Sweets are at the heart of Diwali, symbolising celebration and joy. Coffee is the way people come together, connect, and create shared moments. With both being so deeply tied to the spirit of the festival, this collaboration is a natural fit to capture the true essence of Diwali.

Commenting on the launch, Rajat Luthra, CEO, Third Wave Coffee, said “Coffee is a habit, a comforting ritual that connects people in their everyday lives. At Third Wave Coffee, we see it as more than a beverage, it’s about shaping moments of togetherness with friends, family, and colleagues. Partnering with SMOOR adds an extra layer of sweetness to that ritual, making it the perfect pairing for the festive season. By bringing coffee and chocolate together, we’re creating hampers that go beyond conventional gifts, they represent modern experiences, crafted to deepen connections and make celebrations truly memorable.”

The Classic Hamper celebrates timeless pleasures with Third Wave Coffee’s Vienna Roast in Easy Coffee Bags and a Mug, SMOOR’s artisanal Choco Mithai and Almond Snaps, a radiant diya and a greeting card.

Vimal Sharma, CEO, SMOOR, said, “SMOOR has always stood for indulgence that makes celebrations memorable. This Diwali, partnering with Third Wave Coffee felt like a natural extension. Our craft in chocolate paired with their mastery of coffee brings together two distinct experiences in perfect balance. The result is festive hampers that are thoughtful, elevated, and truly special.”

Priced from Rs. 1,299 onwards, the Third Wave Coffee x SMOOR festive Collection will be available for a limited time across all Third Wave Coffee and SMOOR cafes and home delivery through Swiggy and Zomato starting 25^th September.

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This expansion pushes the brand past the 150-store milestone achieved in FY25. The new cafes reflect Third Wave Coffee’s growing traction in established markets like Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, while also strengthening its presence in emerging hubs such as Chennai and Mysuru, where the brand made its debut last year. These cafes are strategically located in high-footfall urban neighbourhoods as well as key transit zones, marking Third Wave Coffee’s foray into mobility-led locations with its newest café on the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway.

Elaborating on the expansion of Third Wave Coffee in these markets, Rajat Luthra, CEO, Third Wave Coffee, shared, “Over the last few years, our focus has been on building a business that scales sustainably — with a sharp focus on store-level profitability, operational efficiency, and capital discipline. Last year, we also commissioned a new roastery with 8× automation capability, significantly enhancing our capacity to support up to 700 stores. These efforts have led to stronger store-level ROI and a more disciplined, scalable growth model.”

Since its inception in 2015, Third Wave Coffee has transformed into one of India’s fastest-growing café chains. It is celebrated for its unwavering focus on quality, innovation, and a community-first philosophy that resonates with a new generation of coffee lovers.

“This quarter’s expansion is part of our FY26 plan to open 100+ new cafes with a strong lens on profitability, strong unit economics and customer experience.  Whether in cities, neighbourhoods, or now in transit hubs — we’re focused on meeting our consumers where they are, with the same consistent experience they expect from us. We’d love to bring Third Wave Coffee to more neighbourhoods and are always open to hearing from our community” added Rajat.

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The 125th cafe marks Third Wave Coffee’s entry into Tamil Nadu’s vibrant capital, Chennai, a city celebrated for its cultural richness and energy. The brand continues its journey to redefine India’s café culture with its recent expansions. With a presence across 10 cities including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Chandigarh, Third Wave Coffee is creating community centric spaces designed for creativity and connection.

Commenting on the milestone, Rajat Luthra, CEO, Third Wave Coffee, said, “What began with a dream to elevate the way India experiences coffee, has today evolved into something truly special, fueled by the love and support of our customers. Our journey with Third Wave Coffee has been a mission to deliver an exceptional coffee experience to more & more customers, wherever they are. From the onset, we have aimed to design ambiences where each visit to our cafe is as memorable as the coffee we serve. As we celebrate our 125th café in Chennai, we’re energized by the trust of our customers. Looking ahead, we aim to close FY2024-25 with 150 cafés, bringing our signature experience to an even larger and more diverse community.”

Staying true to its brand ethos of quality, innovation, and connection, Third Wave Coffee seamlessly blends specialty coffee, cutting-edge brewing techniques, and thoughtfully designed spaces to deliver a modern and distinctive experience for today’s coffee enthusiasts. Every element of Third Wave Coffee, from its single-origin coffees, refreshing cold brews to its handcrafted menu of savory bites and desserts, is designed to delight. Furthermore, each cafe is tailored to nurture creativity and connection, often hosting events, workshops, and collaborations that bring people together in unique ways.

Third Wave Coffee’s journey is also marked by initiatives like cafés led by all-women teams and those operated by specially-abled team members. These reflect the brand’s commitment to inclusion and respect, fostering a culture of equality. As Third Wave Coffee continues to expand, it remains committed to reshaping India’s coffee landscape while building stronger community connections.

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Regional coffee drinking preferences revealed key insights about the growing coffee culture in the country. Bengaluru emerged as the coffee capital with nearly 2.5Mn cups of specialty brews being served in the city. Coffee-lovers in Delhi weren’t too far behind their counterparts in Bengaluru; Third Wave Coffee delighted people in Delhi with close to 2Mn cups of coffee served last year. The festive spirit shone bright, with Christmas Day emerging as the busiest day of the year. 

