cities.
With the growing trend for eating out, especially among the youth, school- and college-
goers, and working professionals, the on-the-go ease of consuming wraps and rolls is set to
reach further heights within the Indian market, with new entrants expected to ride on this
category’s growth, both at the regional and national level. Over the next few years, the game
will shift to innovation, quality, and product build in order to gain competitive advantage,
and a greater share, within the market. ••
Reetesh Shukla is Associate Director,
Food Services and Agriculture, Technopak Advisors