AgTalk | Brewing it with a difference: Brewberry's Gupta

Gone are the days when your colleagues and you caught up on office gossip at the chai tapri outside your office. Gone are the days when you had a mini reunion with your friends at the nukkad wala chai stall. Today, these activities may remain the same; the destination has shifted from mucky, sundrenched streets to plush air conditioned ‘café’.      

The last couple of years has witnessed the birth, rise and growth of the 'coffee house' culture in India, from top metros to smaller towns. With these coffee chains hitting the highways as well, even the smallest possible population strata has had opportunity to taste the ‘upmarket coffee’ as it is generally perceived. While the consumers have had their share of gains, the rising coffee culture in India has given ways to a number of entrepreneurs to start a café but with a tinge of difference. One such case is that of Brewberry; where friends at hotel Management College joined hands to begin what is now positioned as one of the finest franchise modelled coffee chains in the country.   

Adgully caught up with Ankur Gupta, CEO, Brewberrys Hospitality Pvt. Ltd shares the USP and future plans of his company.

Adgully (AG): The coffee bar culture is relatively new to India. Tell us about the coffee industry in India and internationally. What is the current market size of the industry and what is Brew Berry's share in the pie?
Ankur Gupta (AG): The current Indian Café industry is current valued at $300 Million and is poised to reach $410 Million by 2017 with a growth 14% CAGR.

AG: Shed some light on the origin and growth of Brew Berry Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
AG: We (Ankur & Ronak) were friends since college; after completing our Hotel Management and working in the industry for a couple of years, we decided to open Brewberrys café. We initially wanted to start a restaurant, but the operating costs were very high and we had already worked in cafes before; so we decided to open a café since we knew that we can manage the show on our own. The concept of the Café chain is quite basic & traditional however what separates us from our competitors is the freshly prepared snacks menu, added board games & books for our patrons to spend quality time with at the Café. The idea is to have a friendly neighbourhood or ‘Betterhood’ Café as we like to call it.

AG: When and why did you think of taking the franchise route? What difference have you noticed after opting the franchise way?
AG: After opening few 3 stores ourselves, Brewberrys started offering franchisee in 2009; we wanted to expand our presence across India but didn’t have the funds to do so; hence we opted for franchisee route to increase our presence initially.

AG: The market is gradually getting cluttered, so what is the USP of Brew Berry which makes it different than other coffee bars?
AG: As mentioned earlier; we are a betterhood café brand that aspires to provide best café experience and become a part of the daily lives of our patrons.
We offer freshly prepared snacks, books, board games & Wifi along with Great Coffee for our guests. People Meet, Hearts Talk & Coffee Flows..!!!

AG: Tell us about the innovative operation initiatives and practices that you have introduced at Brew Berry?
AG: We introduced live snacks preparation in 2010 which helped us in serving us freshly prepared snacks which had a better taste then the frozen foods that are heated and served at many other cafés. This was followed up by gasless kitchen, which helped us to extend the live snacks experience to locations where earlier it would not be possible like corporate parks & malls who don’t allow using gas to cook food in open café structure.

AG: What do you look for while selecting your franchisees? What is the kind of investment required by an aspiring franchisee?
AG: While selecting a franchising we look for the basic pre-requisites with regards to the location and subsequently the demographics around the location, the catchment area, visibility for the café, accessibility to the Café among others. Above all we look for partners who passionate about Coffee and running a Café. As for the investments, it depends on the kind of location and type of Café one opts for with the average range between 8 lacs – 25 lacs.

AG: Shed us about the marketing and promotional strategies that are followed at Brew Berry? How are new media like mobile and social media placed in the media mix?
AG: We target & engage with the consumers for an effective and efficient marketing. Along with using traditional digital platforms like Facebook, Twitter & food review websites, we also have introduced Loyalty based programmes for our existing and new consumers, where specialized offers are delivered to their mailboxes directly.

AG: What are the challenges you faced while establishing your business?
AG: We knew how to make good coffee but Brewberrys taught us how to SELL good coffee. We learnt to emphasize on overall café experience of a guest. The initial days tested our resolve to persist with Brewberrys even when there were few takers for franchisee & the concept itself was doubted. We started the first café with a seed capital of 10 lacs, this was arranged by our families. Brewberrys started offering franchisee in early 2009; but first six months were very tough. People doubted our ability to set up and manage stores in multiple cities; it was also very difficult to get a good café location in a mall or high street as everyone preferred a more established brand. Anurag Biyani was the first person who trusted in Brewberrys and signed for the first Brewberrys Franchisee café in Jaipur. The connection grew stronger over the next couple of years as Anurag started assisting us in business development. Anurag is now one of the directors in the company.

AG: How are you looking at 2014? Also, any advice for the aspiring entrepreneurs?
AG: With increase in franchisee activity & VC plans in place; we intend to reach 250 stores by end of 2015 As a budding entrepreneur it is very important to believe in the venture & nurture it with patience. Our motto is to “Do it with Passion, or Not at all..!!!”

A Graduate in Hotel and Tourism Management, Ankur Gupta has trained in major 5 Star Hotels and has a rock solid foundation in the hospitality industry with over seven years of experience. From being an extraordinary student in college to being featured in leading retail magazines and websites, we say, the journey has just begun.