Founded in 2011, RollsKing has emerged as a strong pan-India QSR brand with a diversified network of cloud kitchens and high-street formats. With operations spanning over fifteen cities and a clear focus on the ‘Grab and Go’ consumer, the brand is now gearing up for its next growth phase. In this interview, Arjun Toor, Co-founder, RollsKing, discusses the company’s plans to add over one hundred new outlets in the next two years, its shift towards a predominantly company-owned model, upcoming investments, and how RollsKing aims to strengthen its position in both metro and tier-II markets while scaling with discipline and consistency.
What is RollsKing’s current footprint in terms of outlets, cities, and operating formats?
Since our inception in 2011, RollsKing has built a robust pan-India presence that now spans over 15 cities. We currently operate a network of 130+ service points, which includes a strategic mix of 58+ cloud kitchens and 72+ QSR formats across high streets and mall food courts. This diverse infrastructure allows us to serve over 3 lakh orders per month, maintaining a strong foothold in the North, South, West, and Central regions.
What are your key expansion targets for the next 2–3 years?
Our roadmap is focused on both depth and diversification. We aim to add 120–150 outlets over the next 24 months to our existing portfolio. This growth will be spearheaded by a multi-brand strategy: our core RollsKing cloud kitchens, the ‘Rolling Fresh’ hybrid model, and our ‘Roast by RollsKing’ QSR format. While we are aggressively expanding our footprint in the South, specifically creating a niche in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai, we are also focused on elevating our brand positioning in the North. By expanding QSR formats in the NCR, we are transitioning from a ‘Mass+’ to a ‘Premium Mass’ segment.
Which geo locations are driving your growth strategy, such as metros, tier-II, or tier-III cities, and why?
tier-I cities remain the powerhouse for our QSR and high-street models, where brand visibility and footfall are paramount. However, tier-II cities represent our next frontier for penetration. In these markets, we are adopting a ‘delivery-first’ approach. By utilising multi-brand cloud kitchens, we can introduce our product range efficiently while keeping unit economics optimised and scalable.
What expansion model are you prioritising: company-owned stores, franchising, or a hybrid approach?
Post-pandemic, we made a strategic pivot to reclaim our brand narrative by buying back the majority of our franchises. Currently, our portfolio is 70% COCO (Company Owned, Company Operated). Moving forward, our priority is almost exclusively on company-owned expansion. While 30% of our business still flows through existing FOCO (Franchise Owned, Company Operated) outlets, our capital and operational efforts are now wholly dedicated to expanding our own footprint to ensure absolute quality control and brand consistency across all major Indian cities.
Are there plans to introduce new formats such as express outlets, food court concepts, or cloud kitchens?
Innovation at RollsKing isn’t just about the menu; it’s about accessibility. We already have a deeply penetrative cloud kitchen network, which accounts for 58+ of our current service points. Moving forward, we are intensifying our focus on hybrid and QSR formats, including high streets and mall food courts, where we already operate 72+ locations. Our goal is to further bridge the gap between traditional dining and the ‘Grab and Go’ culture. By expanding our footprint in these high-visibility formats, we are evolving our product line to meet the demands of the modern, fast-paced consumer without losing our core culinary identity.
What level of investment and tie-ups are planned to support your expansion roadmap?
For the past 14 years, we have operated as a bootstrapped organiation stregthenic and competing brick by brick, a journey that has seen us scale from 0 to a 100+ crore GMV with immense capital discipline. We take great pride in our ‘respect for capital,’ which has allowed us to grow sustainably while maintaining a 70% COCO (Company Owned, Company Operated) model. We are now preparing for our next phase of evolution: a Series A round in the range of USD10M–USD12M USD. This infusion will be the primary fuel for our aggressive roadmap, allowing us to replicate our success in new territories with speed and scale.
Are you exploring external funding or strategic partnerships to fuel growth?
We are currently exploring a Private Equity (PE) fundraise to leverage our existing operational strengths. Our journey speaks for itself, but we recognise that the right strategic partner can provide more than just capital; they can provide a catalyst for growth in a rapidly expanding market. While we are focused on this transition, we aren’t ‘gorilla-gripping’ a rigid path. We are approaching this one step at a time, ensuring that any partnership aligns with our long-term vision. The QSR market in India is growing exponentially, and we believe there is ample room for a high-quality, product-focused brand like RollsKing to grow by leaps and bounds.
How are you strengthening supply chain, technology, and operations to scale efficiently?
The backbone of RollsKing’s scalability is our complete ownership of the production and supply chain. By maintaining company-owned production assets, we ensure uncompromising quality control across our 130+ locations nationwide. A robust, end-to-end supply chain is the primary driver of our bottom-line efficiency. Parallel to this, we are integrating AI-driven tools and advanced technology to enhance predictability and visibility for our teams. Our objective is to leverage tech-led innovations to drive higher consistency and operational efficiency as we expand our footprint.
What challenges do you anticipate while expanding rapidly, and how are you preparing to address them?
While capital is the primary lever for rapid expansion, the most significant industry-wide challenge is the availability of a skilled and semi-skilled workforce. The rise of the gig economy has shifted labor dynamics, with many professionals seeking more fluid working models. We are addressing this by investing in internal training programs and creating a value-driven work culture that offers long-term growth, ensuring we have the human capital necessary to support our YOY growth targets.
Where do you see RollsKing positioned in the Indian QSR landscape over the next five years?
Our organisational vision is to become the most recognised and successful QSR brand championing the ‘Grab and Go’ culture in a fast-paced India. As consumer behavior evolves, we see RollsKing as the premier choice for high-quality, convenient and consistent meals partner that fit seamlessly into the modern lifestyle. With our projected trajectory to surpass a 100+ crore GMV this year, we are positioned to be a leading category player that defines the standard for protein-rich, high-value wraps and rolls across the country.
What are the challenges that you have faced in building and running a successful QSR?
In our early stages, the primary hurdle was establishing a sustainable product-market fit that could thrive without the immediate cushion of external funding. We chose to focus on building a strong brand recall as the go-to for ‘Grab and Go’ meals rather than entering a direct burn-race with funded competitors. Additionally, navigating the aggregator landscape has been a delicate balance. While aggregators often push for high Average Order Values (AOV) to suit their own economics, our mission remains focused on delivering high-value, affordable meals for the ‘real’ India—reaching the vast consumer base beyond the top 1% without compromising on our unit economics.
