Cafes, please! Do something different in Mumbai?

In the past five years cafeacutes have turned into de facto living rooms coworking nooks date spots and community spaces They have mushroomed in bylanes next to gyms inside shirt and sneaker stores and inside converted heritage bungalows Everywhere you look a collagenspiked matcha and an avocado toast wait to be photographedThis looks sexy on Instagram But does a city with shrinking public spaces need more cafeacutes or parksldquoPeople are looking for places every time Cafeacutes are their source of entertainment and joyrdquo says Parth Suri founder of Silk Road Coffee Company in Versova ldquoAlcohol consumption is going down among Gen Z so people need a space where they can come together and find space to talkrdquo Surirsquos observation explains why cafeacutes are culturally stickySilk Road Coffee Company finds that having an open kitchen and coffee bar helps build trust with customersPooja Dhingra who is no stranger to the cafeacute game opened the doors to her new cafeacute Pardon Our French on February 4 This is Dhingrarsquos second innings in the game her first cafeacute being the Le15 Patisserie With every other cafeacute opening in Bandra it seems like the queen of suburbs has got some secret sauce Dhingra chose a different potion though ldquoI did want to open a cafeacute in Bandra and will hopefully do so in the futurerdquo says Dhingra ldquoOur old cafeacute was in Colaba so I wanted something close by Fort has always been one of Mumbairsquos most cultural creative and walkable neighbourhoods It attracts people who genuinely enjoy discovering food coffee and experiences not just quick consumptionrdquoWorld Coffee Portalrsquos Project Cafeacute India 2025 report finds that there are about 5339 coffee chain stores in India According to Mordor Intelligence specialist coffee and tea shops captured 85 per cent of the overall market which would give an estimate of close to 35000 cafeacutes in IndiaIs the market facing an oversaturation then Dhingra responds ldquoCafeacute culture becomes oversaturated when too many places do the same thing Similar menus aesthetics and pricing without a clear point of view It is not really about the number of cafeacutes but about the lack of differentiationrdquoAteet Singh Pooja Dhingra Atharwaa Kale and Parth SuriSome do stand out with their ambience Silk Road Coffee Company Versova is a good example Itrsquos designed keeping in mind the need to build community ldquoWe wanted to bring a lsquoGoa inside Mumbairsquo vibe to the space Itrsquos calm for a conversation to work out of or to have a family meal Our open kitchens and coffee bar were also designed for people to see chefs at work as this helps build trustrdquo says SuriOthers achieve loyalty through menu offerings but there is still a checklist followed sourdough avocado toast matcha latte and a coldbrew Itrsquos a safe menu ldquoPeople love varietyrdquo Suri says ldquobut they need some familiarity and some bit of experimentation So some basics have to be on the menurdquoThis nails the whole conundrum cafeacutes copy one another because customers demand familiarity The result is menu monotonyAteet Singh founder of Journal in Santacruz is blunt ldquoIf you want to introduce a trendy item first crack it right I tried a tiramisu latte somewhere and they had essentially put the cake in the drink No one wants cake in their beverage Only serve something once itrsquos tested and makes senserdquo Singh argues the real edge is not gimmicks but consistent craft ldquoCommunity building is key You need to know your people your data and take constant feedbackrdquo he saysThe community experience could be one reason why people are drawn to cafeacutes ldquoEveryone wants to belong somewhererdquo says food reviewer Sahil Makhija better known as headbangereats on Instagram ldquoMumbai is a city of newcomers Cafeacutes give people a sense of belongingrdquoMakhija who usually visits places for a good food experience says that the ease of getting a good cup of coffee in every lane of Bandra is enjoyable He also points out that a good cup of coffee is now expected ldquoI could be in Kolkata and I know that I will get a good cup of coffee at a Blue Tokai which has now become sort of the McDonaldrsquos of cafeacutes But we need independent cafeacutes for a bit of a personalised experience and communityrdquoFor Dhingra who learnt the ropes in a preInstagram era the experience from her first innings has taught many lessons ldquoWhen I started growth came mainly from word of mouth Instagram later became a huge amplifierrdquo she says ldquoToday