The Power of Packaging. Review on McDonald's, Andheri East, Mumbai

McDonald's – A beautiful packaged product, which has the conquered Mumbai Walas. Basically what does it offer, a range of burgers, nuggets, fries etc, which have been precooked, prepared many hours before serving. The taste is okay, nothing that will linger or you will relish memories of back home. Then why is it so popular, why are there large serpentine queues outside this restaurant on weekends, why has it indeed become “The Family Restaurant”, why is it that Mc Donald parties are the in-thing today.

I can only find one answer to all this “Our Attitude, our easy acceptance of western culture and habits”. You just need to visit USA, to see the truth of all this. In US it is just one of the joints which is convenient and offers good value for money. There is no hype or the fuss or the importance given to Mc Donald’s there, that we see here. When Americas don't make a great hula out of it, then why do we??

Personally most of my friends and I prefer to eat a Vada Pav or our age old Idli Sambar. It tastes great and costs much less then a burger. Then why do we still not give Vada Pav so much importance, only because it is not sold at an exclusively chain of restaurants managed by well trained, smart young, dynamic Indians??

What is a burger- it is a customized, glorified Vada Pav and yet we Indians take great pride in eating it. Mc Donald’s has beautiful packaged its products and made them available worldwide. I ask which one of us would ever think of packaging a Vada Pav and setting up an International Chain of restaurants to sell it.. Which of us would think of birthday parties at a Vada Pav restaurant served with an Indian toy (may be a top, or a kite).

It took Americans to popularize our YOGA, and I think it will take an American to popularize our Vada Pav, because we Indians are in their awe, always easily impressed with what they have to offer us. We forget that we Indians are running their software industry; it is our brains that fuel their inventions, then why should it not be our food that should set their palate on fire.

Please I am anti –US by any chance. They have given this world a lot. But we need to re-look at our attitudes. Our entire next generation is going the Mc Donald’s way. They would prefer a burger because it is a happening thing and Vada Pav an unhygienic food sold on footpath eaten by the low-income group only.

Anybody interested in setting up an International Chain of Vada Pav restaurants with me??,