The Jaipur-based on-the-go coffee chain is the latest operator in the country to announce expansion plans as it seeks to meet ‘huge demand’ for ‘budget-friendly coffee brands’
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Nothing Before Coffee plans to open between 50-80 new outlets within the next 12 months | Photo credit: Nothing Before Coffee
India’s Nothing Before Coffee (NBC) has outlined plans to rapidly scale its café network across the next 12 months.
Launched in 2017, the value and convenience-focused coffee chain currently operates 35 stores in high-footfall tier 1 and tier 2 cities, including Delhi, Hyderabad and Jaipur.
NBC plans to open between 50-80 new outlets within the next 12 months and has signed an agreement with Building Brands for Tomorrow (BBFT) to accelerate its nationwide expansion.
The franchise consultancy, which said it has helped more than 50 restaurants and 15 retail brands expand their footprints through franchising, said the market for ‘budget-friendly coffee brands’ in India is ‘completely untapped’.
“There’s a huge demand for coffee brands in India. This opens up opportunities for coffee brands in India, where the likes of Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Third Wave Coffee or Blue Tokai have still not been able to fully cater to such huge market size. We are excited about this relationship and hopeful about a 360-degree expansion of NBC in India,” said Rohit Singh, Founder and CEO, BBFT.
India’s branded coffee shop market is rapidly heating up as both domestic and international chains seek rapid outlet growth to meet burgeoning demand for coffee and café culture, particularly among the country’s younger and increasingly affluent consumers.
In January 2023, fellow India coffee chain Blue Tokai outlined plans to open 200 new stores over the next three years while 350-strong Barista is seeking to reach 500 stores across the country within two years.
Meanwhile, international chains Starbucks and Costa Coffee have both set their sights on further outlet expansion across India following rising sales in the country over the last 12 months.
Tata Starbucks ended its fiscal year ended March 2023 with 333 stores across 41 cities in India, adding 71 net new stores over the period. It also generated revenues of RS 1,087 crore ($132.7m) over the 12-month period.
In February 2023, Devyani International Ltd reported Costa Coffee’s revenues in India for the first nine months of its 2023 fiscal year reached Rs 688m ($8.3m), 67% higher than its full-year 2022 sales. Costa Coffee reached its 100-store milestone in India at the start of 2023.
Additionally, UK-based coffee and food-to-go chain Pret A Manger opened its first store in India in April 2023 and plans to open 10 stores in the first year of its Reliance Brands Limited partnership, ahead of 100 outlets across India within five years.