I don’t often write about food service here, much less about fast food joints (quick service restaurants or QSRs, if you’re nasty). But today’s the exception.
You can’t walk 100 meters (I’m not converting that into imperial units) down any major commercial center in Bangalore where I live (or any other major city in India) without tripping over an international fast food chain. I’ve even seen a few super niche ones, like Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen that does Cajun-style chicken, and has even launched a vegetarian menu for India. I wondered why these brands are expanding here and if they’re even doing okay. And this led me to thinking about how they even choose where to expand.
So I reached out to franchise specialist and GourmetPro expert Thierry Rousset, Executive Business Consultant at QSR Consultants, to decode how QSR brands decide if, when, and how to go global. And of course, what mistakes brands with global aspirations need to avoid.
I’m distilling what Thierry shared into a little cheat sheet below, but you’ve absolutely got to listen to the whole chat for the really good stuff. Thierry brings his experience helping QSR brands expand into new markets and tons of learnings from industry successes and failures.
Miss this episode of The GourmetPod at your own peril!
Watch the episode on Youtube:
Why this conversation matters now
Just to set the scene, the global QSR market is currently worth US$1.1 trillion and is projected to hit US$1.6 trillion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.38%. This is a sector driven mainly by convenience. Rapid urbanization and increasingly busy lifestyles have resulted in a growing demand for convenient and quick dining options, creating significant opportunities for QSR chains to expand their footprint.
Price is also a major driver, as QSRs do tend to be more affordable than sit-down dining options. Even with growing food inflation and demands for enhanced value, like healthier and safer options, QSR offerings remain cheaper.
The largest geography for QSRs is North America, accounting for nearly a third of the market. But APAC is where the real action is, with a projected CAGR of 10.46% between 2025 and 2030. It’s hardly surprising, since cities are growing, disposable incomes are rising, and there’s a young and hungry population always ready for a brand they’ve only admired from afar. Plus, chains are refurbing their menus to better suit local palates and taking advantage of high-density areas to offer better delivery services. China and India are especially seen as growth engines for the QSR sector.
Which explains why I see so many of these global brands everywhere!
Checklist for QSRs before entering new markets
Expanding into new markets is never a simple matter of plug-and-play, not for retail brands, even less for food service brands. Here’s a down-and-dirty cheat sheet from Thierry’s insights, though I would very much recommend listening to the original conversation – there are examples backing up each of these.
The top do’s
Start with the business case. Define why expansion is necessary now, and confirm strong home-market fundamentals before committing to a new country.
Build internal capability for transfer, not translation. Ensure you have people, processes, and training that can be replicated abroad (language skills, adapted SOPs, localized training assets).
Sequence markets deliberately. Validate demand, menu architecture, and price points per market; geographic proximity does not guarantee similar customer behavior or unit economics. (Examples in the episode.)
Choose the right entry model and timeline. Decide between master franchise, joint venture, or owned stores – and plan realistically for ~18–36 months from decision to first opening. (Why this takes time is covered in detail in the conversation.)
Use delivery-based pilots to de-risk. Dark/virtual kitchens can test demand, pricing, food/labor costs, and operations before you commit capex or sign multi-year area deals. (We discuss practical cases in the episode.)
The top don’ts
Don’t treat unsolicited investor interest as a strategy. Expansion should follow readiness and a clear plan, not inbound requests, however flattering and appealing they are.
Don’t scatter openings across unrelated markets. A fragmented footprint raises supply-chain complexity and weakens brand equity.
Don’t copy-paste menus across borders. Even small ordering and consumption differences can reduce average ticket and margins if you don’t adapt the offer.
Don’t rely on imported inputs or English-only SOPs. Qualify local supply to global specifications and design training for local language and literacy levels (video and in-market training often perform best).
Don’t alter the core concept to fit a market. Localize SKUs and communications without changing brand standards and positioning; if the core must change, reconsider market entry.
On a separate note, our SKS Japan coverage is far from over. We have in the works a bunch of fantastic interviews with some of the smartest people embedded in the Japanese F&B ecosystem, who were insanely generous with their insights and time. Allow me to whet your appetite with who to expect:
Kazuhiro Gono, Executive Officer (Future Food Tech.), Nissin Foods Holdings
Tomoyasu Takada, CEO, Deats Food Planning
Dana McCauley, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network
Semi Hakim, Co-Founder, Kök Projekt
Raquel Salvador Gallego, R&D Specialist, Leaft Foods
… and many more! So stay tuned for these on our YouTube channel!
I wouldn’t object to your subscribing to this, if you want to stay on top of all of these insightful conversations. Just saying.
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