Pilgrims heading to the sacred Vaishno Devi shrine have the option to grab a bite at McDonald’s, which has opened two new outlets along the route, one at New Track-Tarakote Marg and the other at Ardhkuwari in Jammu. Understanding the spiritual significance of the place and local food preferences, both outlets serve a fully vegetarian menu. To respect religious sentiments, none of the items include onion or garlic.

Sharing the news, Rajeev Ranjan, Managing Director of McDonald’s India – North and East had earlier said, “We’re happy to bring McDonald’s to Tarakote Marg and Ardhkuwari for the many pilgrims and locals who travel this path. It’s our way of making our popular food and drinks more accessible to people on this important journey.”

The restaurant at Tarakote Marg offers both dine-in and take-away options, along with easy-to-use self-service digital kiosks for faster ordering. At the Ardhkuwari location, visitors can pick up food to go.

“Our presence here is a step towards making the world-famous McDonald’s great tasting food and beverages accessible to travelers and residents of the area. We have formulated a special menu for our no onion and no garlic restaurants, consisting of menu items such as McAloo Tikki, McVeggie, McSpicy Paneer Burger, McSpicy Paneer Wrap, along with McDonald’s World Famous FriesTM, refreshing beverages and choice of desserts.”

Ranjan also highlighted that McDonald’s places a strong emphasis on quality. “From the farm to the plate, we make sure everything meets our global food safety and quality standards. We’ve spent 25 years building solid partnerships with local suppliers to make that possible,” he said.

What truly sets McDonald’s apart is its people, who are at the core of delivering a warm, welcoming, and smooth customer experience. In North and East India alone, the company has a workforce of over 5,000 employees spread across more than 150 outlets.

The restaurant near Vaishno Devi has hired team members from the local area, providing them with a workplace that is both flexible and supportive.

“We believe in creating a workplace where everyone has the chance to grow,” said Rajeev Ranjan. “Working at McDonald’s helps people build valuable life skills like teamwork, responsibility, and quick thinking. These are qualities that go far beyond the job and can really help shape a better future for our employees.”