It is 4:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon, and a small queue has begun forming outside one of Hyderabad's most popular coffee destinations. At first glance, you might wonder why anyone would have to wait to get a table in a café that can seat nearly 600 people. But regulars assure that this is the norm every weekend. Welcome to Roast CCx, short for Coffee & Culinary Experience, billed as India's largest cafe. Spread across an impressive 60,000 sq. ft. in the upscale neighbourhood of Banjara Hills, Roast CCx represents more than just another addition to Hyderabad's thriving café landscape. It stands as a reflection of the city's rapidly evolving coffee culture, where local brands are redefining what a café experience can be.
The Evolution Of Hyderabad's Café Culture:
It is difficult to pinpoint the exact turning point for Hyderabad's coffee culture, but one thing is clear, it is a phenomenon of the 2020s. For over a century, Irani cafés defined the city's social scene. Much like their counterparts in Mumbai and Pune, these cafés became informal meeting points where people from different walks of life converged for conversation over cups of strong chai.
Hyderabad's Irani café culture has its roots in history. The city was a centre for Iranian trade in the 19th century, and Persian was commonly spoken in the old quarters. Even today, the legendary Niloufer Café - named after Princess Niloufer, the daughter-in-law of the last Nizam and an Ottoman royal - remains a beloved institution, serving tea and nostalgia in equal measure.
Photo Credit: Roast CCx
From Irani Chai To Artisanal Coffee:
Niloufer Café has kept up with the times, expanding beyond its heritage charm. Earlier this year, the brand opened a 40,000 sq. ft. tea café in Hyderabad's Hi-Tech City, mirroring the city's growing preference for large-format, experience-driven cafés. Interestingly, it was in this same tech district that the Roast story began in 2019.
Founded by Hanumanth Rao Naineni, Roast - The Caffeine Capital started as a boutique café with a warm, intimate setting. While coffee was its anchor, the café's curated menu and experiential design soon made it a local favourite. Roast CCx, the brand's ambitious extension, takes this concept several notches higher, turning coffee into a complete sensory journey.
Roast is not alone in shaping Hyderabad's coffee narrative. Roastery Coffee House, which opened in 2017 in Banjara Hills, was among the first cafés in the city to feature an in-house roasting unit. Set in a charming bungalow, it championed Indian coffee at a time when international blends like Colombian were seen as the gold standard. Its success in cities such as Kolkata, Delhi, and Lucknow demonstrates how the brand's focus on homegrown coffee resonated widely.
The Coffee Revolution: From Bean To Brew
Hyderabad, once a tea-first city where Osmania biscuits and kadak chai were staples, is now embracing coffee in all its forms. The shift is being driven by curiosity, awareness, and experience.
Roast CCx has become a focal point of this movement. The café houses a 20-foot-tall Loring S70 roaster, capable of roasting 70 kilograms of coffee beans in just 14 minutes - one of the largest of its kind in the country. This roaster is also part of the café's interactive coffee workshops, held on weekends, where enthusiasts can learn everything from manual brewing techniques to sensory evaluation.
Led by Head Roaster and Beverage Manager, Urvaksh Bharucha, a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) certified trainer, these workshops cost under Rs 3,000 for a three-hour session. They have become immensely popular, reflecting a broader trend: a growing community of consumers eager to understand and appreciate what goes into their daily cup.
Photo Credit: Roast CCx
The Rise Of Local Coffee Brands:
The surge of Hyderabad's coffee scene is being fuelled by several homegrown café brands.
True Black, which opened its first outlet in Kompally in 2022, has quickly expanded to four locations. The brand champions the idea of slow coffee, encouraging patrons to savour each cup rather than rush through it. This approach fits perfectly within the Indian context, where speciality coffee is an experience, not a takeaway.
Another name making waves is Karafa, a brand that balances traditional brewing methods with modern sensibilities. Karafa's emphasis on authenticity and community engagement has helped it build a loyal following among Hyderabad's growing base of coffee enthusiasts.
Beyond Coffee: The Roast CCx Experience
In a post-pandemic world, experiences have become the true currency of consumer culture. Hyderabad's new-age cafés reflect this shift beautifully, and Roast CCx is leading the way.
The café goes beyond coffee. Its 12,000 sq. ft. pastry and dessert lab is a visual treat for anyone with a sweet tooth, while its menu spans global cuisines - from all-day breakfasts to artisanal chocolates. A Chef's Studio and a private screening room add to the café's allure, making it as much a lifestyle space as a dining destination.
At a time when people are looking for more than just caffeine, whether it is ambience, aesthetics, or community, such expansive café formats are rewriting the rules of urban leisure.
Photo Credit: Roast CCx
Brewing The Future Of Hyderabad's Coffee Scene:
Hyderabad's transformation from a tea-obsessed city to a coffee capital is a story of evolution and identity. The city's coffee destinations now cater to every mood and moment, whether one is a coffee connoisseur eager to learn about brewing, a professional looking for a quiet work-from-café spot, or a group of friends seeking a relaxed weekend hangout.
Roast CCx and its contemporaries are more than just cafés; they are symbols of how the city's culture, creativity, and community spirit are blending into something distinctly modern, yet unmistakably Hyderabadi.