Smart moo! Nandini cafe opening in Dubai

KMF’s quick service cafe venture is going from 25 outlets to 45 soon

Nandini, Karnataka’s popular co-operative dairy brand, is opening a chain of cafes across India, and is going international in July.

Just emerging from the shadow of a feared merger with Amul, the Karnataka Milk Federation’s Nandini Cafe Moo chain was launched two years ago.

With a turnover of Rs 2 crore a month, the cafe chain is poised for further expansion this year. Currently, it boasts 25 outlets in Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra.

Ahead of the Assembly elections on May 10, Nandini was in the news, with talk in political circles that Amul would compete against it and eventually acquire it.

“When you look at other major coffee chains, 90% of what they use is our milk. When we are the main suppliers, we thought it would be smart to capitalise on our products and set up our own cafes. Keeping the brand image in mind, we have also kept the prices low,” says B C Sateesh, managing director of KMF.

The first outlet opened in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, in 2021. Since then, Cafe Moo has set up shop in Mantri Mall, (Malleswaram), Nelamangala, Rajanukunte, Reva University (Srinavasa Nagar), Sambhram College (Jalahalli), and inside a couple of apartments in Whitefield. In the next few days, Terminal 2 at the Kempegowda International Airport will also have an outlet.

By next month, the chain is expected to open its first international branch in Dubai. “We’re looking at opening 40 to 45 outlets in total,” says Sateesh.

Pizzas and more

KMF’s standalone cafes feature a mini supermarket stocked with all Nandini products, from ghee and butter to sweets, and a ‘scooping parlour’ with different flavours of Nandini ice cream.

The items on the menu comprise at least one Nandini ingredient in their recipe. While the pizzas, sandwiches and ice creams (especially ‘Death by chocolate’) are popular, a small section dedicated to ‘Traditional foods’ also sees many takers. Dishes such as huli gojju avalakki and rava upma are favoured options. Portion sizes are small, however, and Sateesh says the prices are 20% lower than at other quick service restaurants. Coffee and badam milk are also frequently ordered. Coffee is priced at Rs 40, a scoop of ice cream at Rs 65 and the cheapest pizza comes for Rs 150.

Youth appeal

While conceptualising the cafes, the KMF team gave a lot of thought to the ambience. “It had to be practical, modern and attractive to the youth,” explains Sateesh. At the Jayanagar outlet, for instance, pale pink panelled walls bear posters of multi-hued ice cream scoops. The cafe has pink and orange leather seats and ice cream cone-shaped stools. “The outlets now open range from 700 to 1,200 sq ft,” he says.

Sateesh believes the affordable pricing has helped draw customers. He says franchise enquiries have been pouring in. “However, we have to look at the feasibility, and we have not been able to do that yet,” he says.