Posted on Friday, 28th January 2011 by Brooke Richmond

With Starbucks set to enter India, Talk explores if coffee has become the stimulating beverage of our times

Janak Raj, 54, does not know what Starbucks is, and neither does he care. He has been working at the India Coffee House (ICH) since 1973, and has seen many new coffee shops and restaurants spring up around the Mohan Singh Palace building in Connaught Place — the permanent address of India Coffee House since 1957. “Humein kya farq padta hai?”(what difference does it make to us) he asks. “One more can open up. Our old-timers will still keep coming for our pandrah rupay ki coffee.” Even though Raj has seen the heart of the city transform during his long years in the kitchen of the coffee house, he has been welcoming the same coffee-drinkers for the past 37 years.

When big shots like Café Coffee Day, Barista and Costa Coffee entered the market, they put coffee in mainstream culture as a backdrop to ‘the hang-out zone for stimulating conversations for youngsters. They projected coffee as more than just a caffeinated drink to wake you up — they tempted you with tag lines of “a lot can happen over coffee,” and offered more than one type of espresso. College kids began their romances on a dark bitter-sweet note, and the employed found respite in having official meetings outside the walls of boring conference rooms. Ceramic and plastic cups brimming with flavoured coffees and crushed ice became mediators for new and old relationships. These coffee houses sold more than just a potent brew — they marketed themselves with an ideology of a safe space to lounge, with no requirement of an agenda or activity. And now, Starbucks will enter this coffee hungry market, in alliance with Tata Coffee Limited to collaborate on coffee growing and milling skills.


Similar Posts:

Share

Tags: Stimulating Beverage, Times
Posted in Health Notes | No Comments »

Leave a Reply