Restronomics Editorial
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Curated industry coverage by the Restronomics editorial team. Each article is selected from approved F&B publications and includes a Restronomics editor take.
Articles by Restronomics
Haryana’s New Aggregator Rules: What It Means For Delivery And Ride-Hailing Platforms?
What began as a draft notification published in the Haryana Government Gazette in December last year has now become a law.
The Race Between 7 Brew and Dutch Bros is Officially On
There aren’t any visible signs the QSR beverage space is cooling. Rather, it’s become a race to grab sites, adjust menus, and leverage what’s become one of the more-attractive margin and demographic opportunities in recent memory, especially as inflation narrows restaurant usage.
The Science Behind Gratuities
Like many, Wm. Michael Lynn helped pay his way through college by waiting tables and bartending. Little did he know at the time that the experience would lead to his career-long passion for studying the tipping process that’s lasted for more than 40 years.
Sychedelic Bags $3.5 Mn To Build AI-Powered Mental Wellness Headphones
Wearable startup Sychedelic has raised $3.5 Mn (about ₹31.5 Cr) in its seed round from investors like Cultadvisors LLP, TurboStart, Ideabaaz and Praveek Ventures, along with participation from angel investors.
Gong cha Launches Tetris-Inspired Energy Drinks Across U.S. Stores
Gong cha, the world’s leading bubble tea brand with nearly 2,200 locations in 32 international markets, is leveling up in a big way with the launch of its new EnerTeas, a bold line of energy drinks created in collaboration with The Tetris Company.
DevX Swings Back To The Black, Reports ₹8 Cr Profit In Q4
Coworking space provider DevX (Dev Accelerator)’s net profit for the quarter ended March 2025 (Q4 FY26) stood at ₹8 Cr, nearly 4X of ₹2.11 Cr PAT registered in the year-ago period. The company managed to get back into the black after incurring a loss of ₹1 Cr in Q3.
Groww Promoters Sell Stake Worth ₹270 Cr
Stock broking firm Groww’s promoters have offloaded shares worth around ₹270 Cr over the past one week, according to disclosures filed with the exchanges.
The Race to Build the Next Great Asian Fast-Casual Chain
Aks Sethi remembers the moment that changed the trajectory of his business. In 2014, the entrepreneur—then four years into running Thai Chili, a sit-down restaurant in Gilbert, Arizona—walked into a Chipotle and saw the future.
India’s Swiss Watch Challengers
On April 10, the Prime Minister was spotted wearing a wristwatch adorned with a tiger motif that immediately drew the attention of watch enthusiasts in India — not for its price tag or a global luxury label, but for its origin.
The Hidden Cost of the Third-Party Delivery Boom and How to Win
Over the years, the typical QSR customer has changed. One of the biggest changes is that 30–40 percent of dine-in customers have moved toward the drive-thru. This shift originally driven by COVID caused the customers to visit their favorite restaurants a different way.
D2CX Converge Ahmedabad Spotlights Growth Playbooks Of India’s Emerging Consumer Brands
As India’s consumer internet story matures beyond the first wave of ecommerce adoption, the next decade of D2C growth will be shaped by brands that can build strong recall, crack omnichannel distribution, and create products tailored to the country’s evolving consumption habits.
NPCI To Roll Out Unified Soundbox Infrastructure For Merchants: Report
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is working on building a common interoperable infrastructure for UPI soundboxes to enable a single device to process UPI payments across different payment apps.
The Mythos Threat, Delhivery’s Q4 Snapshot & More
When AI Learns to Break Things Anthropic’s Mythos — an AI system capable of autonomously finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities — has sent shockwaves through India’s financial establishment.
Shadowfax’s Inflection Point And The Next Frontier
It was FY22 and Shadowfax was still viewed largely as another fast-growing logistics startup battling for ecommerce deliveries in India’s crowded third-party logistics (3PL) market.
New-Age Tech Stocks Slide Amid Q4 Earnings; Pine Labs, Zaggle Lead Losses
New-age tech stocks saw a bearish week as investors turned selective amid the ongoing Q4 earnings session. Forty six out of the 57 new-age tech stocks under Inc42’s coverage fell in a range of 0.2% to over 22% this week.
Indian Listed New-Age Tech Company Tracker: Market Cap, Revenue & More
For years, we at Inc42 have tracked the Indian tech startup ecosystem and seen it grow from a kid to an adult. Among the clearest signs of evolution and maturity of this ecosystem is the growing number of startups eyeing a public listing now.
App-Based Gig Workers’ Union Calls For 5-Hour Nationwide Shutdown
The Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) has called for a nationwide five-hour shutdown of app-based services, demanding higher kilometre-based payment rates from digital platforms and government intervention following the recent hike in petrol, diesel and LPG prices.
From Rapido To HrdWyr— Indian Startups Raised $303 Mn This Week
Indian startup funding momentum witnessed a sharp uptick this week on the back of Rapido’s mega funding round this week. Fifteen startups managed to raise $303 Mn between May 11 to May 15, marking a 129% increase from $132.2 Mn raised across 18 deals last week.
