Barista Coffee, the largest locally founded coffee chain in India, says it has surpassed a total of 500 locations with its new site at Shaguna More, Patna.
The company says this newest outlet, located near India’s north-eastern border with Nepal, is an indication of its strategy to focus its expansion on emerging cities, where rapid development and increasing disposable incomes offer new growth opportunities in Tier II and Tier III markets.
The opening of Barista’s 500th café has also marked 26 years of operation in India, with the first location ever opening in February 2000 at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi.
CEO Rajat Agrawal says the expansion to 500 stores across India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives showcases Barista Coffee’s commitment to growing in its home market.
“We are delighted to achieve another significant milestone in our growth journey with the launch of our 500th café in Patna,” says Agrawal. “The launch signifies Barista’s commitment to the Indian market in the coffee industry and reflects our steady growth across the region.
“We take great pride in our 26 years of continued service to customers, during which maintaining quality and consistency has always remained at the core of our brand.
“This journey has been shaped by customer trust and the dedication of our partners and teams nationwide.”
Barista Coffee is still chasing Tata Starbucks to be the largest player in India’s café scene, however, with the joint venture between Tata Consumer Products and Starbucks – established in 2012 – opening its 500th location in India in November 2025.
While Tata Starbucks operates locations in 81 cities across India, Barista Coffee says its 500 locations are spread across more than 165 cities.
In January 2024, Starbucks announced it held an ambition to reach 1000 stores in India by 2028 through the expansion into Tier II and Tier III cities, drive thrus, airports, and 24-hour stores.
That desire for 1000 locations looks to have slowed though, and is instead focusing on “calibrating store expansion for Starbucks … at around 45-50 stores this year” without entering new markets, according to an interview with Tata Consumer Managing Director and CEO Sunil D’Souza for Financial Express in January 2026.
