Westlife Foodworld Reports 9% Growth in Q4 FY26; Sets Ambitious Guidance for 60+ Annual Store Openings

Westlife Foodworld Reports 9% Growth in Q4 FY26; Sets Ambitious Guidance for 60+ Annual Store Openings​

Westlife Foodworld Ltd. (Westlife) held its earnings call for the fourth quarter and full year ended March 31, 2026. Management highlighted strong performance anchored by a focus on everyday value and robust on-ground execution. The company reported a 9% year-on-year growth in its overall top line for the quarter, while setting an aggressive guidance to open over 60 restaurants annually moving forward.

During the earnings call, Mr. Akshay Jatia, President & CEO, noted that the quarter's performance was driven by efforts to make everyday value accessible, leading to sustained guest count traction across regions.

Financial Performance Snapshot (Q4 FY26)​

Westlife reported the following key financial metrics for the quarter and the full financial year:

Profitability and Operational Drivers​

The company emphasized disciplined execution and cost optimization, which were instrumental in maintaining margin performance.

Management noted that the full-year like-for-like gross margins stood at 67.7%, showing an improvement of approximately 140 basis points (bps) year-on-year.

Key profitability metrics included:

• Gross Margin (Q4): Remained near historic high levels at 68.1%, an improvement of around 60 bps sequentially.
• Restaurant Operating Margin (Full Year): Grew approximately 100 bps year-on-year to 20.3%.
• Digital Contribution: Digital sales contribution reached 76% of the full-year total, an increase of over 100 bps year-on-year.

Mr. Shardul Doshi, CFO, noted that cash profit after tax for FY26 was INR 2.4 billion, representing 9% of sales. For the quarter, cash profit after tax stood at INR 487 million, equating to 7.4% of sales.

On the operational front, the company reported a significant commitment to network growth, having opened a record 48 restaurants during the year. The digital platform saw strong utilization, with cumulative app downloads crossing 52 million, supported by approximately 3.5 million monthly active users.

Strategic Outlook and Guidance​

Looking ahead, Westlife Foodworld is focused on disciplined, profitable, and prudent network expansion.

Management provided the following future guidance points:
1. Expansion Target: The company plans to further accelerate its expansion, targeting the opening of 60 or more restaurants annually.
2. Market Presence: The network expansion aims to be spread across key markets including Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Chennai, utilizing partnerships with HPCL, BPCL, and Jio-bp to establish a strong highway presence.
3. Pricing Strategy: To manage inflationary pressures, the company maintains its commitment to passing through a price increase of 2% to 4% year-on-year.
4. Long-Term Vision: The company remains committed to its Vision 2027, where it aims to cross INR 3,000 crores in sales.

During the call, the management emphasized that while the consumer value proposition is core, the long-term strategy is balanced growth, ensuring that volume increases are maintained across both on-premises and delivery channels. Furthermore, the company stated that store closures will continue to be a component of its portfolio management, a necessary process for optimizing the overall network efficiency.

WESTLIFE Stock Price Movement​

As of 3:23 PM, shares of WESTLIFE FOODWORLD LIMITED are shedding 0.56% in live trading, currently registering at ₹502.35. The stock is seeing significant intra-day interest, with total traded volume recorded at 37,334 shares.