The world’s most instagrammable cafe, namely, EL&N Cafe, will open its doors to Indians on October 17 at the Jio World Plaza in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai, sources have told FE, as high-end cafe chains increasingly tap the country’s growing base of affluent buyers.
Founded by fashion & lifestyle entrepreneur Alexandra Miller in 2017, EL&N or Eat, Live & Nourish Cafe is known for its pink interiors, floral backdrops and neon words of wisdom, which combined with its all-day dining, patisserie and speciality coffee provide a unique experience for consumers, sector experts said.
India will be the eighth market and Mumbai will be the 36th venue of EL&N Cafe, sources said, as luxury brands from apparel to beauty and food make a beeline for India.
Last month, Armani/Caffe, a boutique cafe from the house of fashion designer Giorgio Armani, set up a base in India, also in Jio World Plaza. Both cafe chains have a franchise agreement with Reliance Brands, which is part of Reliance Retail. A mail sent to Reliance Brands and Reliance Retail elicited no response till the time of going to press.
While Mumbai is the first stopover for the two high-end cafe chains, sources say that the chains will be introduced in markets such as Delhi and Bengaluru in the future.
Miller is likely to be in the country for the EL&N Cafe launch next week, sources said.
Reliance Brands, which has introduced over 70 luxury brands in India over the last few years, already operates about a dozen outlets of coffee chain of London-based Pret A Manger in the country. Two months ago, it also introduced Muji Café at the Jio World Plaza, where the Japanese brand offers artisanal coffee and curated snacks.
According to consulting firm Bain & Co, the luxury goods market, which includes personal luxury goods, jewellery, home decor, cars, boats, food and spirits, is now worth $17 billion in India. This market is expected to touch $90 billion by 2030, thanks to a growing base of high networth (HNI) and ultra high networth individuals (UHNIs), Bain said.
HNIs, for instance, with an asset value of at least $1 million will double to 1.65 million in 2027 from around 0.8 million now. While UHNIs, with an asset value of at least $30 million, will cross 19,000 by 2027 from 12,000 now. Clearly, luxury brands want a share of their wallet and are travelling the extra mile.