Unfiltrd Coffee trip : How the Story of Filtr 16 Started, Part 1. Blog #4

I always loved coffee, be it the cold coffee or the iced latte. But more than that, I used to love seeing people interact, chill or even study at cafes; it made me realise a coffee shop can bring so many people together even tho all of them are doing completely different things. That part always fascinated me; over time I realised I spent so much time in cafes, and that became my safe space to meet my friends and just talk to them for 1 hour or so in a day. Nagpur, as a city, gives us plenty of time for ourselves. Many people I know dislike this, but I love the fact that you have time for yourself. I spent a lot of time travelling when I used to play professional sports; I was barely at home, so for a person like me, this time was needed and required. So "fascination" being a key word here.

When covid was at its peak, I was gradually getting more into coffee, purchasing my own espresso machine and learning how to make latte art. Side by side, I was doing a few courses and reading a lot of books about coffee; I will share the names as well later on.

One thing I realised on this journey was due to exposure to travel, my palate was pretty developed to identify good or bad coffee. I got to know the words like 'sensory', 'under' and 'over' extraction much later, but that was an eye opener for me. Maybe that is one of the reasons why I could get so far in this journey because I could identify the flavours in the coffee. "Identification" being the key word here.

Slowly I saw the market in the city and realised that due to C7 the market will grow even more in Nagpur because we as people have time and money to spend on speciality. I was so bored and so done with everything in covid that I even started to look at places to rent for a cafe (now that I think of it, God helps you in ways you dont realise). I still get scared thinking of the fact, 'What if I had opened in 2021?' I did not have enough knowledge and did not have the correct business instincts as well. I then decided against it because I got accepted into my LLM program in Frankfurt. For everyone who wants to have their own coffee shop, always remember to ask yourself, 'Would you visit the place you're opening? Would you be able to give your whole or are you that passionate towards to it ? "Instinct" being the key word here.

Frankfurt was a game changer for me; I pursued an LLM in finance and banking. I was also travelling around Europe, visiting numerous coffee shops and meeting many of the owners and roasters. I realised the coffee they serve is very different from what we get in India. I believe that Europe gets the best beans, of course, because of their economy, but they also do every step perfectly, whether it's finding the right harvest, roasting, or putting that cup on the table. Everything is perfect until the very end. I hope that one day, because of our manpower and brains, we will grow into a nation that values true quality and works more for our passion than for money, because I believe the difference is that they focus more on their product, whereas we focus more on what others do. I want to be someone who does not follow but instead creates something that others will follow. (Manifestation maybe one day) as an Indian and as an international sportswoman, for me putting anything that is Indian out there and be talked about with respect would mean everything. I understand that we are still a growing country with a growing economy, but the speciality market is niche. If we argue that earning money is a priority, that is correct, but when you choose a niche market, you must understand that the market will only provide you with returns if you focus on your product and work on its quality because speciality coffee is still expensive and foreign to most Indians (if you read this, you'll know why I now work as a business consultant). I used to work in an asset management company, and it taught me a lot, and mainly it taught me how businesses have to be built in an emerging economy. Now all of you think, 'If I had taken the step of opening a coffee shop back in 2021, would it work?' I'll answer that it wouldn't have because now I was more confident and more well-read and way more experienced. Today's blog is longer because I want to share how my journey started. I am still building my small wonder, Filtr 16, every day, but we work on one motto: never serve something which you wont consume. I believe if I'm honest and if I give everyone the coffee they like, we will keep on growing. So for everyone wanting to build a cafe or a coffee shop, understand that your journey can be long, but you will do it but just take steps with caution because this industry is not as fun or as easy as it looks. "Experience" being the key word here.

End of PART 1.

This was a coffee 3 wheeler I saw in Copenhagen last year. I thought to myself, everyone starts somewhere, and by that time, I had also started my own small wonder, Filtr 16. Life is so philosophical sometimes and teaches us so much.