Brands
Mirah Hospitality ropes in Arjun Raj Kher as chief marketing officer
MUMBAI: Mirah Hospitality & Gourmet Solutions Pvt Ltd has appointed Arjun Raj Kher as chief marketing officer, bringing back a familiar hand to sharpen brand strategy and fuel its next phase of growth.
A seasoned marketing leader with over two decades of experience in India’s food and beverage sector, Kher is known for scaling brands, driving expansion and delivering strong gains in revenue and market share. He previously worked with Mirah Hospitality between 2017 and 2021 and returns with a mandate to deepen brand equity and accelerate customer-led growth.
Kher has held senior leadership roles across prominent restaurant and dining concepts including Hitchki, Bayroute, Flax, Yazu, Juliette and Maai. His career spans marketing operations, business development, P&L ownership and brand positioning, marking him out as a rare all-rounder in a crowded sector.
He has also worked with a wide range of hospitality and nightlife brands, from China House at the Grand Hyatt to AER, Tote on the Turf, Athena and Indigo, blending strategic direction with operational rigour.
In his new role, Kher will oversee brand vision, integrated marketing, digital initiatives and customer experience across Mirah’s portfolio. The company expects his return to strengthen its competitive edge as it expands across formats and geographies.
Mirah Hospitality & Gourmet Solutions operates well-known brands such as Rajdhani, Bayroute and Hitchki, alongside outdoor catering and cloud kitchen ventures including Rajdhani Street, Rollji and The Mezze Company. The group continues to bet on scale, consistency and culinary innovation to drive growth in India’s organised F&B market.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
