IPL 2025: Restaurants see strong delivery growth driven by cricket fever
New Delhi: The just-ended 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) continued to drive growth for restaurants, especially those doing deliveries.
The eateries business grew by up to 20% as late evening matches kept the order tap flowing.
With record viewership annually, the boom was in line with growth seen during previous editions.
The importance of IPL has only grown for restaurant chains, especially as they have struggled with tepid demand in the December quarter and the early part of the March quarter.
Also read: United Spirits is on a high after RCB's IPL win, JP Morgan upgrade and UK FTA. Can it keep buzzing?
The Twenty20 cricket tourney began on 22 March and ended on 3 June.
Jasper Reid, entrepreneur and founder of International Market Management Ltd (IMM), a London-based firm that brings international consumer brands to India and operates Jamie's Italian and Jamie's Pizzeria in the country, said IPL continues to be a valuable part of their delivery marketing playbook.
'We prioritize IPL in our delivery marketing calendar because it has a proven track record of driving orders. In April, delivery was up 39% and dine-in rose 6%. In May, delivery growth slowed to 5%, while dine-in increased by 30%, partly because of the India-Pakistan situation which led to the IPL being paused briefly. For us, the key challenge is to maintain and improve margins even as we compete for customer attention during such high-traffic periods," he said.
'IPL continues to be a strong growth period for us, with this year's season delivering a 7–10% uptick in overall business. Interestingly, 60–70% of this growth has been driven by dinner orders, underlining how match timings align perfectly with peak delivery hours. Our top 10 cities are leading the charge, contributing to 60% of the growth of our total business," said Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal, Founder and Director, Lenexis Foodwork.
Also read: Piyush Chawla, IPL third highest wicket taker, announces retirement from all forms of cricket
"We've also seen a surge in new customer acquisitions across both dine-in and delivery formats during the tournament and our focus now shifts to retaining this expanded base. Notably, three of the four weeks in May were our best-performing weeks in terms of business, making this IPL season one of the most impactful for us so far."
The company operates over 235 restaurant outlets and over 200 cloud kitchens; it operates a portfolio of distinct brands—Chinese Wok, The Momo Co. and Big Bowl.
Rising viewership
As per JioStar, the official broadcaster of the IPL, the reach of both TV and digital crossed 450 million each by the time the tournament was suspended on 9 May following the conflict between India-Pakistan. It resumed on 17 May.
Restaurant booking platform EazyDiner Private Ltd reported a 35% increase year-on-year in dine-in bookings across cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune where the matches were being screened live, according to Sachin Pabreja, its co-founder.
Some restaurants claimed a significant surge in late-night orders during the season.
Wow! Momo experienced a 12-14% increase in IPL-driven orders, primarily through deliveries, with late-night deliveries seeing a particular surge.
'IPL basically precedes a lean period for us, i.e., the period between February and March isn't a high demand generating period for the industry. In that sense, IPL is a big consumption booster. However, this year, the conflict between India-Pakistan also dampened sales for a few days, but it picked up later. IPL is a self-sustaining event now with companies not ramping up marketing spends significantly. It's a ready-made occasion since people tune in to watch matches almost daily. So it's organic growth for us," said Sagar Daryani, chief executive officer (CEO) and founder, Wow Momo!
Also read: Vijay Mallya reveals why he picked Virat Kohli for RCB: 'My instinct told me he was special…'
Food ordering platforms Zomato and Swiggy did not comment on their IPL stats for the season.
Meanwhile, bars and cafes said IPL had less impact on sales, with people opting to view matches at home—the trend that helped fuel demand for online orders.
