Rahul Reddy, founder of Subko, discusses how independent coffee brands must build cultural and experiential niches once product quality reaches baseline market parity.
“As a country or a city's coffee culture gets more mature, The standard that people expect is already high. So the differentiation factor becomes less and less to some extent about like after, after you show that you have a certain, you know, standard... Can differentiation only be achieved through the quality of the roast or the food? I tend to think not.”
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More from Rahul Reddy
PredictionNot checkable as stated
Rahul Reddy: Quick commerce in India will stick around and dominate
“I feel like, unfortunately for us, it will very much stick around and dominate because If you look at the US, which I'm familiar with, people have been ordering groceries, let's say in the US online for like a decade now. But the behavior that they got used to…”
Rahul ReddyMar 3, 2025▶ 2:33:07Ep #22 | WTF are Craft Beverages? Nikhil ft. the Founders of Blue Tokai, Subko, Svami, and Mossant · Nikhil Kamath
Disclosure
Reddy: Subko spent zero rupees on performance marketing over five years
“We've actually spent zero rupees ever in the last five years. On performance.”
Rahul ReddyMar 3, 2025▶ 3:06:48Ep #22 | WTF are Craft Beverages? Nikhil ft. the Founders of Blue Tokai, Subko, Svami, and Mossant · Nikhil Kamath
What-if
Rahul Reddy: Subko would not have succeeded without Blue Tokai
“Look, I think Lutokai has changed The palette of coffee consumption in India. And that's, I mean, without that having happened, Subco wouldn't have had a shot, to be honest.”
Rahul ReddyMar 3, 2025▶ 45:29Ep #22 | WTF are Craft Beverages? Nikhil ft. the Founders of Blue Tokai, Subko, Svami, and Mossant · Nikhil Kamath
PredictionNot checkable as stated
Reddy: Climate change could position Indian Robusta as a global winner
“With the effects of climate change kicking in, there are a lot of theories that say that India might emerge a winner because the taller altitudes growing regions will get hotter, which will make Arabica less and less viable. So, theoretically that means that R…”
Rahul ReddyMar 3, 2025▶ 2:50:48Ep #22 | WTF are Craft Beverages? Nikhil ft. the Founders of Blue Tokai, Subko, Svami, and Mossant · Nikhil Kamath
Disclosure
Reddy: Subko's revenue split is almost exactly 50/50 food and beverage
“We're almost exactly at fifty-fifty, believe it or not.”
Rahul ReddyMar 3, 2025▶ 51:06Ep #22 | WTF are Craft Beverages? Nikhil ft. the Founders of Blue Tokai, Subko, Svami, and Mossant · Nikhil Kamath
PredictionNot checkable as stated
Reddy: Good coffee and food will become bare minimum for cafes
“Having a good coffee and good training is, and even good food is going to become the bare minimum.”
Rahul ReddyMar 3, 2025▶ 56:44Ep #22 | WTF are Craft Beverages? Nikhil ft. the Founders of Blue Tokai, Subko, Svami, and Mossant · Nikhil Kamath
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