Madras Kaapi is Canada’s first South Indian coffee company, and is landing in Toronto next month.
Founded in 2016 by Shilpa Kotamarthi and Aditya Srivathsan, the company sources beans from farms in South India and roast them locally in Canada, both in Montreal and Toronto. For the past five years they have been operating online and attending local markets to share their love for South Indian Kaapi––made by mixing frothed and boiled milk and infusing ground coffee powder in a traditional Indian filter. With success as an established online brand, they both knew it was time to open a brick-and-mortar store.
They started the hunt for their café earlier this year and both agreed it wasn’t easy finding the right space. Kotamarthi and Srivathsan looked at 30 different locations before eventually narrowing down upon a location on College Street in Downtown Toronto.
The two grew up in South Indian homes, with the ritual of making filtered coffee every morning––a ritual taken very seriously in many South Indian homes. It is this nostalgia that they have incorporated through their website, and soon, their upcoming café on College Street.
At the café, they hope to incorporate the bright colours of the Madras Kaapi brand and have earthy and calming undertones for décor to bring in a great, relaxing vibe for people to enjoy their coffee, read a book, network or socialize over coffee and more. There will also be a dreamy patio at the back of the café, which will be a hidden oasis for the neighbourhood.
They want to focus on their "hero" filter coffee, which can be served in traditional cups. At the cafe, they will also introduce South Indian snacks that pair well with Kaapi. As for their variety of beans, their best sellers are the Chicory Blend (90 per cent coffee and 10 per cent Chicory), the Medium Roast beans and the Single-Origin Espresso Blend. Something to look out for is the savoury and sweet baked items made by some of their creative partners, locally-made in Toronto. They also plan to do a traditional South Indian brunch on the weekends, serving Idlys, Dosas and other brunch-oriented items with their delectable coffee.
They aim to launch the café by mid-September, which will be located on 870 College Street.
