It has been rightly said that if you have confidence in yourself, you are halfway through! Exemplifying this, the courage of Mr. Samar Qureshi, the Director of Fast Trax Food Pvt. Ltd., has helped him expand the canvas of his life and paint the picture of national success on it. Today, Fast Trax, the Indian McDonalds, is challenging other big players. The man behind this revolution is acting as a perfect success recipe while changing the alchemy of the Indian food industry. Let’s board his gravy train…
Fast Trax is your brainchild. Today, how does it feel to be the No.1 sports catering food chain in the country.
Mr. Qureshi: It feels great to see that I have not only materialised my own dream, but also fueled the dreams of others. Starting with a single outlet, today, we have outgrown with 24 outlets in Delhi and NCR. We also plan to have 50 outlets by the end of this year. Besides, our official associations with Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI in IPL, Commonwealth Games 2010, Hockey World Cup 2010, have given us mileage.
What was the idea behind starting Fast Trax? How has been the journey so far?
Mr. Qureshi: There were many factors that have affected my decision for starting Fast Trax. The first and the foremost of them was the need of an Indian Quick Service Restaurant (QSR). Way back in 2005, it was a stagnant phase for QSRs because they were neither expanding nor fading out. The only options for authentic fast food joints were American companies, which were striving to fulfill the huge demand of fast food in India, and cater to the changing lifestyles of people. It was then that I felt the need for an Indian company to fulfill the gap. With our innovative strategies, we have successfully catered to the apetite of the modern Indian consumer.
Why the name ‘Fast Trax’?
Mr. Qureshi: We are a fast food company catering to the young and demanding generation of the country. This era belongs to nuclear families and symbolises their ever-evolving lifestyles. Gauging at the high speed of our target audience, we couldn’t think of a better name than ‘Fast Trax’, which totally justifies our style, service and attitude.
You were the official food partner for CWG 2012. What all challenges did you face?
Mr. Qureshi: When we joined hands with the Commonwealth Committee as its official food partner, conditions were not favourable for us. We were informed about the contract just 60 days in advance, and the target given to us was to serve 2.6 million people. At that time, we were not at all prepared, but we took the challenge and surpassed every milestone with utmost zeal and determination.
Initially, we thought of grabbing the contract for serving at only two stadiums. However, after the conclusion of the deal, we realised that we have the opportunity of serving at all the 13 Commonwealth stadiums. It was a big challenge, where we had to serve directly to the media, besides the citizens of various countries. I was well aware that even a single mistake was enough to ruin the name that my brand has earned over the years.
One of the major challenges were to create infrastructure. To overcome it, we picked up equipments from different international locations and transported them to India by air. As we were not capable of serving on our own, we joined hands with other big players, such as McCains, Godrej, Heinz, Cremica, and Coca Cola, besides various other volunteers.
The herculean task was to hire 1,500 volunteers in just 10 days. People from different segments such as schools, colleges and NGOs were trained at our own in-house outlets. Only those who passed the product training were given the oppurtunity to work in CWG. With them and other hired professionals, we multiplied the team at 13 venues and established the main kitchen and sub-kitchens. In total, we managed 130 Fast Trax counters.
How has the CWG experience elevated your brand image?
Mr. Qureshi: Besides being challenging, the experience at Commonwealth Games has been quite enriching where we learnt a lot. Its unparallel success has helped us grab various other contracts, including Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab. In future, we shall aim at car racing and bike racing events as the thrill in these sports truly reflects the energy of my brand – Fast Trax.
By using our stores for merchandising, we have successfully claimed the position of being the second highest ticket seller for the entire event. And as a result, millions of our customers visited CWG, which translated into an increased footfall to our stores.
What gives Fast Trax an edge over the other players in the market?
Mr. Qureshi. To stand up to the expectations of our patrons, we strive hard to keep up the quality standards of the food, besides adding value to the menu. We use superior quality products, which has made all the difference and is extremely relished by our customers. The menu at Fast Trax is a unique combination of the Western and Indian palette, as we specialise in Indianising the Western palette. Right from delivery bikes to seating arrangement, everything at Fast Trax gives a junky and bold experience. In fact, the brand is the only fast food QSR to offer competitive pricing, quality products and right ambiance.
Fast Trax is on an expansion spree. Kindly throw some light on your future plans.
Mr. Qureshi: In future, we would like to increase the number of outlets of Fast Trax by using franchisee model. Furthermore, we are adding more outlets at petrol stations and Drive Thru, which will be an ultimate destination for the Indian youth. Ambience won’t take a backseat and our customers can be assured of that!