visibility is much faster but attention spans are shorter What is different now is that aesthetics matter morerdquoA growing industry it may be but the fact is that the average life span of a cafeacute in Mumbai is four years and two months Dhingra saw these difficulties of the business firsthand during the first inning ldquoMargins are tight rentals are high staffing is a constant challenge Add to that perishable inventory daily production pressure rising raw material costs and heavy upfront investment in interiors and equipmentrdquoCafeacutes closing is so common that Amit Patel has made a career out of it as an exit strategy consultant He says ldquoTo run a cafeacute today it is very important to get to know your neighbours Your customer has the option to go to a Starbucks or a Third Wave Coffee If theyrsquove chosen a homegrown brand they expect some importance So get to know at least 500 people in your neighbourhood personally theyrsquoll bring in 1000rdquoHow do newcomers and firsttime entrepreneurs achieve this Nikita Pawale and Vaibhav Bhosale founders of Cafeacute Blue J in Mahim focused on product first social marketing later and leaned hard on neighbourhood regulars to survive early shocks ldquoOur barista once left midway and did not return We were ready to shut the cafeacute for the rest of the day But one of our regulars knew how to use the machine and he gave me the confidence to get behind the coffee bar He guided me through the process made an Americano for himself and told me lsquoDonrsquot feel shy just do it confidentlyrsquo It saved us a halfday of shutdown He even paid for the coffee he made himselfrdquo says Pawale emphasising that this kind of microcommunity support is the real runway for many independentsA struggle for customers is the soaring prices at cafeacutes Neel Kanwarjani founder of Every Morning Cartel Kandivli shares ldquoLabour cost remains pretty much the same throughout the city Today rentals in Kandivli have become comparable to Juhu and Bandra Ingredients are also expensive Some of the international coffees we have cost about 10000 per kg So yes a cup of coffee does end up being Rs 450rdquoBut should your salad cost 900 as it does at some cafeacutes around Bandra particularly Singh says ldquoEveryone knows that a salad will not and cannot cost that much But for many itrsquos a way to create brand value and maintain exclusivity People say rentals are high but it should only be five per cent of your sales not morerdquo he notes a rule of thumb that rarely holds in Mumbairsquos premium lanesRishi Dusija of RR Real Estate adds that the rentaltorevenue ratio is not fixed for commercial spaces unless they are inside a mall or a commercial complex ldquoIn malls usually the renttorevenue ratio is set at 14ndash15 per cent and in some cases goes up to 18 per cent But there is no rule like this anywhere else In most neighbourhoods landlords too help out and understand when cafeacutes and restaurants are performing poorly But of course some expect you to shut shop and leave if you cannot make rentrdquoIf everything is so hard what keeps people coming to this business ldquoEven when the market is saturated there are people like me who are simply passionate about the art of food Everything else money itrsquos all secondaryrdquo says KanwarjaniSuri adds ldquoEveryone wants three things growing up They either want to be an actor a cricketer or own a cafeacute someday Itrsquos our responsibility as cafeacute owners to take that ahead because someone will live that dream through our cafeacuterdquoSo will cafeacute culture continue to brew One can only wait and watch Mumbai right now has too many cafeacutes For Millennials cafeacute fatigue has already begun to set in ldquoI am fed up with cafeacutesrdquo says 34yearold freelancer Atharwaa Kale who works out of cafeacutes in Kala Ghoda after dropping off her kid to kindergarten ldquoTables are full and many donrsquot allow laptops The younger generation is eating healthier and they spend at cafeacutes For us it was cool to be at a club For them itrsquos cool to be at a cafeacute But the lack of available tables and long wait times is frustrating I end up going to a Starbucks to work but then the food options there are poorrdquoThe roadside coffee romeosIf coffee is to be done for the love of the game look no further than Suraj Kumar who runs a coffee shop out of a scooter at Carter Road ldquoI have worked at many bigname cafeacutes I learnt coffeemaking thererdquo On January 1 Kumar officially revved up his engines and opened Belsta CoffeeRohan Phanse sells coffee out of a truck outside BKCHis personal