A crude indicator of popularity and success of fast food in India is the presence of brand outlets at Mumbai Metro Stations. By that measure alone, two decade-old home-grown brand JK trumps numerous global brands that sell in India.
My take on their name is it’s a cross between Jumbo Whopper & Burger King with a part of each phrase used to make Jumbo King or JK in short.
They have copied the burger & fast food chain model to notch up sales of 100 million vada pav’s - Mumbai’s home grown burger served in a coarse bun - pav, stuffed with a fried potato patty or vada.
JK’s basic offerings are just about 20 rupees or 2X the price street vendors sell vada pav. In their vada pav they have replaced expensive lettuce with cabbage but use burger type buns & mayonnaise. More expensive menu 40-60 rupees only is displayed at the front. They also sell wraps, fries, milk shakes & aerated beverages. Their success seems due to promoting & selling higher priced products & keeping choices very Indian with a dash of foreign ingredients.
By positioning vada pav as a burger & copying a burger chain format & offering, JK has quickly gained a foothold in Indian market when McDonald’s & Burger King are still struggling to make a mark.