Eleven years since its debut as a café-bar hybrid for India’s urban youth, SOCIAL has unveiled its most significant menu overhaul yet, introducing new categories, reworking existing ones, and expanding its footprint of offerings to reflect changing consumer habits and culinary trends.
Titled The Big Drop, the refreshed menu is now available across more than 55 SOCIAL outlets in 10 Indian cities, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. The move marks a strategic effort by parent company Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. to reposition the brand as an all-day dining destination capable of catering to wider demographics and dayparts, from early morning diners and post-work snackers to late-night consumers.
New lineup
The updated lineup introduces a number of firsts for the chain, including Ramen bowls with regional Indian influences, handheld breakfast sandwiches, curated breakfast trays, and a section dedicated entirely to tea-time dunkables like bun maska, khari and assorted biscuits. The brand has also expanded its burger, salad, snack, and dessert offerings, while continuing to retain popular mainstays from its previous menus.
“India’s eating habits have shifted—faster, more expressive, less tied to traditional meal slots,” said Riyaaz Amlani, Managing Director of Impresario, in a statement. “This menu is an attempt to align with that shift, offering options that are flexible in format but rooted in local tastes.”
The new categories appear designed to appeal across audience cohorts. A section titled Munchies includes experimental small plates such as Prawn on a Podi-Yum and Gochujong Glazed Mushrooms—likely to appeal to Gen Z and millennial consumers who view food as social content as much as sustenance. Meanwhile, Thalis and Tiffins and Substantials revisit familiar Indian formats to appeal to more traditional diners or those seeking hearty main-course meals.
Importantly, the menu revamp positions SOCIAL as more than a casual hangout spot. By doubling down on breakfast trays, quick bites, and more globally relevant items like poke bowls and matcha drinks, the brand is attempting to capture consumers across meal occasions and dietary preferences, including health-conscious urban professionals and experimental foodies.
‘Current but familiar’
Chef Shamsul Wahid, Group Executive Chef at Impresario, noted that the redesign process leaned heavily on nostalgia and everyday Indian eating cues. “From train station breakfasts to street-side snacks and home kitchens, we’ve used these as reference points to create something that feels current but familiar,” he said.
The refresh comes at a time when India’s casual dining and QSR (quick service restaurant) segments are undergoing significant shifts, driven by the rising importance of convenience, affordability, and culinary diversity. With this reimagination of its food philosophy, SOCIAL is attempting to future-proof itself against a more competitive and fragmented dining market, while still preserving the hyperlocal, community-first brand ethos that defined its rise over the past decade.