Akansha Pandey (cbedit@imaws.org)
Founded in 2017, Bengaluru-based Benki Brewing Tools manufactures 2,000 tools and accessories for the speciality coffee market under 36 brands as part of its portfolio. The brand has witnessed that the demand for coffee has surely evolved by leaps and bounds over the years. In the Northern part of India, people usually drink milder beverages whereas, in the South India, individuals prefer bolder beverages which have dryness and bitterness. Surprisingly, the northern region of India is embracing coffee more than the southern part, highlights Suhas Dwarakanath, Chief Visionary, Benki Brewing Tools adding that there was already a pre-existing coffee culture in the south of India, unlike in the north but for a long time, the Northern part of India had been a blank slate where now the coffee has moved up from being a daily beverage to becoming a connoisseur’s beverage. Simultaneously, coffee is also becoming a mainstream product in all the restaurant concepts.
“Coffee today is the most versatile beverage and every place wants to have a coffee station to be able to serve the changing palates of the consumers. From a mobile phone service centre to an automobile showroom, our products are in demand by all. From a pizza place to a snack counter, all quick-service restaurants are serving good coffee now. We recently received a query from a Continental restaurant for coffee equipment, its upgradation, training, etc. So that’s how coffee is changing. In today’s era, coffee is taking centre stage and has become a standalone reason to go to a particular restaurant. Cafes until now have been a hangout place for people but now people are going there to have coffee. The beverage is also creating employment as anyone with a modest capital can open a coffee shop,” he said.
This year Benki Brewing Tools is targeted at educating its existing client base on the benefits of serving coffee in their outlet. Every food and beverage outlet is brainstorming on how to increase the bill value. Coffee is such an interesting beverage which is adding the opportunity to enhance the revenue and upsell to the customer.
While buying coffee brewing tools, Dwarakanath suggests that first and foremost, it is imperative to understand one’s major target audience – whether it is a black coffee drinking consumer or milk-based. Next, what is the capacity that an outlet will have to serve in a day’s time? Hence, one must identify their production capacity and make an informed decision when choosing the equipment. In this case, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. One must remember that if more quantity is produced from a small coffee making machine that the quality of the final outcome will deteriorate. Thirdly, identify the purpose of the coffee machine – is it being used in a commercial café where the major emphasis is on coffee or a QSR where coffee is a secondary product. In the latter case, an entry-level machine would do but if an outlet is coffee-focussed then it should buy accordingly.
Benki in Kannada means fire and it is used as a synonym for awesome. The brand operates through both the B2B and B2C models. Customers can order online through their e-commerce website or walk into their experience centre based out of Bengaluru. They are also present in Dubai for the past five years.
Benki Brewing Tools manufactures its own designs from grinders to spoons, cups and more. “Anything that has to do with coffee, you walk in through our doors and we will have a solution for you. Also, our coffee equipment can fit into multiple machines too. Currently, the alternate brewing equipment which makes black coffee is Benki’s bestselling product,” he exclaims.
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