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The iconic India Coffee House (ICH) is getting a makeover in its golden jubilee year. The makeover is being done even as its aesthetic heritage feel is retained to make it appealing for youngsters.
The state-run Coffee Board, which operates eleven ICH cafes at various locations across the country, inaugurated the first of its renovated India Coffee House cafe at its premises in Bengaluru on Monday.
Besides serving the traditional filter coffee and snacks such as idli and dosa, the renovated cafe will also serve fast food and variants of the beverage such as cappuchino, espresso and cold coffee to attract the younger generation.
Rajesh Agrawal (right), Additional Secretary DOC, Ministry of Commerce, GoI, and K G Jagadeesha, CEO and Secretary, Coffee Board, GoI, India Coffee House, at Coffee Board, on Ambedkar Veedhi, in Bengaluru.
Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, inaugurated the renovated unit of ICH at Ambedkar Veedhi on Monday, in the presence of Neeraj Gaba, Director -Plantation, Commerce Ministry, and K G Jagadeesha, CEO and Secretary, Coffee Board.
The Board plans to relaunch the cafes it operates soon while exploring the franchisee model to take the ICH to tier II and tier III cities through entrepreneurs.
Mitti Cafe
“We have renovated the iconic India Coffee House to retain its aesthetic heritage feel while making it appealing to the youngsters. There are a few changes in the menu to include espresso coffee,” Agrawal said.
Jagadeesha said the ICH cafe has been renovated at a cost of ₹22 lakh. The interiors and the decor has been revamped in such a way as to keep the legacy of the 50-year-old coffee house while making a subtle yet strong connection with the youth. While the seating arrangement and the furniture design remain the same, the walls, ceiling and lighting arrangement have been remodelled to give it a facelift. He further said the revamp of four more exclusive ICH cafes at the North Block, JNU, Karol Bagh and in Kolkata will be taken up in the next financial year.
Renovated at a cost of around ₹22 lakh, the décor and interiors of India Coffee House has been revamped in such a way that it keeps the legacy of the 50-year-old iconic coffee house while making a subtle yet strong connect with the youth.
The Board has given an opportunity to ‘Mitti Cafe,’ a social sector start-up, which has been incubated by the Atal Innovation Centre, Central Coffee Research Institute, Centre for Entrepreneurship, to serve the new fast food menu and espresso coffee. Mitti Cafe is a chain run by the staff of specially-abled personnel.
Jagadeesha said the renovation is the first step in the Board’s long term plan to promote coffee. “We will soon introduce a course in professional barista training for youngsters who have completed their twelfth standard and want to set up their own coffee shop. We are also exploring to introduce a franchisee model for entrepreneurs in tier-II cities, where they will be trained here in Bengaluru and we will give them the required assistance to set up India Coffee House centres in their respective cities or towns. Our aim is to promote entrepreneurship as well as increase coffee consumption,” he said.
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