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Startup Mantra: Building a taste for success
Pune couple Sunanda and Amit Bhatta launched Aeka's Coffee to offer affordable specialty coffee, filling a market gap after their co-working success.
Pune: After having set up their first business venture, Daftar (now renamed Origins Workspaces), a co-working space that has now stabilised post Covid, the husband-wife duo Sunanda, 39, and Amit Bhatta, 41, could have sat pretty on the success of their first startup. But then the “bug” doesn’t let you do that.
Sunanda said, “We are avid travellers and had spent a few months in Angers, France. During that time, we simply fell in love with French cuisine, especially the basics—croissants and coffee. Whenever we travelled abroad, these were the simple pleasures we craved. But every time we came back home and searched for good coffee, we realised there weren’t many options available.
“The few cafes here that offered quality coffee were priced so high that having it daily wasn’t practical. While chai (tea) is easily accessible at every nook and corner of the city and at an affordable price, coffee—a daily essential for many like us—remained out of reach in terms of quality and affordability.”
Like most people who have exacting taste buds, they did the expected – they made their own coffee. Sunanda said, “Initially, we tried brewing a good cup for ourselves. Amit took it upon himself to brew the perfect coffee. We started with Indian filter coffee for ourselves and also offered it to a few people but soon realised that it wasn’t just about the coffee itself; it was also about the lifestyle that accompanies it. That led us to upgrade to an espresso machine. And once we did it, we realised the huge gap in the market—both in terms of the quality of coffee being offered and the price at which it was available.”
The lack of good coffee at an affordable price was the gap in the market.
“We realised that this gap needed to be filled. Discerning coffee lovers must be able to have a great cup of their favourite drink. And that is what inspired us to start Aeka’s Coffee. Our purpose is clear - to make specialty coffee more accessible. Our goal is to ensure that everyone can enjoy a great cup of coffee without burning a hole in their pocket,” said Sunanda, who completed her MBA in marketing from the Institute of Management Development and Research (IMDR), Pune, before marrying Amit, an MBA in finance from the same institute, in 2012.
Why Aeka? “Because it means ‘The One’. When your coffee comes from ‘The One’, it will be coffee at its finest – consistent and true to its essence. It’s not just about a great cup; it’s about a coffee experience that stays with you, perfectly crafted for your every day,” she said.
Brewing the perfect cup
Specialty coffee does not come out of a jar, very clearly. Amit, who is passionate about the science of food and beverages, got himself certified as a barista from the Specialty Coffee Association to get a deeper understanding. “However,” Sunanda said, “That’s just the groundwork. Much of our learning has been ground-level experimentation and collaborative efforts with the coffee community.”
The perfect cup of coffee starts with the beans. And the duo combed the market to find the right ones. Though India is the eighth largest producer of coffee, it is rather strange that the finest varieties are often imported. “This leaves the Indian consumer with limited access to specialty coffee. Though historically, our local markets didn’t fully appreciate the quality, processes and taste that defines specialty coffee.
“The majority of our coffee comes from Chikkamagaluru, a region renowned for its coffee plantations and quality beans. For our manual brews, we collaborate with reputed roasters across the country. These are people who are deeply committed to the processing and roasting of beans. And to keep things fresh and exciting, we rotate our roasters every quarter so our customers can explore a wide range of flavours from various regions as well as their processes,” said Sunanda, who worked for eight years in pharma and FMCG industry before becoming an entrepreneur along with Amit, who has ten years of experience in tech industry and business consultation.
The beans are just the beginning.
“There are many aspects to the brewing process. Everything has to be fine-tuned such as the grind sizes, brewing times and even the water pH levels. It’s a meticulous process that blends science and consistency to create a perfect cup, followed by rigorous audits and standardisation to ensure its perfect every single time,” she said. Every ingredient that goes into their products is wholesome and flavourful, be it the milk they use (only A2), the chocolate compounds (only Belgian) or the syrups that are either homemade or carefully sourced.
Making sales happen
Since the duo had their co-working space, they started off with an expresso machine at Origins Workspaces in Baner.
“When we set up our first expresso machine, what seemed simple turned out to be humungous. Amit sat through the night adjusting the grind size, temperature, brew time until he got it right. But crafting the perfect espresso isn’t a one-time achievement. It’s about constantly fine tuning it. Every morning our baristas taste the espresso to ensure it meets our standards and weekly audits maintain consistency.
“But this is just for the espresso. When other elements like milk, water come into play the complexity skyrockets. Achieving the perfect balance of coffee, flavour and texture takes endless effort and experimentation,” she said.
After the first market test at their own co-working space, Aeka opened it’s second café at Creaticity at Yerawada. Since it is not just about coffee itself, but the experience they crafted carefully. Sunanda said, “At Creaticity, we planned it as a quick serve coffee bar.”
But selling means putting the customer first. “Our approach is centred on continuous learning and growth. We place significant emphasis on training—not just on brewing techniques but also soft skills. For us, both the customer and the coffee are at the heart of everything we do.
“Our commitment to training extends beyond the brewing team. Even our marketing team undergoes product training to understand the basics of coffee, appreciate the effort that goes into every cup, and communicate effectively with our audience. This alignment ensures that every member of the team respects the craft and helps convey our passion to customers.
“Developing this product has required a mix of technical expertise, team collaboration, and a strong focus on quality. It’s not just about the cost of equipment or ingredients but also energy invested in building a skilled and cohesive team that shares our vision for exceptional coffee,” she said.
The Bhattas have a team of 14 as of now.
Money matters
When the couple started with their first trial run at their co working space, Origins they invested ₹10 lakh in an espresso machine with all its paraphernalia. Once they got the product market fit right, they launched their second café at Creaticity in Yerawada. “This is a quick coffee bar place where one can get their brew on the go with quick food items such as sandwiched and sliders. They investment here was ₹15 lakh.” she said.
This year they set up their third café at Kothrud. “We have a partner here and our total investment in our business so far has been ₹75 lakh,” she said.
With their eyes on the horizon of growth they have plans to launch Aeka’s at Ahmedabad, Indore, Bhubaneshwar and Jaipur. Though they currently need just eight people on board, they have hired and trained 14 simply to support growth.
“These people can help set up our cafes in other cities, which is why we have deliberately overstaffed, to support our expansion,” Sunanda said.
As of now, Aeka’s has operationally broken even. While Punekars can savour specialty coffee, the Bhattas are gearing up to give other cities a taste of coffee as it is meant to be. “Why should specialty coffee not be affordable?” Seems like this combination of taste that is within the reach of your pocket is the winner.
