QSRchainsfeastononlineordersasCovidforcesWFH

NEW DELHI: Leading Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chains such as - KFC, Taco Bell and McDonald's - foresee continued growth in online orders with more states going in for partial or complete lockdown and as people follow physical-distancing guidelines amid alarming rise in COVID cases in the country.

The QSR chains are strictly following the standard hygiene and safety processes across all delivery and takeaway orders, as well as for in-store dining, as per the local government regulations applicable in that area.

"As the pandemic hit last year, most of our consumers transitioned from on-premise consumption to ordering at home. With this second wave now, we foresee continued growth in online/digital orders with more states going into partial or complete lockdown," a KFC spokesperson said.

According to KFC, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, the delivery has been a growing channel. Earlier it was contributing to a small portion of the pre-COVID revenue, but it has become relevant to a larger audience now, due to restricted movement.

"We witnessed a surge in digital/online ordering through last year and we anticipate this trend to continue with the limited movement of people outside of their homes," it said adding "we want to ensure we are accessible to our customers wherever they are - within the comfort of their homes or out for essential services." Taco Bell, which has also witnessed an exponential demand and growth for the delivery and takeaway services over the last one year, said it is "cautiously optimistic" that this channel will continue to grow.