Popular US-based burger retailer The Counter is all set to enter the Indian market. The Counter has been featured in GQ Magazine’s ’20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die’ and is now all set to chase the taste buds of the Indian food enthusiasts.
The menu will feature more than 3,000 different combinations and a burger at The Counter will cost a minimum of Rs. 400. This price is eight times higher than what the popular global burger chain McDonald’s charges for its burgers, which are being sold in stores in 13 cities in India.
Gaurav Marya, chairman of Franchise India which will be partnering with The Counter in India, said, “In India, we either have lower-priced burgers or the ones available at the coffee shops of 5-star hotels. There is a huge gap and potential between these segments, which we hope to fill through The Counter with a fine-dining positioning”. The Counter will be opening about 12 outlets in Mumbai and Delhi in the first phase and globally it is selling its custom burgers through 33 stores in the US and four outlets in Dublin, Jeddah and Kuwait.
On the other hand, the industry observers are surprised to see the introduction of a pricier version of what is recognized as fast food, especially at a time when customers are spending less due to economic slowdown.