Asmita Mukherjee | Hyderabad 
Indian speciality coffee chain Roastery Coffee House has recently announced its first international expansion. The brand, founded in 2017 by Nishant Sinha, with a passion for exceptional Indian coffee, recently announced its first international flagship store in Helsinki, Finland. This marks a significant step for Roastery Coffee House, becoming the first Indian coffee chain to enter the Nordic market. Asmita Mukherjee recently spoke with Sinha to delve deeper into his vision for the brand’s global expansion.
Finland emerged as the strategic location for Roastery Coffee House’s international debut due to its deep-rooted coffee culture and Finns’ appreciation for quality products. A successful pop-up in Helsinki solidified their decision, with brisk sales of freshly roasted beans and Indian speciality coffees. “In Finland, we saw a strategic location to take Indian-origin speciality coffee to the world. The country is popular for its love of quality products and coffee! Finland is the biggest coffee consumer in the world, consuming as much as 12 kgs of coffee per person per day as of data from 2016. According to the International Coffee Organization, this high consumption rate underscores the country’s deep-rooted coffee culture. We were overwhelmed by the love that we got for Roastery’s Monsoon Malabar coffee at the first pop-up we hosted in the Finnish capital,” said Sinha.
After the overwhelming response that the brand received from Finnish people, they are now planning to launch an outlet in Finland. “We are very excited about the upcoming launch of our flagship outlet in Finland. At the Roastery’s first international pop-up, we witnessed a brisk sale of 250 packets of freshly roasted coffee beans and over 200 cups of Indian speciality coffee in just three days, which was very encouraging. While the consumption trends in Finland are phenomenal, we observed an evident gap for speciality coffee and curiosity about Indian-origin coffee, which we seek to fill. We are positive that our expansion into Finland will provide a solid foundation for future growth and expansion in global markets,” added Sinha.
Sinha acknowledges the challenges of entering a market dominated by established chains. “Understanding Scandinavian and the European palate at large will be a challenge but one that we’re looking forward to navigating. Of course, along with cultural differences environment and climate will also have a role to play,” Sinha admitted. “We are committed to focusing on quality, innovation, and customer experience through workshops and educational initiatives about Indian speciality coffee.”
Financially strong with a turnover exceeding INR 70 crores (USD 8.7 million) as of January 2024, Roastery Coffee House is taking a cautious approach to international expansion. “We are focused on organic growth and reinvesting profits to fuel our brand’s growth,” said Sinha.
The company is not reliant on external funding and prioritises finding suitable locations across India, without targeting specific regions or cities. “We are focussed on growing organically at our own pace. We’ve chosen not to rely on external funding so far, so we’re not obligated to launch a number of outlets within a time frame. However, we love to take Roastery Coffee House to newer audiences and are always on the lookout for good locations that can give us good visibility and business and reflect our brand ethos and aesthetic. It could be anywhere in India, we are not bound by any specific regions or cities,” he said.
Roastery Coffee House differentiates itself through several strategies. “Direct sourcing allows us to offer a diverse range of high-quality Indian coffees. Our commitment to sustainability and a zero-waste model resonates with environmentally conscious consumers. The brand also prioritises the brewing experience, offering various brewing techniques and grinding options to cater to individual preferences. Finally, Roastery Coffee House cultivates a welcoming ambience, attracting a wide demographic with its warmth, greenery, and city-specific touches, like the functional step-well in their Jaipur outlet,” Sinha concluded.