favourite drink ldquoA cappuccinordquo he says ldquoThe places I used to work at before were active on Instagram I knew I had to use Instagram for marketingrdquo says Kumar His Reels have gone viral online all thanks to the unique concept and an unbelievable price point mdash starting from 97 for a cup Another is Rohan Phanse who started a coffee cart Sowaka Coffee at Government Colony Bandra East on December 3 2025 In 2008 he stepped into a Barista coffee shop at Bandstand with his friends and was shocked to see the prices ldquoI could only get the black coffee But after tasting that I could immediately tell the difference between instant and specialty coffeerdquo he says He went on to become a professionally trained baristaWe ask him what the response has been like ldquoAmazing really I have many repeat customers which is an important thing in the coffee business I have people living in Colaba or Khar who call me to get their coffee delivered there I do some jugaad and send it to themrdquo he saysBut for him the most important reason to be in the business is to make coffee accessible His prices start at 99 ldquoI stick to the basics keep it simple I want everyone to have that experience I had at Barista to be able to fall in love with coffeerdquoIs it time to move beyond BandraIn Bandra Mumbairsquos most attractive suburb to cafeacute hop over the weekend rentals have doubled ldquoThe average rate used to be Rs 500ndash600 per sq ft Now that number is around Rs 1000ndash1500 per sq ftrdquo says Rishi Dusija of RR Real Estate which specialises in commercial real estate ldquoLandlords are of course happy about this but residents are notrdquoRavi KanalWhat makes Bandra such a hotspot for cafeacutes though Owner of Steps Cafeacute and bornandbroughtup Bandra boy Ravi Kanal argues it isnrsquot called the queen of suburbs for nothing The natural love of food packaged with ldquobreathtaking locations like Carter Road and Bandstand make for the perfect location for a cafeacuterdquo says Kanal ldquoAnd then therersquos the shopping What do you do after yoursquore done shopping You grab a bite to eatrdquoAs Bandra residents complain about the gentrification of the neighbourhood Kanal feels it is his personal responsibility to take care of the neighbourhood ldquoWersquore in a corner with residents living right beside the cafeacute We donrsquot allow any parking near the cafeacuterdquo says Kanal ldquoWersquove done up a garden near the cafeacute plantations up the steps Thankfully wersquove never heard any complaints from the residentsrdquoBrothers Neel and Rishiraj Kanwarjani started a cafeacute in Kandivli to avoid the Bandra saturation PicAtul KambleBut walk through Bandra Santacruz Kala Ghoda and you will see a string of chains and independent cafeacutes ldquoThe demand for cafeacutes is very high People want to open spaces as the younger generation is keen to go outrdquo says DusijaOutside Bandra though a new movement is brewing up Brothers Neel and Rishiraj Kanwarjani have opened up their very own cafeacute called Every Morning Cartel in Kandivli Neel says ldquoI hate to say it but Kandivli is a tier2 suburb in a tier1 city My brother and I grew up here and we wanted to build something for the neighbourhoodrdquoEven though we might know Bandra Juhu and Colaba as the hotspots of the city Kanwarjani says ldquoWe have the money for this we have the taste for this then why should I go so far for a cup of coffeerdquo Kanwarjani wants people to come to Kandivli to taste his food not the other way around riding the MaKaBo Malad Kandivli Borivli wave ldquoIn Bandra I have so many options that Irsquom not loyal to any brand I will keep cafehopping for the rest of my liferdquo says Kanwarjani ldquoThe roads are dug up therersquos no space for parking I have to stand in line for two hours for a space which is maybe 200ndash300 sq ft therersquos no place to sit downrdquolsquoInstagrammability does not equal retentionrsquoI probably think of Gilmore Girls and lsquocoffee coffee coffeersquordquo says 21yearold Piushi Ajwani when we ask her what coffee means to her ldquoCoffee has become an integral part of pop culture todayrdquo Ajwani is a student model and pop culture commentator on Instagram In her free time yoursquoll find her grabbing a coffee with her friends working on an assignment over a cup of joe or making a new coffee combo for herselfPiushi Ajwani believes Gen Z chooses what cafeacute to go to based on how we want to be perceived PicShadab KhanIn Mumbai cafeacute culture has found a new language ldquoIf yoursquore a cafeacute today you cannot sell just coffee you have to