7 Brew is On a Growth Run for the Record Books
7 Brew didn’t merely outpace its own rapid growth from a year ago—it opened as many locations in 2025 as it did the previous two years combined. The chain expanded by a net of 281 restaurants, according its just-released FDD. That after lifting by 141 net in 2024 and 140 in 2023.
How ‘The King of Miami Nightlife’ is Building a 360-Degree Global Lifestyle Empire
Restaurant operators, listen up: The nature of dining out is changing, according to David Grutman, who is credited with single-handedly transforming the global nightlife and hospitality scene.
The State of Mobile Ordering in QSR: Which Brands are Winning, and Where Opportunity Still Lies
Last year’s Emerging Experiences Report—the third iteration in partnership with Intouch Insight—took us across the QSR landscape to visit next-generation designs. Were these elevated, tech-enabled builds satisfying their premise? Had AI infiltrated the guest experience?
Joshua Liggins Wants to Keep the Magic Going at Dave’s Hot Chicken
Joshua Liggins has a lot of observations from his opening months at Dave’s Hot Chicken. One being, if you stripped the buzz and just paid attention to how it operated, you’d think this was a brand clawing for survival.
Wayback Burgers Opens in Hickory Creek, Texas
Wayback Burgers, America’s favorite hometown burger joint and one of the nation’s fastest-growing burger franchises, announced the official opening of its newest location at the Victory Shops – 3100 FM 2181 in Hickory Creek, TX on Friday, May 15.
Why Preeti Waas ‘Can’t Stop Feeding People’
Preeti Waas floats between tables at Cheeni Indian Food Emporium, pausing long enough to sit down and have a meaningful conversation with each guest.
Compounding Value: Blending Butter for Maximum Menu Impact
Butter has always been a kitchen staple traditionally treated as a side or add-on, but its role on the plate is shifting and it has the potential to be a core driver of craveability, premium perception and perceived value.
Flipkart To Defer IPO Till 2028, Eyes EBITDA Profitability In FY27
Ecommerce major Flipkart has reportedly deferred its IPO till at least the next year as it eyes profitability before listing publicly.
Rapido Raises $240 Mn At $3 Bn Valuation To Expand Footprint
Ride-hailing unicorn Rapido has raised $240 Mn (₹2,302 Cr) in a fresh funding round led by existing backer Prosus, with participation from WestBridge Capital, Accel, and other undisclosed investors.
AI Startups To Watch: 5 Startups That Caught Our Eye In May
The AI narrative in India is currently dominated by scale, with Google breaking ground on its $15 Bn AI Hub in Visakhapatnam and Maharashtra’s landmark AI Policy 2026. Yet, beneath these massive infrastructure bets and policy shifts lay a more fundamental tension.
Ecommerce To Capture 22% Of India’s Retail GMV By 2031
No longer just about shopping online, India’s ecommerce story is fast becoming a full-scale retail reset.
Shadowfax’s Q4 Show, India’s D2C 3.0 Moment & More
Shadowfax Delivers Profits In Q4 Shadowfax finally turned profitable in Q4.
D2C 3.0: The New Rules Of India’s D2C Economy
India’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecosystem is entering a new phase. A decade ago, most D2C brands were built around Instagram marketing, digital storefronts, and online-first consumer behaviour.
Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Dunkin’ Bank on Bolder Beverages
Younger demographics are experimenting with diverse drink flavors and categories to satisfy both their functional requirements and emotional well-being, according to the Keurig Dr Pepper State of Beverages 2026 Trend Report.
2026 Franchise Financing: What Every Franchisee Needs to Know Before Expanding, Buying, or Launching
Franchising has long been one of the most powerful models in business ownership. The systems are proven, the branding is established, and the operational playbook already exists.
Jagadeesh Kumar On The Indus Valley’s Playbook For Building A ₹200 Cr Toxin-Free Cookware Brand
What’s cooking in the modern Indian kitchen? Not merely a facelift recipe, but a makeover, at work. What used to be a purely functional buy, like pots, pans, and pressure cookers, picked for durability and price, is now being looked at very differently.
How Quick Commerce’s $68 Bn GMV Opportunity Is Reshaping Brand Strategy
No longer just a fad, quick commerce is rapidly becoming a deeply embedded consumer habit in India. And the results are beginning to show.
Inventory Model Pivot? Swiggy Seeks Shareholder Nod To Cap Foreign Ownership
Foodtech major Swiggy has kickstarted the process of becoming an Indian-owned and controlled company (IOCC). As part of this, the foodtech major has sought shareholder approval to amend its articles of association and rejig its board nomination framework.
Flipkart Faces 18% GST On Delivery Charges After Relief Bid Fails
Walmart-owned Flipkart suffered a setback after the West Bengal Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (WBAAAR) reportedly struck down a proposed structure that sought GST exemption on delivery charges collected from customers.
