The Cafe-Kaapi Story ☕

Founders

Cafe Kaapi is owned by a proprietorship called Madras Kaapi Club, the founder being Surekha Vijaynidhi

Cafe Kaapi was created by Surekha & Vijay, an ex-IBM couple from namma 
Bengaluru. It came out of a realization that some of the finest Indian coffee is 
largely unheard of, even in India. Cafe-Kaapi is an earnest attempt to take the passion of kaapi to the world.

Indian Chai has gone global, now it is Kaapi’s turn 
When the British brought tea into India, we made it into Chai! Our own unique flavour, taste and brewing method! Now the world enjoys our chai.

 
Ditto with coffee. South India took the lead in transforming coffee into a 
unique blend of kaapi. It is a drink for everyone. Every age group, every 
occasion, every opportunity, it is the Kaapi that drives conversations, fun, 
frolicking and even heated discussions and debates.

A Ritual Passed Through Generations

In countless South Indian households, coffee has always been more than a drink—it is a daily ceremony. At dawn, the comforting scent of freshly roasted beans fills the air, promising the first cup of the day. Families once sought out a very particular grade of coffee bean, hand-picked for ripeness and roasted to a precise point: never too light, where the aroma hides, and never too dark, where bitterness overshadows flavor.

The beans were then hand-ground to the exact texture that a brass coffee filter demands—fine enough to release every note, yet coarse enough to let the decoction flow at the perfect pace. From these grounds came the prized filter coffee decoction, brewed fresh each time the household desired. Boiling milk, a spoon of sugar, and a vigorous froth transformed it into piping-hot kaapi, served with pride in brass davaras and tumblers.

This time-honored practice was never rushed. It was a moment of connection—neighbors dropping by, conversations beginning with the hiss of the kettle, and the first sip of strong, aromatic coffee marking the rhythm of the day.

From the Hills of Chikmagalur to Your Cup

Cafe-Kaapi exists to preserve and share this heritage. We journey to the mist-laden slopes of Chikmagalur, widely regarded as the birthplace of Indian coffee. Here, generations of family farmers have cultivated coffee for over two centuries.

Our beans are small-batch sourced from these family estates, where plants grow under natural shade and farmers follow careful, time-tested methods. Each harvest is a story of tradition and patience. We roast these beans with the same precision South Indian households have practiced for decades—honoring the old ways while employing modern roasting science to bring out every nuanced flavor.

Tradition Meets Today

While our roots are firmly planted in the past, we embrace the present. Modern techniques in roasting and packaging ensure that when you brew a cup of Cafe-Kaapi coffee, it tastes as fresh and fragrant as it would in a South Indian home kitchen.

Our goal is simple: to bring the authentic South Indian filter coffee experience to coffee lovers everywhere.

From the stories of the legendary coffee houses of Thanjavur and Madras, where people once gathered to talk politics, art, and everyday life over tumbler after tumbler of kaapi. These were not just cafés; they were spaces of community, debate, and friendship.

That is the spirit we embody today—every cup of Cafe-Kaapi coffee is an invitation to pause, share, and connect.

Whether you are a lifelong filter-coffee lover or a curious newcomer, Cafe-Kaapi welcomes you to experience the aroma, taste, and tradition of authentic South Indian kaapi—from the hills of Chikmagalur to your cup.