sell an identity You bank off that identity and weave coffee into the narrativerdquoAjwani explains how this narrative is built ldquoIf I want to be perceived as somebody who maybe is in the media or has a lot of money to spend I would go to Boojee Cafeacute or if I want to be perceived as somebody who cares more about small businesses and nature then I would associate myself with Steps Cafeacuterdquo says Ajwani ldquoWersquove Gen Z grown up with the Internet It becomes indistinguishable mdash what we are doing for others versus what we are doing for ourselves which is actually kind of scaryrdquoSenain SawantIf Gen Z is subscribing to identities created by cafeacutes we speak to someone who helps create them Senain Sawant a food photographer and social media strategist She says ldquoThere are some great brands tapping into the Gen Z market Theyrsquore doing all the right things for their demographic mdash be it online or offline marketing I see a lot of great work on Instagram but those feel like more individual content pieces that are great However Irsquom yet to see a marketing campaign as a whole in the FampB space that truly blows me awayrdquoAccording to Sawant who is also the founder of creative agency Grump the kind of crowd yoursquoll find in a place also becomes an important point in bringing a customer in ldquoThe kind of people you want to sit in your cafeacute determines the personality that you set for itrdquo she addsThis creates a hype and an ldquoinner circlerdquo of people those who get it But is our city suffering from eternal FOMO Sawant says ldquoHype plays a large role in how well a cafeacute does especially in the first six months However I think it will always come down to the basics mdash the food service ambience will eventually take precedence People will go to a cafeacute take a picture post on Instagram once maybe twice What will make them keep coming back is those basics A sense of belonging is what will make me a regular at a cafeacute I want to feel like Irsquom a part of something when I go out Thatrsquos how a brand can stand out from the sea of cafeacutes who are doing more or less the same thing Itrsquos about what Irsquom getting even when Irsquom not being sold somethingrdquoBuilding a connection with their customers helped cafeacute Blue J Mahim one time when a barista left suddenly a customer swooped in to save the day PicShadab KhanA tier2 boomCafes may be struggling in big cities but tier2 and tier3 cities are experiencing a boom like never before When you think of coffee the first names that might come to your mind are Nagpur and Surat According to Knight Frankrsquos research on India more than 38 per cent of all new FampB store leases were signed in tier2 and tier3 cities in 2023 A Colliers analysis claims that tier2 city outlets particularly cafeacute formats recover expenditures 20ndash25 per cent faster than those in metro areas making smaller towns a more lucrative location to start a cafeacuteAmit Patel and NihareecaAmit Patel started Kokoro Coffee in Surat Gujarat for this exact reason He started by building a community of caffeine lovers in the city ldquoFrom 2018 to 2019 we did more than 35 events and workshops at the same time we saw a wave of new specialty cafeacutesrdquo In Surat specifically Patel believes ldquoPeople appreciate coffee here more because of the liquor ban Coffee gives you something to connect over while giving you the feeling of nightlife in the cityrdquoMoreover an increase in median income and the relatively low cost of living in small towns make coffee the perfect dream Itrsquos cool itrsquos sophisticated itrsquos aspirational but not out of reach Nihareeca started her own cafeacute Daily Dose in Raipur Chhattisgarh after discovering her own love for artisanal coffee ldquoIn small towns you canrsquot serve just coffee In bigger cities people grab coffee and leave for work Here people like to sit in a cafeacute for a few hours You need food to anchor itrdquo says NihareecaNihareeca shares that having open coffee bars helps build trust with customersThe first few years for her too were spent in education Gaining your customerrsquos trust remains the most important ldquoHere we put all our equipment on display and we keep the coffee bar open If the customer can see their coffee being made they are more comfortable paying that much moneyrdquo she addsWhere everyone knows everyone mdash classic small town mdash wordofmouth publicity works best ldquoYour social media can showcase what you do at the cafeacute but what will work is people telling their friends to go check out Daily Doserdquo Nihareeca says