# Jubilant ties faster Popeyes expansion in India to higher gross margins

> Source: https://qsr.pro/articles/jubilant-popeyes-india-site-selection
> Publisher: QSR Pro
> Last content update: 2026-11-08T13:53:53.211223+00:00


By August, Jubilant had identified locations for its next 200 Indian Popeyes restaurants. Each must meet Jubilant’s return expectations.

Published: 2026-11-08T13:53:53.211223+00:00

By QSR Pro Staff

![Jubilant ties faster Popeyes expansion in India to higher gross margins](https://gadzwjyojqpwmxtgebnh.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/daily-20261108-popeyes-india-b9e87c829ddc.webp)

*AI-generated illustration: QSR.pro, using Jubilant FoodWorks’ restaurant counts.*

September-quarter sales at established Popeyes restaurants in India rose 53% year over year. Jubilant FoodWorks tied faster openings to higher gross margins in its November 6 letter. [September sales](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_06112026152646_LettertoShareholders.pdf#page=6) · [Expansion criteria](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_06112026152646_LettertoShareholders.pdf#page=11)

In August, Jubilant said it would keep investing in Popeyes, targeting 35 to 40 additions annually for several years. It had identified locations for its next 200 restaurants. Each new restaurant must meet Jubilant’s return expectations. The letter gave no lease count. [August expansion plans](https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachHis/98a0f2de-64cd-437f-9fb8-45673d1c2aed.pdf#page=10)

In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, Jubilant added a net 17 Popeyes restaurants, bringing its Indian network from 61 to 78. It reached 88 by June 30 and 99 by September 30. Six months brought 21 net additions, more than the previous fiscal year. [Fiscal-year count](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_20052026161011_EarningsPresentation.pdf#page=6) · [June](https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachHis/98a0f2de-64cd-437f-9fb8-45673d1c2aed.pdf#page=6) · [September](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_06112026152646_LettertoShareholders.pdf#page=5)

## Restaurant sales

For fiscal 2026–27, Jubilant counts restaurants opened before April 1, 2025, in comparable sales. Their June-quarter sales rose 45.1% year over year. Including newer stores, Indian Popeyes restaurants averaged ₹96,100 in daily sales per location that quarter. [June figures and definitions](https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachHis/98a0f2de-64cd-437f-9fb8-45673d1c2aed.pdf#page=7)

In the September quarter, that average fell 6% to ₹90,300. Gross margin reached 68.5%, up about 1.5 percentage points year over year. Jubilant saw room for another two to three points and said the Indian brand remained unprofitable. [September figures](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_06112026152646_LettertoShareholders.pdf#page=6) · [Margin outlook](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_06112026152646_LettertoShareholders.pdf#page=10) · [Brand profitability](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_06112026152646_LettertoShareholders.pdf#page=11)

## How Jubilant enters a market

In 2021 Jubilant announced an exclusive master franchise and development agreement with PLK APAC Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International. The agreement lets Jubilant develop, own and run Popeyes restaurants itself and license franchisees to do the same. Jubilant envisioned hundreds of restaurants across the four countries covered by the agreement. Alongside India, the territory includes Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. [Franchise rights](https://archives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_24032021185401_stockexchangepopeye.pdf#page=1) · [Development plans](https://archives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_24032021185401_stockexchangepopeye.pdf#page=2)

Jubilant opened India’s first Popeyes in Koramangala, Bengaluru, on January 19, 2022. It had built its own electric-bike fleet for deliveries and planned to take orders through a Popeyes app and mobile website. On opening day it named two more Bengaluru neighborhoods where it planned restaurants, New BEL Road and Kammanahalli. [Bengaluru launch](https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachHis/c535856a-7f65-4be3-b0e7-9879f2a817c4.pdf#page=2)

On February 21, 2024, Jubilant announced the opening of its first Popeyes in the Delhi capital region, at Omaxe Chowk mall in Chandni Chowk. That day Jubilant named three more places where it planned restaurants. Two were Pacific Mall locations, one in Jasola and one in Faridabad. The third was DLF Epitome in Gurgaon. [Delhi opening](https://www.jubilantfoodworks.com/Uploads/Files/755jf-pr.pdf#page=1) · [Proposed sites](https://www.jubilantfoodworks.com/Uploads/Files/755jf-pr.pdf#page=2)

At the time, 31 Popeyes restaurants were in southern India, ETRetail’s Charu Lamba reported. Jubilant CEO Sameer Khetarpal told ETRetail that Chandigarh had been the first northern market. He wanted more stores in Chandigarh and Delhi and envisioned a chain of 250 restaurants across India within four years. [ETRetail’s February 2024 report](https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/food-services/jubilant-foodworks-ltd-to-open-250-outlets-of-popeyes-in-the-next-4-years/107887849)

Jubilant was considering both shopping malls and high streets in metros and smaller cities. Its Popeyes restaurants then averaged 1,500 to 1,700 square feet, Lamba reported. The company was also building its supply chain to prepare for expansion into western India. In the quarter ended March 31, 2026, Jubilant entered the western city of Pune. Across India, the chain added a net five restaurants that quarter. [Formats and supply chain](https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/food-entertainment/food-services/jubilant-foodworks-ltd-to-open-250-outlets-of-popeyes-in-the-next-4-years/107887849) · [Pune opening](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_20052026161011_EarningsPresentation.pdf#page=15) · [Quarterly additions](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_20052026161011_EarningsPresentation.pdf#page=5)

In most markets, Jubilant said, daily sales per restaurant roughly matched established competitors’ averages. It had adjusted capital spending and its staffing model and expected denser clusters to lower costs per delivery. [Store economics](https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/JUBLFOOD_06112026152646_LettertoShareholders.pdf#page=10)

Category: [Operations & Management](https://qsr.pro/categories/operations)