In a city that famously runs on Irani chai, the older generation would have never imagined that coffee would one day become a defining factor of Hyderabad. Yet, here we are! Every nook and corner is buzzing with specialty cafes, pour-over bars, and artisanal roasts.
Today, as coffee enthusiasts around the globe celebrate International Coffee Day, Hyderabad’s own coffee scene is reaching an exciting milestone. Now that we have specialty coffee everywhere, our palates are evolving beyond a quick caffeine fix. Beyond the photo-worthy interiors and trendy menus, coffee lovers across the city are becoming increasingly curious about what actually goes into their cups. They want to decode tasting notes, master manual brews, and understand the craftsmanship behind a great espresso.
Enter Coffee Lab, a coffee school tucked away in Kondapur’s Sarath City Capital Mall. Founded by Tarush Agarwal and Monika Korlapati in November 2025, this cosy space serves as part coffee school and part curated retail studio, all built to demystify specialty coffee for curious everyday drinkers and serious coffee lovers alike.
A private coffee haven for loves
For Tarush and his team, who also run two popular cafes in Hyderabad, the idea for Coffee Lab came from a simple observation: people love good coffee, but making it at home can be frustrating.
“We have made a lot of coffees for customers and hosted workshops before,” Tarush tells Siasat.com. “But we realised there are so many people who want to recreate that cafe-style cup at home. So, we wanted to give them a separate, private space away from the noisy coffee shop environment. Somewhere quiet where they are not bothered by crowds and can truly sit back, experiment, and learn coffee.”
That intimate setting allows Coffee Lab to host everything from relaxed weekend brewing workshops to community “coffee socials.” Here, visitors can sample rare single-origins, taste unique barrel-aged or anaerobic cultured brews, or dive into hands-on extraction methods using V60s, AeroPresses, and espresso machines.
Elevating the city’s coffee IQ
As Hyderabad’s cafe culture explodes, so does the appetite for learning. Tarush views Coffee Lab as a welcoming bridge between casual sipping and genuine coffee appreciation.
“Hyderabad already has a great coffee scene, and people learn a little more every time they visit a cafe,” says Tarush. “Curious drinkers naturally want to go deeper. They want someone to talk to, ask questions, and figure out what actually makes a cup taste great. We are just helping people make better decisions when buying beans or brewing at home.”
Finding the right beans online can also be overwhelming with hundreds of roasters out there. Coffee Lab simplifies the search by curation: Tarush and his team personally test roasts from top Indian and international roasters, lining their shelves with only the best beans, alongside specialised gear like manual espresso makers and custom brewing minerals.
Making ‘barista’ a serious career choice
Beyond weekend hobbyists, Coffee Lab doubles as a full-fledged coffee school running multi-day barista bootcamps and commercial training programs.
When asked if coffee is shifting from a personal passion into a legitimate career pathway, Tarush does not hesitate. “That is the exact goal of our barista course,” he notes. “A barista job pays quite well if you know what you are doing. Beginner baristas can easily earn Rs. 20,000 with basic skills, something that is not always easy starting out in traditional sectors. As your craft improves, you can command Rs.30,000, Rs.50,000, or even more. I know some baristas earning up to 3 lakhs a month. We are giving people the skills to run better coffee bars, brew superior cups, and ask for the pay they deserve.”
The training attracts more than just job seekers. Local cafe owners frequently drop in to master behind-the-counter operations, while new coffee brands hire Coffee Lab to consult on everything from menu engineering and bean selection to custom recipe development.
From packed one-on-one masterclasses to weekend tasting pop-ups across the city, the enthusiasm surrounding Coffee Lab points to a clear cultural shift: Hyderabad is officially celebrating coffee.
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