Wow! Momo Foods, the Indian quick-service restaurant (QSR) group, plans to open its first international restaurants in Sri Lanka through a master franchise partnership with Softlogic Corporation. Indian Retailer reported on October 26, 2026 that the company intends to open 20 outlets in Sri Lanka within the first two years.
The first three outlets are planned as a Wow! Momo Asia restaurant at One Galle Face Mall, a food court outlet at Havelock City Mall and a standalone restaurant at Arcade Independence Square. Wow! Momo Foods says the launch will help it understand local consumer preferences and build an operating model for later international markets.
“It is about listening, learning and adapting.”
Co-founder and CEO Sagar Daryani used those words when describing the company’s approach to leaving its home market.
After Sri Lanka, the company is evaluating the UAE as its next restaurant market, with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah under consideration. It says it is in discussions with potential partners and is exploring joint venture and master franchise arrangements. Entry into the United States is targeted after the next two years.
The group’s Wow! FMCG business currently exports to 14 countries, including the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Singapore. It reports more than 1,000 international touchpoints across modern retail and e-commerce, with retail partners such as LuLu Group International in the Middle East and Mustafa Centre in Singapore.
Founded in 2008, Wow! Momo Foods has grown from a single kiosk into a multi-brand business with more than 900 stores across over 100 Indian cities. Its portfolio includes Wow! Momo, Wow! China, Wow! Chicken and Wow! Kulfi. VF has tracked other Indian-origin and India-bound deals, including the Harlem Shake master franchise for India and the wider picture in franchising in India: entry routes, legal structures and sectors.
An Indian multi-brand operator is using a conglomerate partner for its first overseas restaurants and a small, mixed-format launch to test the model before scaling. For prospective partners in the Gulf, the stated UAE plan shows the company is considering both joint venture and master franchise structures. Investors weighing similar approaches can review how international franchisors choose a master franchisee and what to verify before signing a master franchise.
Source: Indian Retailer — Wow! Momo Plans QSR Entry into Sri Lanka, Eyes UAE and US Markets
