Massive expansion planned – from the current 200-plus company owned company operated stores to 800 by the end of the decade
Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters sources its coffee from the best growers in the country
Elaborate menu of coffees complimented by equally elaborate menu of food and bakery, all made fresh inhouse
Having won the hearts of an ever-increasing community of coffee-lovers across the country in the 13 years it has been in existence (since 2013), India’s largest speciality coffee brand Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters with 200-plus cafes, has opened a third store in Mohali, Blue Tokai Origins, their flagship café experience, at the HLP Gallerria Mall, Sector 62, as part of its massive expansion plan to reach 800 cafes by the end of the decade.
Speaking to your own news portal LifeInChandigarh.com, on the sidelines of the media launch event on Saturday (Jan 9, 2026) Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters co-founder and COO Shivam Shahi, who hails from Padrauna, a small town in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, claimed that the secret of their success has been their commitment to work closely with the best coffee growers in the country – from 80-plus coffee estates across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and the North Eastern states – to bring the customers that amazing coffee.
“We freshly roast coffee in our own roasteries in Gurugram, Mumbai and Bengaluru, using state-of-the-art Probat Machines, bringing out a range of unique flavours. Our mission is rooted in making high-quality Indian specialty coffee accessible to more people through our cafes and products. With a commitment to quality and constant innovation, the brand has built a loyal community of coffee lovers and continues to redefine the growing coffee culture in India.”
Talking about the newly opened large format Blue Tokai Origins café at GLP Gallerria Mall, he said: “It is designed as a community-driven space. Cupping, workshops, collaborations, and cultural events position it as a hub for learning and exchange. The space encourages dialogue between baristas and guests, between farmers’ stories and everyday drinkers.”
Isn’t the brand growing too fast, risking its focus on quality and consistency?
Assures Shivam: “With years of putting systems in place we have been able to ensure steady, honest and transparent supply chains. The chain of direct and indirect quality coffee producers we are engaging with is growing. We have adequate capacities in our roasteries. We have a track record of being able to retain the loyalty of our growing workforce and the constant upgradation of our IoT networked systems ensures that every machine and barista is tracked real time for maintaining highest standards of quality and consistency.”
Continuing, he says: “While focusing on increasing footprint in a rapidly growing industry, Origins stands as Blue Tokai’s proof that scale and craft can co-exist. This flagship experience store highlights Indian estates, regional terroirs, and a wide range of brewing methods, reinforcing the brand’s farmer-first philosophy.”
Sections
At The play bar, some of the rarest coffee lots roasted by Blue Tokai, frozen at peak flavour, are preserved in a temperature-controlled space. Guests can taste their way through seven distinct brewing methods, including Chemex, Syphon, Slow Drip, and more.
Adding to this experience is the Nitro cold brew tap, serving chilled, nitrogen-infused single-origin cold brew crafted using patented technology that extracts a wider range of flavour
compounds.
A Comfort-First, Craft-Led Menu
Apart from an extensive menu of high-quality coffees with a rich taste and aroma, the café offers an equally elaborate menu of complimentary food and bakery products, all made fresh inhouse.
The menu is designed in collaboration with Chef Auroni Mukherjee, one of India’s most celebrated young chefs, known for his flavour-first approach to modern Indian cuisine.
Highlights include:
- Handmade pastas with twists such as Chilli Crunch Carbonara
- Gourmet club sandwiches and open-faced toasts built on signature sourdough
breads by Suchali’s Artisan Bakehouse
- A selection of desserts featuring familiar comforts and sweet surprises such as classic tiramisu
and a light-yet-decadent Coconut Berry Lamington
For more information, visit bluetokaicoffee.com
Spread across 800 sq ft, the new store brings the entire OnePlus product ecosystem under one roof, from mobiles, to tablets, to IoT devices, offering customers an immersive hands-on experience.
According to Qualcomm, Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 mobile platform is a masterpiece of performance, delivering state-of-the-art experiences and personalized Agentic AI.
A highlight of the launch phase of the new outlet is the ‘Spin the Wheel’ installation inside the store. Every visitor can spin the wheel and win a complimentary gift based on where the arrow lands, making the visit both rewarding and memorable.
While profusely acknowledging the vital role played by his coach since childhood Jesse Grewal and his fitness trainer Sagar Diwan in shaping his golfing career, Karandeep said “I consider myself equally fortunate to be from Chandigarh because it has given me the opportunity to play alongside and learn from top golfers like main Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar.”
About preparing for the challenges ahead, Karandeep said “extensive travel and participation in tournaments (he has competed in 32 tournaments this year) puts a heavy load on the body and mind. Therefore, I’m concentrating on maintaining peak physical fitness and trying to remain injury-free. Mental conditioning to remain calm and composed in pressure situations is another area of focus for which I am receiving professional help,” he added.
Karandeep Kochhar’s guidance for parents of budding golfers is “let the children enjoy. Don’t push them too hard and expect early success because they run the risk of burning out at a very young age.” He was however happy to note that the “story is changing. Parents are increasingly playing a supportive role, as they should. They are realising that modern day kids may not want what their parents want or expect of them to do. By pushing them too hard they run the risk of breaking that fragile bond, that personal relationship.”
