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At the first Wendy’s in India, cooks flip spicy aloo crunch burgers and serve buns sprinkled with chili, turmeric and coriander. Where’s the beef? There isn’t any, since India’s Hindu majority considers cows sacred. The menu changes are big, but they’re just one aspect of how Wendy’s is reinventing itself for the new market.

Wendy’s debut outpost in Gurgaon, just southwest of New Delhi, has less of a fast food feel and more of a casual dining atmosphere, though prices remain low. (You can get a sense of the atmosphere in the Facebook video above, from VML India.) Meals are served at the table, on proper china plates.

That’s one differentiator from other Western chains catering to India’s growing legions of fans of beefless burgers. Market leader McDonald’s has expanded, Burger King launched in November, and bizarrely even Dunkin’ Donuts has gotten big into burgers, because doughnuts don’t have enough local appeal. The Times of India recently proclaimed that chains were on the cusp of a “burger war,” noting that Fatburger, Johnny Rockets and Carl’s Jr. are also new India entrants.

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