I feel, so what

Coffee Day

Café Coffee Day is a chain of coffee shops all over India, nearly 1500 of them, in more than 200 towns / cities. It charges Rs 90/ or more for a cup as against Rs 20 or rather Rs 30 (if quantities are matched) in popular fast food restaurants like Adigas or Maiyya. A Starbucks cup, at 2.25 USD and taking into account PPP ( Purchasing Power Parity ) which is around 20, should cost Rs 45 or so but coffee at Café Coffee Day costs Rs. 90/. Twice as much as in USA.

Starbucks is my favourite in the USA. There are some similarities between the two. One, coffee is priced high; two, the shops are clean and ambience is soothing; three, one could sit there without any time limit; four, there is wi fi connectivity (only in some places in Café Coffee Day). There are dissimilarities too. Coffee day is more expensive in India than Starbucks on PPP terms; no aroma like in Starbucks; Starbucks is utilitarian while Coffee day is aspirational. Coming back to Indian conditions I should also add that toilets are clean and sitting area is air conditioned and seats are comfortable ( all are taken for granted in Starbucks ).However, coffee is not better than in Adigas or Maiyas although one pays three times. But still it is popular with certain sections of population. I admit I am one of its fans.

It is because Coffee Day is not about Coffee!

From a report : ‘ The Café Coffee Day is a regular meeting place for 15 to 30 years old, both male and female, who are waited on by friendly and informed staff, and are offered the best made coffee, hot or cold, beverages and food in an invigorating ambience. It is urban youngsters’ favorite “hangout”. Its customers are mostly young college students and young professionals. It is for those who are young or young at heart. Nearly 40 % of people spend ½ hr. to 1 hr.; more than 1 hr. is common… ’ (this is as against: stand, drink and leave in, say, Adigas)

It is interesting to note that highly priced coffee dissuades certain section of people – middle class , middle aged and old but retains young ( want to be different ) who are not bothered so much about money ( especially as parents pay for it ). Further, they are attracted to it because of the absence of older people (‘so boring’) and they can hang out with their friends without sneering, disapproving, judgmental eyes. So, generally the crowd is young and vibrant.

Waiters are dressed in some uniform; they look different from the shabbily dressed ones in regular restaurants. They are trained for some weeks and paid reasonably. Waiters speak to clients in some form of English; they switch over to Kannada, Tamil or Hindi amongst themselves; they are reasonably efficient, polite and smart.

I walk in with a bottle of water. My mind woke up and reminded me that they don’t serve water free; a bottle costs more than in the market (what a saving! I mock myself). A glass of water before coffee is so refreshing and prepares the taste buds for coffee. I look around and settle down on a comfortable seat with my back to the wall and entire shop is visible so also the outside road and traffic. I dislike to sit facing a wall; so was it in my office; many, particularly in Infosys, used to sit like that partly because the bosses sat that way.

Waiter comes leisurely and before I say anything, says ‘Cappuccino without sugar? ’ and smiles – I smile in return and am pleased that he remembers and tick off in my mind to leave some extra tips. I use the fairly clean toilet and wait for my coffee. I am in no hurry and neither is the waiter. Now I have time to watch people inside and outside. Coffee arrives hot and nice with a foam pattern on the surface; there is a faint aroma but I sigh thinking of Starbucks in USA where aroma is so strong and captivating. There is no spilled coffee on the saucer. I approve and sip contentedly and continue my watch.

The crowd is assorted except that there are no old people other than me. English, Hindi (… yaar ) Kannada ( … maga ) Tamil ( … da ) can be heard. I see two girls and imagine them gossiping about office from snatches of what I hear. More intimate scene is around the corner as some boy is trying to impress his girlfriend. Then there is a budding or fading film director with a couple of cronies. He seems to be describing some shots – long shot, close ups, crane shots and what not. He is animated but frequently, perhaps recalling his intellectual bearings, slips into bored looks.

There is a young photographer showing a wedding album to his client. The photographer is all smiles; payer is not; he cannot accept it so quickly; assumes a critical role; spectacles definitely help; but we are under estimating the photographer. He by his constant non fading smile (and also because of photographs I hope) makes his client smile and has just won his business.

A small time interior designer ( like our Uday who did it for our house ) showing her design ( auto cad sketches with clean and attractive images ) on a lap top which adds to her personality and makes the client feel comfortable and a little intimidated.

A couple hoping to become somehow healthy buy some expensive red liquid. They are relaxed and feel confident that this will somehow make the bulging stomach and derrière shrink.

A Sardar and a local person occupy the next table. Sardar is well dressed with a light blue turban; other one is poorly dressed client. But Sardar has to sell. After some discussion on some product (industrial chemical in a bottle) Sardar goes to the counter to get something; our local immediately and stealthily looks closely at the red juice he has been drinking trying to find an answer to his curiosity.

There is a small group of 4 / 5 persons with the leader easily recognized. Either he is paying or else there is some favour others expect from him. So he talks, jokes and makes wise cracks. Rest agree quickly with smiles (ದೇಶಾವರಿ ನಗೆ). The leader with traditional marks on his forehead (ಕುಂಕುಮ ಚಂದನ ಲೇಪಿತ) orders happily and in my mind I see someone in the group twitching uneasily.

It is an interesting place – with bored intellectual looks, dreamy faces, juicy tit bits, fake concentration, ‘arrived’ people, lonely souls and compulsive talkers on mobiles, smiling small time sales people. While all these could be present elsewhere Café gives me an opportunity and leisurely place to watch.

Why does it attract? I suppose it gives respectability to people. It is considered ‘cool’ to hang out there. It also makes one feel exclusive. It is a spot of luxury, a spot of privacy, a moment of pride (often hidden), a moment of peace. More than anything it is class consciousness.

I sniggered at it when I was introduced to it in Infosys. My initial reaction was that it has snob value. I realized soon that it was more than that. I am now more sympathetic and understanding. For instance ordering something unpronounceable adds to the charm; take frappe or cappuccino – not just plain coffee you see; or macchiato , frappe – pronounced muschito ( ಮಸ್ಚಿಟೊ ) and frap by most of us unless you are from Koramangla or cantonment area or travelled abroad; if so then it is Makkito ( ಮಕ್ಕಿಟೊ ) and ‘frappe’. I hear someone say ‘ bare coffee ge eneno barithare aste ‘ (ಕಾಫ಼ೀನೇ - ಏನೇನೋ ಬರೀತಾರೆ ಅಷ್ಟೆ ; just coffee written differently in the menu card). I think it was to cover up his embarrassment in not able to figure out the pronunciation; but he orders one anyway as someone else is paying.

The success of the place is also due to the fact that for people particularly young not many places are there to meet. They cannot invite people home; no convenience, no comfort, not cool enough and to top it all disapprovals from all and sundry.

When I think of class consciousness I recall an incident that happened when I was in TCS several years back. I was staying with an old couple as a paying guest (their home was called ‘Little Italy’). It was in the outskirts of London. The man was unashamedly racist, somewhat senile, dreaming of ‘Raj’ days, was seeing or talking to God on a regular basis and was kind and liked me. His wife once told me that she had taken him to the beach the other day and he enjoyed it thoroughly. I was nodding in appreciation thinking about the affection she had for her husband when it became clear that she was referring to her dog. Coming back to the present topic she told me that every year she goes to Harrods in London when they have sales. I asked her what is it she buys. She said ‘I go to Harrods and have Tea’.

Snobbish behavior at times is touching and shows our frailties in an amusing way. Coffee day has that too.

Sometimes I wonder if a comparison with Coffee shops in Paris is really so outrageous.