Nirula's

The chain traces its origins to "Hotel India",{{cite web|url=http://nirulas.com/Aboutus.aspx|title=Know Nirula's|publisher=Nirula's Corner House Pvt. Ltd.|access-date=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022111304/http://www.nirulas.com/Aboutus.aspx|archive-date=22 October 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} which was opened at the L-Block in Connaught Place (CP), New Delhi in 1934, by the Nirula brothers, Lakshmi Chand Nirula and Madan Gopal Nirula; it had 12 rooms, a restaurant and a bar.{{cite news|title='Lodged' in the heart of New Delhi|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Lodged-in-the-heart-of-New-Delhi/Article1-739801.aspx|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=30 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831115356/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Lodged-in-the-heart-of-New-Delhi/Article1-739801.aspx|archive-date=31 August 2011}} In 1940, at the request of the Indian Coffee Board, they opened the Indian Coffee Shop on Queensway (now Janpath) introducing espresso coffee, which became an instant success. Soon afterwards they launched two theme restaurants —‘La {{Not a typo|Boheme}}’, a Hungarian restaurant; and ‘Gufa’, an Indian restaurant.{{cite book |title=Successful Tourism: Volume II: Tourism Practices|last=Seth|first=Pran Nath |author2=Sushma S. Bhat |year=2006|publisher=Sterling Publishers|isbn=81-207-3200-6|page= 285|chapter= Nirula's: India's First Restaurant chain|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vs4GM5e-0c8C&dq=Nirula%27s&pg=PA285 }} In the 1950s, the 'Chinese Room' was opened, the oldest Chinese restaurant in Delhi. It is still in its original premises.

The 1970s saw Nirula's venturing into the fast food business with the opening of what became Delhi's first fast food restaurant in 1977,{{Cite news|last=Bhushan|first=Ratna|title=Nirula's CEO bets on new market to turn around business|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/food/nirulas-ceo-bets-on-new-market-to-turn-around-business/articleshow/17343038.cms#:~:text=LONG%20HISTORY-,Started%20in%201934%20by%20brothers%20LC%20Nirula%20and%20M%20Nirula,years%20before%20Chadha%20bought%20it.|access-date=2020-10-02}} to which was later added: a pastry shop, snack bar, hot shoppe, and an ice cream parlour offering 21 flavours. A subsequent addition was the adjacent, waiter-served "Potpourri" salad bar. By that time Nirula's was already a landmark, offering Western fast food such as burgers, pizzas, and submarines.{{cite news |title=Nirula's goes partly Malaysian|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/nirulas-goes-partly-malaysian/14400-3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007052129/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/nirulas-goes-partly-malaysian/14400-3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 October 2012 |publisher=CNN IBN|date=1 July 2006}}

File:Nirulas kathi roll meal onboard IndiGo airline.jpg meal on an IndiGo flight]]

Expansion of the fast food business continued in the next two decades, with the opening of the ‘Central Kitchen’ and at the Chanakya cinema complex, Chanakyapuri, Defence Colony, Noida, Vasant Vihar, and various other locations in the NCR.{{Cite web |url=http://www.nirulas.com/about-us.html |title=About us |access-date=20 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206193401/http://www.nirulas.com/about-us.html |archive-date=6 February 2010 |url-status=dead }} Before the arrival of several international restaurant chains in the 1990s, Nirula's remained a major draw for young people in the capital. In the following years, even after chains like McDonald's made inroads into its market share, Nirula's retained 40 per cent of the Delhi fast food market in 2000.{{cite news |title=Purani Dilli food: Nothing exclusive about it |url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/232939/Purani-Dilli-food-Nothing-exclusive-about-it.html |publisher=The Pioneer |date=1 February 2010 }} Facing stiff competition from Nirula's, McDonald's had to "Indianise" its menu to suit Indian palates, while for its part, Nirula's added competitive pricing and revamped its interiors.{{cite book |title=Harvard Business Review on corporate strategy (Harvard Business Review)|last=Collis |first=David J. |author2=Cynthia A. Montgomery |author3=Michael Goold |year=1999 |publisher=Harvard Business Press|isbn=1-57851-142-9|page=102 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UxIgwgAGrS4C&dq=Nirula%27s&pg=PA102 }}{{cite news |title=And the winner is... butter chicken! |url=http://www.expressindia.com/news/fe/daily/20001009/fle08011.html |newspaper=Indian Express |date=9 October 2000 }}

To diversify its business, the group opened hotels, one in Noida and another in Panipat, and set up food processing plants in Noida, near Delhi.{{Citation needed|reason=no reference provided to the entire paragraph|date=July 2012}}