"Our dining business did not grow so much because we don't screen matches but we saw a good spike in our delivery business, that's really helped us grow during this time," said Amit Bagga, co-founder of food chain, Daryaganj, which saw a 9% jump in the delivery business during the IPL.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
24 minutes ago
- Indian Express
How Sarpanch Shreyas joined the India captaincy race this IPL
What has been the most staggering takeaway of this IPL season? According to one of Indian cricket's influential decision-makers it has been the emergence of Shreyas Iyer, the leader. On the eve of the final, gazing well beyond the RCB vs Punjab Kings title clash, the official would say: 'Right now he just plays ODIs but after this IPL we can't keep him out of T20 internationals and even Tests. Plus he also has now officially joined the white-ball captaincy race.' Welcome to Indian cricket, where one exceptional IPL can alter opinions and change perspectives. At the start of 2024, Shreyas didn't have BCCI's central contract. That same year, he wasn't among the 15 picked for the T20 World Cup, not even among the 4 standbyes. His dreadful 2024 would wrap up with KKR refusing to retain him – the defending IPL champions shockingly putting their winning captain on sale at the auction. Subsequently, at Punjab Kings, Shreyas would find a new home, and a lot more. A swagger, aura and one delightfully North Indian term of endearment – to name a few. His famous gangsta walk with subtle head turns and shoulder shuffles, the reassuring non-plussed presence during crunch situations made his teammates call him Sarpanch Sahab – the village headman. Till that Mumbai Indians Eliminator, where Shreyas played the knock of his life – some are calling it IPL's best-ever – the Punjab Kings captain had been having a reasonably successful season. He had runs, nothing new there, but now there were whispers of him exuding authority even when he didn't have a bat in hand. A puppet in the hands of his coach – Gautam Gambhir at KKR and now Ricky Ponting. All that sounds so ancient and utterly preposterous now. A 1⃣1⃣ year wait ends… 🥹#PBKS are in the #TATAIPL 2025 Final and who better than Captain Shreyas Iyer to take them through ❤ Scorecard ▶ | #Qualifier2 | #TheLastMile | @PunjabKingsIPL — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) June 1, 2025 That night at Ahmedabad, Shreyas would shake off that rumour of him being a remote-control captain for good. At the world's biggest cricket stadium he led by example. There were a couple of incidents from that game that announced his big league arrival. First he defanged Jasprit Bumrah, showcasing the subtle skill of diverting that famous yorker beyond the boundary line. Wickets fell at the other end, but he didn't panic. A close game that MI's Galacticos are known to win, was lost, just because Shreyas didn't flinch. He kept hitting sixes – be it Bumrah or the rookie left-arm pacer Ashwani Kumar. Once the job was done, he didn't go overboard or step out of his character. Coolness didn't leave him, it just multiplied. He spit out the well-chewed gum, shook hands with the rivals and casually stepped off the pitch – his exit from the spotlight as everyday as a 9-to-5 employee logging out after a busy shift. The other less-noticed captain-like act was his cold stare and harsh words to Shashank Singh, whose run-out at a crucial time had almost jeopardised the chase. He didn't get carried away in the euphoria of the dramatic win. He had to make a point to an important member of his team. And he did. That day the Shreyas-cult grew. As it happens in all such moments, the myth-making machinery came alive. From the Punjab Kings camp, stories about the newest Captain Cool would emerge. A 'comic influencer' hired by the franchise, Piyush Sharma aka Banker OP, would record a fun reaction vlog with famous youtuber Tanmay Bhat. Like a true fan boy, he would share what Shreyas did once he reached the hotel that night. 