Sharing his views about the brand’s 2024 Coffee Notes, Rajat Luthra, CEO, Third Wave Coffee, said, “2024 has been incredible as we marked the year with unique food innovations, explored new formats and flavours and expanded out presence to reach more and more coffee-lovers across the nation. The 7.1 Million cups of coffee served in the year are symbolic of the love & trust bestowed upon the brand by our customers. We are eternally grateful to each of the 5.4 Million customers we served; we will continue to craft delightful Third Wave Coffee experiences for you. We will further our diverse offerings and seasonal innovations that emerged as favorites last year. As we move into 2025, we’re focused on growing our presence across the country, making specialty coffee more accessible to everyone – whether at our cafes or on the go.”

Dwelling deeper, traditional favorites like Cappuccino, Americano, and Hot Chocolate continued to warm the hearts in the morning hours; and seasonal sensations like Choco Malt Frappe and Pistachio Latte/Frappe stole the spotlight as monsoon must-haves. On the food accompaniments, Banana Walnut Tea Cake, Baked Chilli Toast, and Chocolate Croissant topped the charts, making every coffee moment perfect. Regional preferences that stood out were Bagels leading in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi; while Bangalore embraced Pancakes as its ultimate breakfast companion.

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“Coffee is not just an occasional beverage anymore, it is powering people’s day now,” said Rajat Luthra, CEO, Third Wave Coffee, speaking at the launch. “And we are on a mission to deliver our exceptional coffee experience to more & more customers, wherever they are. Mysuru is one of the most charming cities in Southern India and we are honored to introduce our specialty brews to the people of the city. Our Cafes are spaces created with an aim to inspire and foster deep connections with our customers, and we are excited to bring the Third Wave Coffee experience to the community of Mysore.”

Beyond coffee, Third Wave Coffee stores aim to engage customers through events, workshops, and collaborations, staying true to the brand’s legacy of nurturing innovation and creativity. The brand’s stores make for a perfect spot to catch up with friends & loved ones, engage in an important meeting or simply spend quality time with yourself. With warm and welcoming interiors, the decor of the stores reflects influences from local culture, making them ideal spaces for inspiring conversations and building connections. The menu also includes something for everyone – from single-origin coffees to cold brews to handcrafted sandwiches, wraps, shareable bites and more.

The Mysuru Cafe launch marks the brand’s presence in 8 cities across the country, in addition to Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, etc. With 117 Cafes across the country, the brand aims to have 150 stores by March 2025, with plans to explore new cities such as Chennai, Mangaluru, amongst others. 

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Commenting on the launch, Rajat Luthra, CEO, Third Wave Coffee, said, “This launch underscores Third Wave Coffee’s commitment to creating nationwide coffee experiences and expanding our PAN-India presence with innovative coffee solutions. With over 100 stores, our goal has always been to create spaces where people can connect over great coffee. This new store in Santacruz not only strengthens our footprint in Mumbai but also reinforces our commitment to fostering community connections and supporting a culture of reading and learning.”

The café has a modern design blended with cozy vibes, featuring global literary gems and high-quality coffee. Book lovers can indulge in an immersive experience, pairing captivating reads with their favorite coffee.

Discussing the partnership with Crossword Bookstores, Luthra added, “Consumers are becoming more discerning about their coffee, seeking deeper experiences that go beyond the brew. Our partnership with Crossword Bookstores strikes the right chord in this regard. Having witnessed the positive response to our co-located stores, we couldn’t be happier about strengthening this relationship.”

The menu at the new store includes a variety of coffees, beverages, and snacks, allowing customers to enjoy a unique and enriching coffee experience, enhanced by the extensive book collection offered by Crossword Bookstores.

The growing cafe-bookstore culture in India reflects a shift in consumer preferences towards unique and engaging café experiences. Nidhi Gupta, Director, Crossword Bookstores, said, “Situated within the Crossword Bookstore, this new Third Wave Coffee store offers patrons the perfect setting to enjoy a premium coffee experience amidst a haven of books. This collaboration continues to merge the worlds of exceptional coffee and literary enrichment, providing an ideal spot for coffee enthusiasts and book lovers alike.”

Since its inception in 2016 with a single store in Koramangala, Third Wave Coffee has experienced rapid growth, expanding to over 100 stores nationwide. Recently, the company raised $35 million in Series C funding from Creaegis and existing investor WestBridge Capital.

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Sushant will continue to contribute towards the growth and development of the rapidly expanding Indian coffee brand. Rajat Luthra, former CEO of KFC- India & Nepal, will assume the position of CEO bringing in his extensive experience to lead Third Wave Coffee into its next phase of success.

Commenting on this development, Sushant Goel, Co-founder & CEO, Third Wave Coffee, said, “As CEO and Co-founder, I have had the privilege of leading the company through its formative years and I am incredibly proud of the journey that we have embarked on. The brand is ready to embark on its next leg of growth. Now, as I transition to the Board, I am excited to continue contributing towards our vision and growth from a different vantage point. Rajat is a veteran in the QSR industry, and I am filled with optimism about what the future holds for Third Wave Coffee under his stewardship.”

Third Wave Coffee has been growing rapidly since 2016, from being a roastery with a single store in Koramangala to currently having over 100 stores across 8 cities in the country. In a short period, the company has become one of the leading coffee brands in India, directly competing with global players in the coffee space. Recently, the company has raised US$ 35 million in Series C funding from Creaegis and existing investor WestBridge Capital.

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