McDonald’s India announced yesterday that its operator Westlife Development had launched its first all-women drive-through branch in Ekta Nagar in Narmada district, Gujarat. The restaurant is located in the same area as the Statue of Unity. This initiative was taken up by the company with the aim of empowering women and promoting diversity and inclusivity.

The company hired 28 women from nearby villages for the branch and trained them as per the guidelines from the FSSAI. As such the staff is capable of maintaining a high standard of hygiene and safety as well as any other necessary procedures.

“It is an honour for us to launch our maiden all-women employee-led drive-thru restaurant in Ekta Nagar – at the land of the prestigious Statue of Unity. We believe that this initiative will enable us to strengthen our commitment towards diversity and inclusion as well as fostering communities, by bringing in more women from the region to the workforce,” Westlife Development MD Smita Jatia said.

Westlife Development, through its subsidiary Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt Ltd, holds the franchise to own and operate McDonald’s restaurants in India’s west and south markets. It operates 326 McDonald’s restaurants across 47 cities in the region.