That conversion is visible in the way Hyderabad drinks coffee today. “As the city evolved and became more global, shifting to beautifully designed cafés with a great atmosphere, serving great coffee, was natural,” he says. From a single café to 15 outlets today, Sinha believes the formula has been relatively straightforward: “High-quality Indian speciality coffee served with great hospitality in modern Indian architecture.” There is a willingness to take familiar café food and tweak it without becoming overly concerned about whether it fits a particular rulebook. “Cafés always served fresh and comfort food, great beverages in well-designed spaces, and that’s how cafés started to function.”