Third Wave Coffee, an Indian coffee and food QSR brand, marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of growth from its Bengaluru roots into a national café brand. Founded in 2016, the brand now has 250+ cafés across 27 cities, with an ambition to reach approximately 320 cafés by FY27, and thereafter, add 100 new cafés every year.
“When we started Third Wave Coffee, specialty coffee was still a relatively unfamiliar proposition for a large part of India. What has been exciting over the last decade is seeing the category develop alongside consumers, and watching coffee become part of a much broader everyday culture. We believe India’s coffee journey is only getting started,” said Anirudh Sharma, Co-Founder, Third Wave Coffee.
As the brand has grown, its offering has expanded beyond coffee to encompass a wider range of consumption occasions. Over the decade, Third Wave Coffee’s menu has evolved to include offerings across dayparts, pizzas and handcrafted sandwiches to an assortment of bakes and sweets. Its beverage portfolio has also continued to evolve through limited-time offerings, including the Omakase style Backroom Brews range and espresso tonics, alongside trend-led additions such as Matcha and, more recently, Ube-based drinks.
“The last decade has fundamentally changed the role of the café in India. For us, the opportunity ahead is to build on the foundation we have created, while continuing to develop the experience around coffee. The next phase will be about scaling our presence pan-India, creating stronger connections with consumers, and giving them more reasons to make Third Wave Coffee part of their everyday lives,” added Rajat Luthra, CEO, Third Wave Coffee.
