Dear reader,
I am writing this at a WeWork in Bengaluru, the hub of India’s tech industry. Right across from me is an open pantry with two machines: a coffee machine and a chai (tea) machine.
I didn’t know you could get chai from a machine. Turns out you can. It takes 30 seconds, the same as it would take to get an americano, an espresso, or a cappuccino. Yet, in the hour gone by (it’s 11 am on a Tuesday), the tea machine is untouched. The coffee machine, however, has been buzzing and steaming ever since I walked in.
This reflects an India-wide trend. The younger generation, especially working professionals, is moving from tea to coffee. Abhijeet Anand, founder of abcoffee, is building for this growing trend.
In this interview, we cover (amongst other topics):
- Why is coffee (at a café) in India at the same price as coffee in the US or the UK.
- How abcoffee wants to build a habit, followed by a business of coffee consumption.
- The difference between the current Indian café model and abcoffee’s model.
- Why abcoffee’s operational setup relies on a small (120 sq ft) café with limited staff.
- How app-based ordering and subscriptions have impacted order frequency and repeat customers.
Paid subscribers can read the full, ~3000 word interview below.
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Let’s dive in.