Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Abhishek Acharya, Co-Founder of Theka Coffee Pvt Ltd, located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Theka Coffee is a cold brew coffee chain that is arguably the pioneer of 4th generation of the coffee wave. Offering 100% Arabica coffee beans through a variety of outlets in the form of cafes, kiosks, and movable kiosks to increase availability while being price competitive due to low CAPEX. Our current customers are Indians with medium to high disposable income who want affordable premium coffee. With our incoming expansion of SKUs, we would be extending our consumer base by being extremely price competitive.
Tell us about yourself
Being associated with the food and beverage industry for years, one thing that I have noticed is how good coffee is so inaccessible. Sure, the volume of cafes exists in India, and it is rapidly growing. However, the coffee there is still dominated by premix. This is where we came into the picture to change that scenario. By making Arabica coffee accessible to the masses, we are creating awareness about "actual coffee" to the masses. The love for coffee and sharing it with everyone motivates me each and every day to continue it.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think the biggest accomplishment has been the growth we have achieved in a couple of months since we streamlined our business model. We are in 19+ cities with 52+ active outlets selling 3500+ coffee bottles each day. I think to do that in just 9 months while maintaining the quality as it is a crafted product is quite an achievement.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things, which I am sure, is the case with many, is scalability, especially when our production system is decentralized as well. Although the best thing is that this hurdle has enabled us to look into the problem and solve it. We are currently implementing IoT solutions so that our standard operating procedures are followed and the coffee tastes the same from each of our 19 production units.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Prepare for uncertainty. Stick for quality but don't get married to a single idea. There is a large gap between idea and execution. You are here to cater to customers and generate revenue; make sure you keep on altering.
- Don't be afraid to scale. Yes, scalability would bring a whole set of new challenges but simultaneously, it would enable to expand in unimaginable ways. Be meticulous while crafting your processes so that it supports you when you scale.
- Talk to your customers a lot. The best way to innovate and improve is to listen to customers. Be it direct feedback or industry insight. Always look for the pain points and see how you can customize or adapt your offerings to solve them.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thekacoffee.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-acharya-24134314b/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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