Consumer Foodservice in Lucknow

Key findings

Many options for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food lovers

Lucknow’s strong culture and tradition are reflected in the city’s eating habits, which are characterised by well-known food items such as biryanis, tundey and galouti kebabs, and breads like nahari-kulchas. The city also offers delicacies for the vegetarian population, such as chaat, malai makkhan and veg kebab parantha, which bear the hallmarks of Awadh cuisine.

A changing demographic landscape is driving the growth of quick service restaurants

People are increasingly eating outside the home, and are also experimenting with food. As a result, they have developed a taste for Western food items, resulting in an increase in fast food restaurants, such as KFC, McDonald’s and Subway.

These restaurants are gaining popularity because they not only serve as popular spots for socialising, but also offer an alternative to the traditional Lucknow diet.

Ambience plays a key role in attracting footfall

As people are increasingly eating outside the home, restaurants are seeking to improve the ambience of their outlets in order to achieve greater footfall. The city has seen a rise in rooftop restaurants, such as Falaknuma Rooftop Restaurant and The Urban Terrace, which not only provide traditional cuisine, but also an attractive ambience.

Online food delivery services being used by leading restaurants

The launch of online food delivery services, such as Zomato, Uber Eats and Swiggy, in 2018 has increased food sales. Well-established, such as Tunday Kababi and Idrees Biryani, are partnering with these companies to cater to customers in all parts of the city. Local food aggregators, such as Onlinekaka, operate a similar business model.