Coffee Island enters India with customizable coffee experience

European coffee chain Coffee Island has launched its first outlet in India, partnering with Vita Nova to expand across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. As Greece’s largest food service chain with nearly 500 global stores, the brand aims for 250 locations in India by 2029.

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European coffee chain Coffee Island has launched its first Indian outlet in Gurugram. Recognized as Greece’s largest food service chain and Europe’s seventh-largest coffee chain, the brand operates nearly 500 stores across countries such as the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Egypt, Greece, and Romania. It processes over 1,800 tons of premium and specialty coffee annually.

The brand has partnered with F&B operator Vita Nova to enter India. Pratyush Kumar Sureka, founder and CEO of Vita Nova, stated that the company plans to expand to five locations in Delhi NCR in the coming months, followed by further expansion into Mumbai and Hyderabad later this year. “By March 2026, we aim to be in 20 locations and I think we should be in 250 locations in India by 2029,” he said. Emphasizing the brand’s positioning, he added, “We are a fun, young and vibrant brand. Consumers are aware, and evolving in India and want to create their own culture. The entire gen alpha is growing on coffee. They prefer coffee over tea. There are other brands, but we want to identify ourselves as a brand that creates customised experiences for consumers.”

Coffee Island’s CEO, Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos, highlighted the company’s global presence and vision for India. “We want to create something really unique in India as well. We aim to become a leading premium coffee chain in India. Besides India, we plan to expand our network in the UK and Canada, and we are also planning to launch the brand in France,” he stated. He further emphasized the brand’s consumer-centric approach, saying, “Consumers become more selective when economic conditions are challenging and we saw that as an opportunity in some markets. Our brand is about what consumers want. Customers can choose their blends. They can create something really unique and it’s not something they can easily replicate.”

Sureka noted the evolving Indian coffee market, driven by increasing disposable incomes and urbanization. “Entire generations are being added to the coffee pie, and that has increased with disposable incomes and urbanisation,” he said. He also pointed out the rising consumer awareness, adding, “Secondly, consumers are also becoming wiser about what they want. Coffee Island has done 25 years of deep research in beverages. There are six types of coffee blends that we are giving as a base offering. We are asking consumers to decide what their kind of coffee and subculture is.”

With its focus on customization and premium offerings, Coffee Island aims to carve a distinct niche in India’s competitive coffee market.