Is it the start of doldrums for Indian coffee shops?

                          Is it the start of doldrums for India start up individual & Chain coffee shops?

Of course not, it was very clearly mentioned by Mr. John Culver, president, Starbucks China and Asia Pacific, that their pricing would be on a premium segment and the experience in the store would justify it. But our India grown coffee shops will face a crunch of foot fall as most of their customers will be eager to check the latest addition to the list of coffee shops, their offerings and how they differ from the existing ones, there is a 50-50 chance for the transition from the existing coffee shops to the new ones, that too mostly people who didn’t got to feel the real coffee shop experience as most of the coffee shops in our city, country turn in to a she-e-sha /hukka parlor after a short duration for their very survival spoiling the ultimate coffee shop experience and turning them into a smoking den, most of the sheesha parlors run with a blanket in the name of cafes. It is this scenario that keeps the ultimate coffee lovers, people who would love to spend their leisure time and those who want to finish their discussions & business meeting with a cup of coffee in an informal ambience.

It is “The time” for our local & neighborhood shops to pull their socks and keep abreast of what is going on in the industry and should maintain the standards, it is not an uphill task to run a coffee shop according to standards it’s as easy as running a show, it’s our attitude towards our customers that has to change, we should not take advantage of our customers ignorance about the drinks and serve them with a dead shot of espresso or scalded milk in a latte or a cappuccino, with the walk in of the giant (Starbucks Coffee), people would be well-informed of the quality standards & about the coffee in specific, so the very old “Kuch bi Chaltha Hai” concept wont work anymore.  It is either meet up to the standards of the industry or perish, it’s that simple.

Alarm bell has already started ringing for owners who just considered coffee shop into a money making machine and was running with out professional knowledge or a back up.

MNC coffee shops didn’t come straight from the moon or sun they too will be serving the same coffee and the food that is being produced or procured locally but it is the knowledge about the product that they serve or offer, the research about the customers preferences and the standards they follow that differentiates from others and made them the pioneers in the industry, don’t we India grown coffee shops have the guts to follow the same and give in addition a personal touch which cant be extended by any MNC’s and render a tough competition & enlighten customers experience in our stores.