Nirula's was also the first Western-style fast food restaurant in Kathmandu, Nepal, where it had two outlets, the main branch in Durbar Marg — where currently there is a KFC and a Pizza Hut as well — and a smaller branch on New Road.{{Cite web |title=Nirulas to promote Nepal in India |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/nirulas-to-promote-nepal-in-india |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=thehimalayantimes.com|date=24 April 2008 }} The best selling items were pizzas and ice cream. While both were already available in Kathmandu, they were offered at premium restaurants as gourmet versions and not as fast food. Through the 1990s Nirula's faced competition from local and international fast food outlets and by 1995 there was only one Nirula's left in the city. The quality also went down and it soon closed its doors for good.{{Citation needed|reason=no reference provided to the entire paragraph|date=July 2012}}

File:Nirulas express outlet at Delhi Airport.jpg]]

In 2006, Navis Capital Partners bought Nirula's. In 2007, the original Connaught Place outlet moved to K-Block, Connaught Place, while the adjacent Potpourri moved to N block, Outer Circle.{{cite news |title=CP landmark Nirula's may soon be history|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1197441.cms |newspaper=Times of India |date=11 August 2005 |first1=Bhadra |last1=Sinha}}{{cite news |title=Good old landmark is back in Connaught Place |url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/02/stories/2007030214680200.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304161911/http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/02/stories/2007030214680200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 March 2008 |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2 March 2007 |location=Chennai, India}} Also in 2007, Nirula's opened India's first ice cream museum inside its ice cream factory in Noida.{{cite news |title=Nirula's gives India its first ice cream museum|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/nirulas-gives-india-its-first-ice-cream-museum/52294-3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101093956/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/nirulas-gives-india-its-first-ice-cream-museum/52294-3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 January 2010 |publisher=CNN IBN|date=14 November 2007 }}{{cite news |title=A museum to tell ice cream story|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_a-museum-to-tell-ice-cream-story_1133178 |newspaper=DNA|date=14 November 2007 }} In the same year, the chain introduced three new outlet formats, including "Nirula's Express", Food Court Unit and Ice-Cream Kiosks, with the first Express outlet opening at the Delhi Airport.{{cite news |title=Nirula's to change outlet formats|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/01/23/stories/2007012302712300.htm |newspaper=Business Line |date=23 Jan 2007 }}

In 2012, Navis agreed to sell its 100% stake in Nirula's Group to A2Z Excursions Pvt. Ltd for an undisclosed amount.{{Cite news|last=Ng|first=Jason|date=2012-07-20|title=Navis Capital to Sell 100% Stake in Nirula's Group to A2Z Excursions|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/DJFLBO0020120720e87kb6ngo|access-date=2020-10-02|issn=0099-9660}}

Today the chain has outlets across North India, in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bhiwadi, Dehradun, and Patna.{{cite news |title=Nirula's to add 140 new outlets by 2010 |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200808271863.htm |newspaper=The Hindu |date=27 August 2008 |location=Chennai, India |access-date=20 February 2010 |archive-date=4 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604122328/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200808271863.htm |url-status=dead }}

• Hot chocolate fudge sundae
• 21 Love ice cream
• Banana split
• Lime ice - an ice cream soda
• Pineapple ice cream soda
• Chilli chicken pizza
• Chicken curry with naan
• Cakes and pastries
• Mutton sausage pizza

• Delhi: Connaught Place, Roop Nagar, Lodhi Road, Hauz Khas, Amar Colony, Bhikaji Cama Place, Kirti Nagar, Dwarka, Janakpuri, Paschim Vihar, Greater Kailash Part II, Karol Bagh, New Friends Colony, Preet Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar, Bhikaji Cama Place, Shahdara, Mayur Vihar
• Haryana: Faridabad, Gurugram, Bahadurgarh
• Uttar Pradesh: Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad
• Uttarakhand: Mussoorie, Dehradun
• Bihar: Patna

{{Cite web |title=Nirula's Store Locator |url=https://nirulas.com/nirulas-locations.html |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=nirulas.com }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

• Punjab:Patiala

• Nirula's 'family-style' outlets: quick service with take-away, home delivery and online ordering
• Nirula's Express: take away-only
• Fuel Station Outlets
• Potpourri: fully waiter served, multi-cuisine restaurant chain
• Nirula's 21: ice cream parlours
• Pegasus bar

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.nirulas.com/ Nirula's official website]

Category:Restaurants in Delhi

Category:1934 establishments in India

Category:Food and drink companies based in Delhi

Category:Fast-food franchises

Category:Fast-food chains of India

Category:Ice cream parlors

Category:Catering and food service companies of India

Category:Restaurants established in 1934