Kolkata: The food services industry in Kolkata is set to touch the Rs 10,000 crore-mark in two years. Currently pegged at Rs 8,055 crore, the sector is growing at a healthy clip of 15%.
“At the current growth rate, and going by our projections, the five digit-mark is not far,” National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) national vice-president Sagar Daryani said after the release of the NRAI Food Services Report on Thursday.
His optimism is shared by Hotel and Restaurants Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) president Sudesh Poddar who believes the growth will be even more spectacular.
“With eating out now a part of weekend entertainment, we will see more families eating out more frequently. Like some Southeast Asian countries, eating out will gradually replace home-cooking in metros and we will see a quantum leap in ordering in,” said Poddar.
The average frequency of consuming “non-home cooked food” in the city, including dining out and ordering in, has already climbed to 7.9-times a month. While the average frequency of dining out at a restaurant stood at 3.4-times a month, ordering in has a higher frequency of 4.6-times a month. The average spend per visit on dining out is Rs 960.
According to the NRAI report, greater Kolkata has a staggering 61,305 restaurants, of which 33,718 units are in the organized sector. The latter count includes 12,830 cloud kitchens that have come up in the past five-six years.
Kolkata ranks seventh among Indian cities in the organized food service market size and the city has registered a four-fold growth in the food and beverages sector between 2010-11 and 2023-24, the sharpest in the span of just over a decade.
Nationally, the food services market is worth Rs 5.7 lakh crore, of which the organised sector accounts for Rs 2.5 lakh crore. Nationally, as well as in Kolkata, casual dining restaurants form the largest chunk followed by quick-service restaurants (QSR).
While casual dining restaurants accounted for Rs 1.2 lakh crore, QSRs generated for Rs 67,560 crore in 2024. Pubs, bars and lounges (PBL) accounted for a turnover of Rs 21,807 crore.
Kolkata stands out as a city rich in culinary legacy and innovation, according to NRAI Kolkata chapter head Abhimanyu Maheshwari. “With over 30,000 restaurants contributing to the organized sector, Kolkata exemplifies resilience in the face of licencing challenges, demonstrating our determination to thrive and set new standards in the food industry,” Maheshwari said.
Fine-dining restaurants account for 33% of dining out with family, followed by quick-service restaurants at 21%, casual dining at 17%, food courts at 12% and cafes at 6%.
“We have seen a significant growth in fine dining over the last decade and it looks set to continue. With eating out now part of regular family outings, we have seen more experimentation with food and fine dining has been the most preferred and frequent option,” said Anirban Sengupta, owner of a popular rooftop cafe in south Kolkata.