Cooking, Contract, Distribution & Service

West Meets East

June 04, 2026
Success Story, Welbilt, India
Modern restaurant interior with wooden tables and beige chairs, decorative ceiling lights, signage on walls, and natural light coming through windows.

West Meets East

Trimex Foods Pvt. Ltd. has brought TexMex favorite Chili’s Grill & Bar to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and French patisserie café PAUL to India. Existing supplier Welbilt was there to offer technical help, advice and exceptional after-service, reports Chris Evans.

Tex-Mex food chain Chili’s Grill & Bar and French bakery specialists PAUL are rapidly expanding across India, delighting the locals’ taste buds. This growth is driven by food franchise powerhouse Trimex Foods Pvt. Ltd., with essential kitchen solutions from Welbilt®. Until 2010, there were very few Western food chains in India. “It’s mainly either you go to a five-star hotel or a local chain,” explains Vaibhav Kaushish, COO and director of Trimex Foods Pvt. Ltd.

Despite introducing a menu unfamiliar to many locals, including quesadillas, fajitas, burgers, wings and pastas, there were long queues outside when the first restaurant opened. “Initially it was mostly the elite, well-traveled locals (who make up about 2% of the population), but after a few years other local palates have grown and adapted to the food,” adds Kaushish.

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We’ve been able to try out and develop the menus but also experiment with equipment to test efficiency and see how the food comes out.

Vaibhav Kaushish COO and director of Trimex Foods Pvt. Ltd.

Hot growth and smart kitchen solutions

Under Trimex Foods, Chili’s has steadily grown while maintaining the same quality and consistency as its U.S. counterparts. Achieving this in a timeand energy-efficient manner required the right kitchen equipment.

Fortunately, Welbilt has been on hand to help achieve this. As an approved supplier of kitchen equipment for Chili’s U.S. locations, Welbilt had extensive knowledge of the brand’s needs. With test kitchens and in-house chefs, Welbilt helped develop menus, experiment with equipment, and enhance operational efficiency.

“We’ve been able to try out and develop the menus but also experiment with equipment to test efficiency and see how the food comes out,” explains Kaushish.

“A good example of this was their Convotherm® combi ovens, which we were using to heat our meats (pork ribs, chicken breasts, etc.). Welbilt showed us they can also be used to bake the breads (burger buns, garlic breads, etc.), cook the rice and boil vegetables. So we didn’t need separate baking ovens or outside suppliers and rice cookers anymore. That saved us a lot of time and money at our sites.”

They also took on the Convotherm mini ovens, which are just 50.5 cm wide and use only seven kilowatts of power, “so [they] have saved on space and are far more energy efficient than the competitor’s equipment they were using before,” says Gaurav Sharma, associate director strategic accounts at Welbilt India.

Restaurant seating area with wooden tables, cushioned booths, chairs, framed wall art, and a neon sign reading "Good Vibes Only" on a white brick wall.

Tex-Mex food chain Chili's Grill & Bar

A modern restaurant interior with wooden tables and chairs, a bar area, neon signs reading "Margarita," and string lights on the ceiling.

Chili's store opening, Ahmedabad

A bakery display filled with various breads, pastries, and desserts inside a modern shop with "PAUL" written on the wall behind the counter.

PAUL, French patisserie elegance in Mumbai

A winning recipe

Kaushish explains how Lincoln® conveyor ovens came to be used in Chili’s throughout the world. “Chili’s had been using a competitor’s conveyor belt ovens (for pizzas), but we reached out to head office and told them we’ve tested the Lincoln ovens and the pizzas come out really nice. Plus, they have a better price and warranty, and we trust Welbilt. Now they’re approved globally,” he enthuses.

FilterQuick® fryers from Frymaster® have also been introduced to the Chili’s restaurants. Working at the touch of a button, with sensors to control the recipes, they prioritize energy efficiency and ensure food is faithfully reproduced. “They also use an oil-filtration system to conserve and increase the shelf life of the oil, so this saves on costs. That really impressed Trimex,” says Sharma.

Having automated machines also helps keep staff training to a minimum. “With the previous fryers they had to keep training operators to use the equipment, but with our fryers the recipes are prefed. They simply press the button and the cooking starts,” says Sharma.

Kaushish has been impressed with the quality and performance of Welbilt’s products, which are built to last. “They are made of sturdy materials and don’t break down, unlike some competitors’ products that have had consistency issues. This means operational costs are low – and they also use the latest technology to help with energy efficiency,” he says,

Welbilt’s proactive local support and after-service has also been exceptional, he adds. “Trained technicians show us trials in their kitchens, teaching us about the products and what we can do with them.”

“We have around 100 engineers through our service partners spread out across India,” says Sharma, “even in the smaller, growing cities, who take care of the Welbilt equipment.”

Parts and stock are always reasonably priced, because Trimex have a global deal with Welbilt. They’re also readily available, because Welbilt supplies all the big players, such as McDonald’s and KFC. “They always hold the stock in their warehouses across India, so parts can be replaced quickly, unlike competitors who might only have a warehouse in one city,” says Kaushish.

Trimex’s trust in Welbilt has grown so much that they have even adopted equipment they weren’t originally required to use – such as Icematic ice machines – because of their proven reliability. “The financial pricing and breakdown they give us as partners also plays a vital role,” says Kaushish. “Welbilt is very open, explaining the exact factory and importing costs, what the margins are, everything, so it’s all clear. No other competitors were as open with their numbers or as supportive. This helped us to make the decisions and do a lot of business with Welbilt.”

With 24 Chili’s locations already operating in India and Sri Lanka, Trimex Foods plans to open at least 10 more outlets this year, targeting 200 locations by 2030, ahead of going public.

“Chili’s is at an all-time high in the U.S. at the moment. Their shares grew sixfold in the last 18 months. They’re going head to head with the leading QSR brand in the U.S. So we get a lot of data from them about what’s working in the U.S., and keep track of new products rolling out, and what equipment we need – even removing some if the menus are changing. Welbilt is a key part of those conversations,” says Kaushish.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Trimex – through its associate company Cogent Hospitality Ltd, which is supported by a team of more than 350 employees, a reliable vendor base and seamless logistical network – and Welbilt for the PAUL sites has also been going from strength to strength.

French fryers

Since 2019, seven PAUL bakeries and cafes – which offer an authentic French casual dining experience – have been set up across India, with three more set to launch within the next fiscal year.

Welbilt has already introduced Garland® griddles, Frymaster oil-conserving fryers, Convotherm combi ovens, Merrychef® ovens (two per outlet) and Icematic machines at the PAUL sites.

“They came to us because we were already supplying the equipment at Chili’s,” says Sharma. “Initially, they opted for a compact fryer, anticipating modest sales of fried items. But India had a surprise in store – demand soared, and they quickly transitioned to our high-performance Frymaster units, which have handled the volume brilliantly.

An extensive range

“We provide a lot of support because we realize it’s an upcoming chain in India that’s growing fast, and they’ve got large kitchens with a lot of equipment in place. So, they’re a chain that needs a lot of attention. But we are happy to be on hand to help,” enthuses Sharma. Welbilt is also in discussion with Trimex to replace existing coffee machines and dishwashers. “Now that we are part of the Ali Group, we have an extensive range, so this relationship is only growing and expanding,” adds Sharma.

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