Mahesh Raikar wants to build the “Indian McDonald’s.”
The founder of SKVP joins Dan Pope to unpack how he’s turning Indian street food into a scalable quick-service restaurant brand — without stripping away the authenticity that made the food special in the first place.
Mahesh breaks down the systems behind SKVP’s 23 sites, why a seemingly huge menu can still deliver food in around seven minutes, and how the business thinks about everything from store-level EBITDA and bottlenecks to central kitchens, location strategy and its hero product: the vada pav. They also explore SKVP’s ambition to reach 44 UK sites by March 2028 and eventually take the brand global, why Mahesh believes Indian food still has a huge untapped QSR opportunity, and the lessons he’s learned from McDonald’s, Burger King, Nando’s and other global restaurant brands.Plus: Mahesh’s journey from starting as a porter at Compass, the reality of managing stress as an entrepreneur, Bollywood and Indian culture as brand-building tools, and why SKVP is investing relentlessly in making its core product “the best in the world.”
ON THE MENU:
00:00:00 Intro 00:05:00 The Indian Burger That Could Go Global 00:11:00 Why Indian Food Needs a Western Lens 00:15:05 SKVP’s Plan for 44 UK Sites 00:18:25 How SKVP Serves Food in Seven Minutes 00:23:25 The Systems Making Indian Food Scalable 00:29:10 The Bottlenecks That Hold Businesses Back 00:34:10 Building Today for 100 Restaurants Tomorrow 00:43:00 The Numbers Restaurant Founders Must Understand 00:51:00 From Porter to Building SKVP 00:54:00 Why Authenticity Is SKVP’s Advantage 01:00:50 Every Great Brand Needs a Hero Product 01:07:10 Could Franchising Take SKVP Global? 01:10:10 What Will Actually Limit SKVP’s Growth? 01:18:40 The Hardship That Shaped Mahesh Raikar 01:24:50 Why Founders Need Macro Patience 01:30:20 Entrepreneurship Is Really Stress Management 01:40:00 Building the Best Vada Pav in the World 01:47:55 How Bollywood Builds Indian Soft Power 01:53:45 Can Delivery Help Build the Indian McDonald’s?
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This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)
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