In the wake of the current health crisis, Westlife Development, the company that owns and operates McDonald’s restaurant in West and South India, is leading the way for the eating out industry by walking the talk as to serving safe and hygienic food. The restaurant chain that always had world-class health and hygiene practices is reinforcing its safety processes and is going the extra mile and leaving no stone unturned to give customers safe and hygienic food and experience. McDonald’s India – one of the few QSRs to have a closed loop supply chain – is reinforcing its safety processes right from the suppliers’ end to its restaurants.
Speaking on the action taken by McDonald’s, Smita Jatia, Managing Director, Westlife Development, says, “Our customers are at the heart of all our efforts. QSCV – Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value have been the cornerstone of our business since inception. Our food is 100% traceable to the farms that use world-class farming technologies to create best-in-class produce, it is transported using cold chain and at the restaurants, it is handled and served with unparalleled hygiene. In the view of the current health crisis, we are proactively stepping up our existing processes to create an even more safe and hygienic environment for our customers.”
Hygiene practices being followed by McDonald’s in West and South
- All kitchen staff handle food with gloves, that are changed every few hours
- All food trays are sanitized after every use
- Tray mats are changed after every use
- The crew washes their hands every hour for 20 seconds with antimicrobial handwash
- The tables are sanitized after every use
- Separate colour-coded cleaning cloths are used to handle veg and non-veg food
- Separate mops are used for the restaurant lobby and the kitchen
- The washroom is regularly sanitized
- 3- sink sanitization process – wash, clean and sanitize
- The cleaning mops are washed in running hot water to ensure complete sanitization
- A regular ‘PH’ test is done to ensure strength of the sanitizer
- A ‘Clean as you go‘ process is followed to ensure cleanliness across all touch-points
Heightened sanitation processed being deployed in ensure safety
- Regular monitoring of key health parameters for all crew members
- Monitoring of travel history and family health of our crew
- Credit cards machines are getting sanitized regularly
- Self-dispensing coke machine panel is being sanitized regularly
- The table trackers are being sanitized regularly
- All other customers touch points like Self-Ordering Kiosk or SOK screen, door handles, hand rails are also being sanitized regularly
In addition to this, the company is keeping a close check on its supply chain for the welfare of its consumers. It has stringent scanning methods for all suppliers and is ensuring that all suppliers have food safety management systems at their plants. They are making sure that employees at their suppliers’ end also go through stringent hygiene checks before entering the plant or going for their shifts. Each minute detail in the food safety process is given the utmost attention by the company.
About Westlife Development
Westlife Development Limited (BSE: 505533) (WDL) focuses on putting up and operating Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) in India through its subsidiary Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. The Company operates a chain of McDonald’s restaurants in west and south India, having a master franchisee relationship with McDonald’s Corporation USA, through the latter’s Indian subsidiary. Marquee investors such as Arisaig India Fund Ltd., SBI Mutual Fund, Tree Line Asia Master Fund (Singapore) and Ward Ferry Fund, among others are stakeholders in WDL.
About Hardcastle Restaurants
Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd. (HRPL) is a McDonald’s franchisee with rights to own and operate McDonald’s restaurants in India’s west and south markets. HRPL has been a franchisee in this part of India since its inception in 1996.
HRPL serves approximately 200 million customers, annually, at its 315 (as of December 31, 2019) McDonald’s restaurants across 42 cities in the states of Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and parts of Madhya Pradesh, and provides direct employment to over 10,000 employees. McDonald’s operates through various formats and brand extensions including standalone restaurants, drive-thru’s, 24/7, McDelivery and dessert Kiosks. The menu features Burgers, Finger Foods, Wraps and Hot and Cold Beverages besides a wide range of desserts. Several of the McDonald’s Restaurants feature an in-house McCafé.
The pillars of the McDonald’s system – Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value – are evident at each of the restaurants where HRPL operates.
