Westlife Development Ltd, which owns and operates McDonald’s brand of quick service restaurants in India, has launched first-ever all-women McDonald’s outlet in Ekta Nagar, in the vicinity of the iconic Statue of Unity in Gujarat.
McDonald’s India West and South, owned and operated by Westlife Development Ltd on Monday announced the launch of the All-Women crew Gold Standard Drive-Thru Restaurant in Ekta Nagar. Spread over 17,000 sq ft , the restaurant seats more than 130 customers, and accommodates over 60 cars and 50 bikes for parking.
Located before the entrance to the Statue of Unity and opposite the Ekta Nagar Railway station, the restaurant is the 45th for Westlife in Gujarat.
"This McDonald’s Experience of the Future (EOTF) restaurant will have self-ordering kiosks, table-top mobile chargers, and other innovative features offering a seamless digital dining experience to its customers," a statement said.
Providing equal opportunities
Smita Jatia, MD, Westlife Development Ltd, said, "In line with the Prime Minister’s vision of women empowerment, we believe that this initiative will enable us to strengthen our commitment towards diversity and inclusion as well as fostering communities, by bringing in more women from the region to the workforce. We aim to provide equal opportunities by upskilling women from neighbouring villages at our Ekta Nagar restaurant."
This drive-thru has employed 28 women from nearby villages to run this restaurant, of which 90 per cent of the women workforce are recruited from the GMR Foundation, working for the development of under-served communities through initiatives in education, health and livelihoods.
The women crew have been trained as per FSSAI guidelines on all the necessary safety, hygiene and other restaurant procedures, the statement added.
The quick service restaurant also has a McCafé for coffee enthusiasts. In addition to dine-in and drive thru, the McDonald’s restaurant will also facilitate customers with delivery, takeout and on-the-go via the McDelivery app.