Sipping Between Stories: The Book-Cafe Culture in Urban India on Rise

"Look at it this way - browsing shelves alone at a bookstore or spending two hours with fellow readers and exchanging ideas about the book - what would you prefer?" asks Arunmia Mazumdar, the founder of Dokusha Book Club. Well, if the latter also comes with a confluence of relishing of food, perhaps, the better, we feel.

The literary culture in India is continuously evolving. When reading physical copies saw a setback with the advent of the booming digital media, followed by a great hit by the COVID-induced lockdown, an old concept of book clubs got revived, which now has taken a step further—where book readings and food devouring go hand in hand.

Mazumdar, who also works as an Independent Communications Professional and is a Journalist, hosted a 'literary lunch' with Guppy in Delhi recently, tapping on the rising trend of Japanese dining culture by adding the tint of Japanese literature. "The trend of people opting for Japanese cuisine in Delhi and other cities across India is growing exponentially – every month, there’s a new Japanese restaurant or café that’s opening. But people in India still read very little Japanese fiction, and the trend has properly picked up only over the last 2-3 years; it's only growing by the day," she says. 

Dokusha book club, which started in 2023, promotes book reading with a niche in Japanese literature in translation; however, the club also talks about independent and classic Japanese cinema. "What's interesting was that the groups enjoying Japanese food and reading Japanese books were separate (initially), so, I decided to take a chance and bring the two groups together," Mazumdar says about her objective to introduce Japanese food lovers to Japanese literature. 

Similarly, other names like The Juhu Book Club in Mumbai, Bound Together, which is a public book club in Mumbai and the Kitab Klub hosted by Kitab Khana bookstore are also examples of book clubs that are organising meetings in cafes. 

In Bengaluru, Atta Galatta hosts events in collaboration with cafes. Ties between the collaboration The Quorum club and Quill and Canvas bookshop have also been popular among its patrons.

Books to business and vice versa 

Just like this literary lunch, book stores and clubs across the country are either collaborating with the food or the coffee outlets and vice versa for not just for readership but also sales, a win-win for both parties involved. 

One of the leading bookstores Crossword has also collaborated with F&B outlets in its premises where the events being hosted at the bookstore are likely to draw the audience, not only to the events themselves but also to meet their food cravings.

“Collaborations with cafés enrich the overall event experience for both our patrons and our hospitality partners, while enabling meaningful cross-promotion between our audiences,” says Nidhi Gupta, the Director of Crossword Bookstores.

Adding to it, Gupta says, “It is a mutually beneficial relationshipthat drives footfall, encourages customers to linger longer in the store, and elevates the quality of their visit.” Over time, Gupta opines that such partnerships not only deepen customer loyalty but also foster a vibrant, engaged reading community that extends beyond the bookstore’s walls.

“Reading is far more than simply consuming information, it’s an experience and these experiences are beautifully enriched when paired with a space inside the bookstore where readers can enjoy food and beverages,” she says adding that in the times of endless entertainment options, especially on digital platforms, it is essential (for businesses) to stand out.

However, Nidhi Gupta notes that measuring the exact impact on readership and assessing whether or not such collaborations are helping in the business is challenging. “We assess it through both qualitative indicators, such as customer feedback and community engagement, and quantitative measures, such as event participation, repeat visits, and sales of featured titles.”

One of the Crossword bookstores in Mumbai has an outlet of Third Wave Coffee, a popular name among the young audience for coffee. While the cafe culture with the bookstores might not have been new, it is only the recent years that such collaborations have become more formal, observes Rajat Luthra, the CEO of Third Wave Coffee.

“This natural pairing has evolved into more formal collaborations, attracting audiences who appreciate spaces that combine leisure, culture, and conversation,” he says about the collaboration with the Crossword bookstores.

This partnership between the two brands is leading to what Luthra terms, “a combination of Crossword’s literary heritage with our dedication to crafting rich coffee experiences.” Together, the brands have conducted events like book swaps, author meet-ups, and curated literary evenings that encourage interaction and community building.

It certainly comes with revenue growth, as Luthra mentions. “A thoughtfully executed bookstore–café partnership extends the amount of time people spend in the space, encourages repeat visits, and attracts a wider audience – from avid readers to casual browsers who may become regular coffee drinkers,” he says adding, “When someone stops in for a latte and leaves with a new book recommendation, or when a reader loses track of time over ‘just one more chapter’ and orders another coffee, we are creating a richer connection.”

‘New economy for publishers’

Along with the revenue, the stakeholders opine that it has a good impact on the readership as well. Citing an example, Arunima Mazumdar says, “Every person who signs up for the 'literary lunch', goes home with a free book (Japanese literature in translation). These books are usually very kindly provided by publishers such as Penguin India, Pan Macmillan India, Hachette, and HarperCollins India.”

She is of the opinion that the more people get to know about books, through these collaborations or otherwise, the greater the number of readers is in the market. “The publishers are happy too because it’s a new market for them. Currently, they sell their books on Amazon and in bookstores, but with collaborations such as these, they’re able to find new readers at a restaurant/dining space,” she adds.

Still a long way for emerging clubs

Even for passion projects like Dokusha Book Club, the business comes only when it collaborates with a cafe like Subko or Petite Pie Shop. For the literary lunch, it was the first time that it could rain in terms of the pricing – “The four-course menu was designed especially for this event and participants got to go home with a free book and a goodie bag,” says Mazumdar.

“We keep a minimal registration fee that we pay to the café for providing us the space and time — and usually the fee is redeemable against a beverage and snacks — so we don’t earn anything from this,” Mazumdar says adding that eventually, she will make the meet-ups ticketed wherein the price of the book will be equal to the book they will be reading/discussing.

However, Rajat Luthra is hopeful about it not being a trend. “These collaborations tap into shared values – curiosity, creativity, and community – which we believe will remain relevant for years to come. Far from being a passing trend, they represent a shift towards experiential hospitality that blends lifestyle with leisure,” he says adding that such is the direction they are heading to.