Third Wave Coffee, one of India’s beloved coffee and food QSR brands, marks its 10th anniversary today , 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.
Over the past decade, Third Wave Coffee has built an increasingly diverse ecosystem spanning coffee, beverages, food, desserts, community engagement, and at-home coffee. With 100% of its coffee sourced from Indian farms, the brand has also placed Indian coffee origins at the centre of its offering.
“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. Together, these innovations have made discovery an ongoing part of the café experience. Launched earlier this year, Third Wave Coffee’s ‘Third Rush Desserts’ proposition brings a dedicated focus to indulgent desserts within the café experience.
Beyond its food and beverage offerings, Third Wave Coffee has focused on deepening consumer relationships through its digital ecosystem and loyalty programme, enabled through its app. Through community events, workshops, and collaborations, alongside partnerships spanning fashion, technology, culture, and lifestyle, the brand continues to create meaningful consumer touchpoints and foster a strong sense of community.
“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.
