The Hindu Business Line : 92 Degrees C plans more outlets

The branded coffee market gets another brew that promises to redefine the café culture in the country. Started by Mr Ratan Ganapathy, 92 Degrees C is looking to establish itself as a serious café house in a segment dominated by the likes of Café Coffee Day and Barista.

The first outlet of 92 Degrees C, at an investment of Rs 23 lakh, was opened in May on Lavelle Road, an upmarket residential area in Bangalore. And there are plans to open more.

So, is 92 Degrees C (this is believed to be the right temperature to brew coffee) yet another coffee house? Not really, says Mr Ganapathy, who believes his brand will be a niche player.

"I want to reinvent today's coffee culture and bring back the original culture. This is not a hangout with loud music. This is a place for serious coffee drinkers. Even the décor at my outlet is minimalist and not jazzy. This is the place to de-stress yourself or work in peace while enjoying your coffee," says Mr Ganapathy, who wants to "flood the market" with a chain of outlets, mostly run by franchisees.

His plan is to have about five outlets in Bangalore by next December, before expanding to Mysore and Hyderabad.

"There have also been enquiries from Sri Lanka and Mauritius and negotiations are on," says Mr Ganapathy.

Apart from in-house brews, 92 Degrees C also sells Illy coffee, in a tie-up with Chennai-based firm Fresh & Honest Café.

Talks are also on with energy drink maker Red Bull to sell its products at the outlets. The coffee at 92 Degrees C is priced 10-15 per cent higher than the other cafés.

Currently, the outlet on Lavelle Road sells about 150 cups of coffee a day.

Mr Ganapathy also plans to soon sell his own brand of coffee powder, roasted beans, cardamom and pepper, which are grown at his 250-acre plantation in Coorg.

For his expansion plans, Mr Ganapathy is looking to get funding from a venture capitalist.

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