Starbucks Pakistan

Coffee Culture in Pakistan

It’s not news how the culture of Pakistan has been prone to westernization over the past couple of decades. Information spreads like wildfire, and apparently so does culture in today’s world.
But in the globalized world of today, all we need to worry about are keeping our morals and ethics. As for the rest, I’d say ‘let the coffee pour!’ Some like tea, some like coffee. For both, it serves the same purpose. A wake-up drink for some, and a casual conversation holder for others, coffee has taken Pakistan by a storm. Before being introduced as a luxury item by ‘Gloria Jeans’, coffee used to be the go-to drink when you visited Murree Mall Road. Those hot air pipes brewing and bringing out the essence of coffee in that mix, topped with some Ovaltine chocolate powder, the Murree Mall Road coffee experience was something for everyone. From couples holding hands, to families roaming around, and oldies taking a slow stroll as they sipped away on their coffee.
Recently a trend became viral, calling out the very coffee that we’ve seen all our lives, as ‘Dalgona Coffee’. Just a fancy name for ‘Phenti hwi Coffee’. Regardless of how people threw that fancy term around, ‘phenti hwi coffee’ has been our go-to coffee for late winter nights and evening rains.
As time went by, and Pakistanis started experimenting with their own versions of Dalgona Coffee to black coffee, numerous brands ushered in. Gloria being the pioneer, quickly followed suit by Second Cup, Coffee Planet, and Coffee Bean and Tealeaf. Each brings its own distinct taste to your coffee cup, each one chanting the same ‘let the coffee pour!’.
Every company came in with its own mission. Coffee Planet bringing an Arabica version of coffee, Gloria Sources its own beans and produces its own blends and Second Cup went on from selling just coffee beans to now promising sustainability. Every company(there are several more though) brings us a variety of coffees

One thing remained constant, the types of coffee they offer. To the plain sight, its cold and hot, further divided into different types which are categorized by the
strength of coffee to milk ratio. As it is though, all of these are starting to become simple. It seems the Pakistani people want more options for their coffee. Simple is just not cool enough.
Walks into, the coffee maker. People who could afford it started buying their hundred thousand rupees (and more) coffee brewers at home. Making ASMR videos of how such fresh coffee is available in the comfort of their very homes. They come with pods of different flavors which one can have according to their mood. A variety of hot and cold flavors is now available in your home. What more could you want, right?

Well wrong. As much as this is appealing, you’ll never be able to replace coffee as a social drink. Let’s grab a cup of joe, is what you say to each other when you’re in a mood to not only enjoy the drink but the social gathering coupled with the ambiance that the brand gives you. We’re getting our pet flavors, we’re getting our atmosphere and the social gatherings that come along with it, but there’s still something missing, isn’t it? Coffee regulars would agree. One thing missing in Pakistan is chains like Starbucks. Which let you make your own unique blend of coffee, which goes according to your pallet. You might be happy with a caramel latte at your regular coffee house, but it’s a whole other thing to make a unique blend that you can call your own. That’s supposed to be your actual, ‘regular’, because it’s yours.
Until we see a chain like this emerge in our country, we’ll pass time with our Dalgona Coffees and our Brewed Caramel Lattes. But every coffee lover is waiting anxiously, to get a change to make their coffee, then own unique drink.