How Odyssa Coffee is Rebelling And Betting Big on Bhubaneswar's Upcoming Cafe Culture

Born from the Kalinga Desiagro Foundation's work with coffee growers in Koraput, Odyssa Coffee began modestly—roasting small batches for friends and hosting pop-ups across Bhubaneswar. What started as a way to showcase locally grown beans has evolved into an experiential retail brand.

"ODYSSA Coffee, as a brand, was initially conceptualised to ensure that we had access to freshly roasted beans in small batches from high-quality lots produced by different farms in Koraput," explains Anshuman Rath, co-founder of both Odyssa Coffee and the Kalinga Desiagro Foundation. The pop-ups introduced freshly brewed coffee to wider audiences, but an unexpected opportunity changed everything: taking over a coffee station, creating what Rath calls a "unique 'cafe within a salon' setup."

The Direct Trade Gamble

The brand's direct trade model sets it apart. Whilst most small roasters depend on intermediaries, Odyssa sources directly from Koraput growers, ensuring complete traceability from farm to cup. It's a difficult model to implement; Odisha's growers dispose of their entire stock at harvest's end, unlike Karnataka, where coffee is available year-round. For small operations, this means blocking capital in inventory and correctly predicting annual demand.

"Direct trade with complete traceability is not only important from a brand ethics perspective but also something we cherish as a key part of our brand identity alongside sustainability and Odia-pride," says Rath.

Yet this virtue hasn't translated into an obvious commercial advantage. "Consumers in Bhubaneswar are just about getting acquainted with Koraput or Odisha as an origin for coffee," Rath admits. "The concept of single estate coffee or traceable coffee is still alien and, frankly, not the most sought-after in this market in the same way that it is celebrated in the metros."

An Outlier in a Tea City

From a product-market fit perspective, Odyssa is swimming against the tide. "Bhubaneswar is predominantly a tea-drinking city and, unfortunately, we are the only coffee-producing state that does not have any semblance of a coffee-drinking culture," Rath observes. Most cafes still operate with what he calls a "hangover from the CCD era," serving cheaper commercial blends rather than speciality coffee. Market realities have forced even well-intentioned cafe owners to compromise their standards.

Alongside internationally trending drinks like coconut cloud coffee and pistachio lattes, Odyssa features signature beverages celebrating local ingredients: ragi coffee, sattu coffee, and mahua flower cold brew. "With a wide selection of coffee-based beverages, coffee truly shines as the main character on our menu whilst food remains a minor accompaniment," Rath emphasises.

Every detail reinforces Odia identity. Coffees arrive on wooden trays shaped like 'peedha,' the traditional low stool used in Odia rituals. The sugar caddy resembles a bullock cart. Complimentary snacks come wrapped in butter paper printed with Odia newsprint, folded into 'thoonga'—the conical paper containers used for street food. Even the reading material is deliberately local.

Coffee Meets Culture

Beyond the coffee bar, Odyssa is building community through events. They've hosted Bhubaneswar's first coffee rave and first latte art workshop, alongside inventive gatherings like The Morning Ritual, pilates meets functional beverages, and The ODYSS Shuffle, where teen patti is played with coffee beans.

"Drawing upon what specialty coffee brands in other cities have done to foster the third wave of coffee movement, we are strategically blending immersive coffee experiences and innovative coffee-based beverages with creative community events," says Rath.

It's an ambitious gambit: fostering coffee culture in a city that's barely finished with the first wave. Whether Bhubaneswar is ready for a coffee culture remains to be seen, but what’s clear is that Odyssa isn't waiting for permission to try.