'Woh bahut passionate hai, usko bus trophy jeetni hai, uska ek match jitne ka hisaab nahi hai. (He's very passionate, his focus is on winning the trophy. His calculation isn't about just winning one match),' says Sharma. His recollection doesn't end there. 'We all are cheering but he remains unaffected. There is cake cutting, drinks and a party too. His relatives too were around. He did the formality of cutting the cake and said 'ok, I am going to my room to sleep'.' ALSO READ: Shreyas Iyer: The monk who cruises in his Ferrari Sports reserves a remarkable fascination for the understated elegance of its heroes. Inexpressiveness of stars is seen as a virtue. This is what made MS Dhoni endlessly intriguing. Reading Mahi's mind, till date, remains a national obsession. But Shreyas is not a Dhoni. Nor can he be compared to a Rohit or a Virat. He is a one-of-a-kind cricketer with many contradictions. The boy from Worli grew up in a home that wakes up to the tunes of the Vishnu Sahasranamam and where non-vegetarian food needs to be consumed outside the front door. But he has unconventional tastes and hobbies for an Iyer next door. He is easily the most accomplished Indian cricketer on the dance floor ever, an amateur magician and has tattooed a lion on his shoulder. 𝙄.𝘾.𝙔.𝙈.𝙄 Enjoy glimpses of a Shreyas Iyer Special in Ahmedabad as he remained unbeaten on 97*(42) 👏 Updates ▶ | #GTvPBKS | @PunjabKingsIPL | @ShreyasIyer15 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 25, 2025 The Iyers are a close-knit family where parents take pride in narrating the pranks their children play on them to visitors. When The Indian Express visited their home once, the father spoke of how Shreyas was in the habit of fooling them on phone. He once faked an English accent to check if his father was traveling to the UK to watch his son play a county game. When his mother is in the kitchen, Shreyas's 'what's cooking' inquiry is unique: 'Aaj kya bigaad rahi ho (what meal are you spoiling today)'. But still Shreyas might be the only Indian cricketer who still gets dropped to the airport by both his parents. A cricketer who has had more than his share of hardships, setbacks and unfair snubs; Shreyas has seen it all. His father once shared a low-point of his son's life. Shreyas sat on the living room couch, on the verge of breaking down, wondering why he couldn't score runs. 'Why don't you give up on cricket?' he asked his son. Shreyas got angry, saying how can he even think of it. The passion would help him survive and he would make it to the Indian team. But still there are days when cricket truly frustrates him. In a recent podcast, he spoke about an episode in the net session at the start of Champions Trophy. Not satisfied with his batting, failing to find his touch, Shreyas was uncontrollably sobbing after his batting stint. The next day, his batting improved and so did his mood. The interviewer asks him if he has a friend who he can call when the chips are down and he wants to rant. 'I may sound condescending but I don't need to call. In the last 10 years, I have seen everything. I have got answers for everything,' he says. Though, his friends are there for him for a very uniquely different task. On Shreyas's instructions, they send him a new English word everyday so he can increase his vocabulary. Superfluous, sinecure and talisman are the recent additions to his personal word bank, he says with pride. Shreyas is a one-of-a-kind. Once during this IPL he was asked about the preparation of his team. It's a query that deserves a cliche but not when Shreyas has the mic in hand. 'We need to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's,' he said. In 2025, the dotting and crossing has been finally done. This IPL, Shreyas became the Sarpanch. He has acted like a headman and he would hope that his village will be the world.
