Kaffeine Kick, the Costa Style!

Book in hand, I sat sipping on a hot Cafe Mocha, at Costa Coffee, on CMH Road, in Bangalore. The coffee is strong – as I’d wanted itto be – and the place, nice. The UK brand, Costa Coffee, ventured into Bangalore earlier this month with four outlets in the city. The CEO, Costa Coffee India, Santhosh Unni, plans to expand that to 10 by the end of 2010, and the following year, he hopes to start outlets in other cities of South India.

The CMH Road outlet is right opposite the Max Mueller Bhavan – easy to locate and get to. The L-shaped seating area is a mix of red and grey cushion chairs and cane chairs and wooden- and granite-topped square as well as round tables. The brand’s logo – three intertwined coffee beans – can be seen high up on the walls and on the counter, situated in a corner of the coffee shop.

The treats range from varieties of hot and cold coffees, iced teas and coolers. Try the Irish Caramel flavoured Coffee. The paninis, wraps, sandwiches and muffins are yummy. The Chocolate Chip Muffin can silence any cranky kid! There are a wide array of desserts – pastries, mousse and other confectionery.  The black-aproned waiters are non-interfering and pleasing. The place is right for a quick bite as well as a celebration with friends or family.

Costa Coffee finds presence in 25 countries, and has about 1,600 outlets, with more than a thousand in the UK alone.