Zoho Invests ₹70 Cr In ONDC To Back Sovereign Tech Infrastructure
SaaS major Zoho has invested ₹70 Cr (about $7.3 Mn) in the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to support India’s digital commerce infrastructure and increase digital commerce adoption among MSMEs.
Who Will Bell The Consumer AI Cat?
In India, almost every AI conversation today is about sovereign models, semiconductor fabs, GPU clusters, compute capacity, and the race to build the infrastructure powering the country’s AI ambitions.
10,000 Touches, 800 Guests, Four Hours: What a Tea Sandwich Service Teaches About Restaurant Operations
When people think of a tea sandwich, they think “simple.” Dainty, classic, straightforward. When I looked at a tea sandwich order for 800 guests, I saw something else entirely: a high-stakes logistics and labor problem with no margin for error.
Dil Foods Bags ₹72 Cr To Expand Footprint, Launch More Cuisine
Virtual restaurant operator Dil Foods has raised ₹72 Cr (around $7.7 Mn) in its Series B funding round led by Bikaji Foods Family Office, with participation from V3 Ventures, MJV Ventures, and Alteria Capital.
New Rules For The Baby Food Aisle
Picture this: It’s 8 AM in a Mumbai apartment. A working couple is juggling a screaming pressure cooker, an endless stream of Slack notifications, and a Zoom call that could have been an email.
HR Tech’s RoI Focus, Adda247 Axes 200 Jobs & More
The Indian HR Tech Scene HR tech is at a crossroad. After years of just digitising payroll, the industry is now chasing measurable business outcomes, tighter budgets and AI-led intelligence. Can this soft reset finally fix the category’s weak economics?
Wingreens Farms Raises ₹120 Cr, Acquires Safe Harvest
Packaged food player Wingreens Farms has acquired sustainable food company Safe Harvest in a share swap transaction, after concluding its ₹120 Cr (around $12.6 Mn) Series D funding round led by Ashish Kacholia, with participation from Alchemy Fund.
Swiggy Sinks 7% After Q4 Results Amid Rising Quick Commerce Competition
Update | May 11, 2026, 11:33 IST Shares of Swiggy ended today’s trading session 6% lower at ₹263.7 apiece on the BSE. Its market capitalisation stood at ₹72,789.4 Cr (about $7.6 Bn) at end of the day.
Krutrim In A Rut, Fashinza Cofounder Quits & More
What Went Wrong At Krutrim? Ola Krutrim began as one of India’s boldest AI moonshots in 2023. Three years and a unicorn leap later, the homegrown challenger to OpenAI seems to be dumping its promises of building custom chips and sovereign AI models.
Paytm’s Profitability Milestone Comes With Caveats
For nearly five years after its public listing, the question hanging over One97 Communications, the parent of Paytm, was if India’s biggest listed fintech platform could consistently turn a profit. In FY26, Paytm finally delivered the answer the market had been waiting for.
Indian Startup IPO Tracker 2026
Dalal Street emerged as a founder’s paradise in 2025, with 18 Indian startups listing on the bourses and collectively mopping up a record ₹41,248 Cr from the public markets. The surge was driven by a combination of macroeconomic tailwinds and regulatory support.
Swiggy Q4: Food Delivery Beats ‘LPG Crisis’ Fears But Instamart Cools Off
“The industry did take a hit, but we were able to hold on to growth,” Swiggy Food CEO Rohit Kapoor told Inc42 just hours after the company announced its Q4 earnings.
Optimizing Operations at a Legacy Brand
There is immense power in being “The Place for Ribs” in an era of fleeting food trends, Tony Roma’s CEO Mina Haque said, however their role has transitioned from being the brand's only story to its anchor one as the chain is leveraging that equity to introduce new concepts wit...
Swiggy Q4: Loss Narrows 26% To ₹800 Cr, Revenue Up 45% YoY
Foodtech major Swiggy narrowed its loss by 26% to ₹800 Cr in Q4 FY26 from ₹1,081 Cr in the same quarter last year. Sequentially, loss declined 24.9% from ₹1,065 Cr. Revenue from operations zoomed 44.7% to ₹6,383 Cr from ₹4,410 Cr in the year-ago period.
Indian Unicorn Tracker: Funding, Investors, Revenue And More
The year 2026 has begun on a strong note for India’s startup ecosystem, with Juspay becoming the first unicorn of the year in January. Shortly after, KreditBee became the second unicorn in April.
MRM Research Roundup: Cravings, Pint Prices, and Swangy
This edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features dining visit trends, US fast food market performance, menu price inflation, Met Gala dining stats, 50-plus buying power, Green Restaurant Awards, and the happiness of small business owners.
Creating a True Coastal Experience in a Landlocked State
Guests can hear the story of each oyster from seed to shuck at Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood in Denver. That’s because Sean Huggard, Founder and President of Shucking Good Hospitality, always wanted to bring an authentic oyster bar to the area.
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