India Today
30 minutes ago
- India Today
News Menu, June 7: Bengaluru stampede fallout; Bangladesh's poll meltdown
Good morning. On June 7, 1893, a young Mahatma Gandhi, then a lawyer in South Africa, was forcibly removed from a first-class train compartment despite holding a valid ticket, solely because of his race. This incident sparked his lifelong commitment to civil disobedience and the fight against injustice, shaping India's freedom Today presents a news menu flavoured with faith, tragedy, and transformation, reflecting a nation balancing celebration and Cup: Bengaluru Stampede Fallout A complaint has been filed against Virat Kohli by Karnataka activist HM Venkatesh at Cubbon Park police station, alleging negligence in the Bengaluru stampede that killed 11 during RCB's IPL victory celebration. Anger against the organisers is justified, but how is a player responsible for mismanagement of a crowd? But such blame-games have a precedent. In December 2024, actor Allu Arvind was arrested for a stampede outside a Hyderabad theatre screening his Bengaluru Police arrested RCB's marketing head, Nikhil Sosale, and detained three DNA Entertainment staff members following the stampede. Sosale, arrested at Bengaluru airport en route to Mumbai, has moved the Karnataka High Court, calling his arrest 'illegal.' Three FIRs target RCB management, KSCA, and DNA Entertainment for poor crowd control. India Today tracks this tragic fallout of filed against RCB, KSCA, and others. Bengaluru bureau to Kahwa: Katra-Srinagar Vande BharatThe Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train begins commercial operations today, following its inauguration by PM Narendra Modi yesterday. The service marks a significant boost to Jammu and Kashmir's connectivity, reducing the travel time to Srinagar dramatically. The challenge, however, would be the security of passengers, especially in the wake of the recent terror attack on tourists in Flavour: Eid-ul-Azha PreparationsEid-ul-Azha begins today, with Delhi, UP, and Mumbai police ensuring peaceful celebrations through heightened security and community engagements. Delhi's advisory bans illegal animal sacrifices, mandating designated locations and hygiene protocols, with a prohibition on sharing sacrificial media Ghee: Bangladesh Election DatesBangladesh's interim government advisor, Dr Md Yunus, announced national elections for the first half of April 2026, outlining a democratic roadmap in a national address. With polls almost a year away, this seems like a desperate attempt to signal the return of democracy amid political chaos and Tadka: Canada's G7 InviteCanadian PM Mark Carney invites PM Narendra Modi to the G7 Summit, signalling bilateral ties are on the mend since the exit of Justin Morsel: Monkey Heist RecoveredadvertisementIn Mathura, police recovered jewellery worth Rs 20 lakh stolen by a monkey from a tourist, bringing a quirky resolution to a high-value theft. What would have the monkey done with all the glitter? There's some serious monkey business happening in the holy Bite: Mahatma's OrdealThis is how Mahatma Gandhi described his ordeal in South Africa in his autobiography: 'The constable came. He took me by the hand and pushed me out. My luggage was also taken out. I refused to go to the other compartment and the train steamed away. It was winter, and winter in the higher regions of South Africa is severely cold. Maritzburg being at a high altitude, the cold was extremely bitter. My overcoat was in my luggage, but I did not dare to ask for it lest I should be insulted again, so I sat and shivered.'Tune InMust Watch
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bengaluru stampede: RCB marketing head Nikhil Sosale says arrest is illegal; blames CM's directive
BENGALURU: Marketing head of Royal Challengers Sports Ltd, Nikhil Sosale , approached the high court stating that his arrest in the wee hours of Friday was based on chief minister Siddaramaiah's oral instructions and was arbitrary and illegal. Sosale was arrested by city police in connection with the stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where 11 persons were killed and 75 injured during RCB's IPL victory celebrations. Contesting his arrest in a petition before the Karnataka high court, Sosale revealed that an FIR was registered against him after a 'late-night' cabinet meeting and after suo-motu proceedings were initiated by the high court. His counsel submitted that police inspector AK Girisha (investigating officer), who filed the FIR, was himself suspended. 'Arrest is the domain of the IO, and it cannot be done on instructions from a superior,' counsel said. In his petition, Nikhil alleged that the arrest 'aims to redirect responsibility for the incident to RCB and its staff'. He noted that senior police officers were suspended for neglecting their duties and questioned the rush to arrest a private citizen like himself, before establishing individual roles through a complete investigation. He also contended that his arrest at night violated his constitutional freedom under Article 19. He argued that the 'hasty action reflected a predetermined agenda based on the chief minister's directive, without a proper investigation of his specific involvement, disregarding natural justice principles'. Arguing for the state govt/ police, Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty said Sosale was apprehended early Friday while 'attempting to leave the country'. After a brief hearing, Justice SR Krishna Kumar adjourned the hearing to June 9, indicating that interim relief will be considered after a statement of objections is filed by the state govt/police. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
