From defying market conventions to introducing cold brews in a country dominated by tea and instant coffee, here’s how Sleepy Owl concocted a charismatic entrepreneurial blend
In 2015, Ashwajeet quit his first job within three months to couchsurf with Arman, who was working in Mumbai at the time. The deal was that if the duo came up with a business idea, Arman would quit his job.
It was around this time that Ajai too made up his mind to leave his lucrative career in New York, and return to India.
As the saying goes: Coffee helps bring people together, likewise while working on multiple business ideas, they realised their mutual love for coffee. When the trio couldn’t find a cup they loved, they started brewing their own.
This marked the launch of Sleepy Owl Coffee in 2016.
With Thandi’s awareness of the coffee trends in the US, and Singh’s passion for experimenting with coffee, they identified a gap in the Indian market — the dearth of cold brew. Hence, Sleepy Owl Coffee became the first brand to introduce India to the concept of cold brew coffee, and has been a proud pioneer in this space.
But have you ever wondered how the name Sleepy Owl came about? Ashwajeet says that if it wasn’t for Arman’s strict deadline and initial name suggestion ‘Red Cherry Coffee’ (which he absolutely hated) he wouldn’t have had the epiphany which led to the brand’s oxymoronic name while on a local train travelling from Andheri to Churchgate.
Defying young, dumb and broke
Today, the brand stands strong after seven years, with a diverse product portfolio that includes Cold Brew Packs, Hot Brew Bags, Premium Instant Coffee, Ready-To-Drink Cold Brew Bottles, Cold Coffee Cans, Ground Coffee, and a range of merchandise.
