Third Wave Coffee brews a Boba bet to court Gen Z palates

As India’s café culture matures and diversifies, Third Wave Coffee, a coffee-first QSR brand, has set its sights on a new beverage trend: Boba. Known for its commitment to premium brews and quality-first experiences, the Bengaluru-headquartered brand is now expanding its Boba lineup with a fresh wave of flavours, aiming to cater to a younger, more experimental consumer base.

The pivot might appear unusual for a coffee-first brand, but it is part of a broader strategy anchored in product innovation, audience expansion, and experiential engagement.

Boba, but make it Third Wave

ICYDK: Boba, also known as tapioca pearls, refers to the chewy, spherical tapioca balls that are a signature ingredient in the popular Taiwanese Bubble tea. 

Third Wave Coffee first entered the Boba space in May 2025 as part of its seasonal summer menu, introducing ‘Bobbles’—a range of drinks infused with popping boba in cold brews, lemonades, and iced teas.

These beverages marked the brand’s first step into the format, with flavours such as Mango Passionfruit, Cranberry Hibiscus, and Lychee Jasmine offering a palate-friendly entry point.

Now, the brand is doubling down on the category with a broader and more authentic Boba programme, adding milk-based and water-based tea beverages to its menu.

“We saw the Boba trend picking up fast and turned around the initial launch in just two months,” says Anirudh Sharma, co-founder of Third Wave Coffee.

“But the new range is a far more nuanced, tea-forward offering that stays authentic to the category.”

The flavours include Taro Bobble Tea: Sweet, purple, and ultra-smooth; Thai Bobble Tea: Milky, and spiced; Original Bobble Tea: The OG creamy classic. No notes; and Vanilla Bobble Tea: Soft vanilla vibes meet chewy boba.

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For Sharma, this isn’t a deviation from Third Wave’s DNA but an evolution of its beverage ecosystem. “Our goal has always been to stay relevant across dayparts and consumer preferences. Not everyone wants coffee after 6 PM. Boba allows us to extend our relevance without diluting our core,” he adds.

Innovation as a brand engine

This isn’t a one-off experimentation. Innovation is deeply baked into Third Wave Coffee’s operating model. The brand works on an aggressive innovation calendar, introducing 24 to 36 new beverages annually, often tied to seasonal or cultural cues. 

From mangoes in the summer to thandai for Holi and red velvet treats for Valentine’s Day, every limited-time offering is designed to keep the menu fresh and footfall frequent.

“In a category where the frequency of visits is high, product fatigue can set in fast,” Sharma explains.

“Consumers expect novelty. So, we work 6 to 10 months ahead to develop offerings that are not only delightful but operationally scalable across all our cafes.”

This calendar-based R&D has played a pivotal role in building Third Wave’s following, whether it's early bets on matcha (introduced as early as 2019) or the inclusion of filter coffee to appeal to an older demographic. Boba is simply the latest expression of that ethos.

Reaching the right crowd

With a growing store footprint of 165 outlets across 12 cities, Third Wave Coffee is also fine-tuning its audience segmentation.

Originally targeting 25–35-year-olds, the brand’s beverage mix has since widened to appeal to everyone from Gen Z to 50-something filter coffee aficionados. The Boba expansion, in particular, is aimed squarely at Gen Z and younger millennials.

“Our menu defines our consumer. And with Boba, we’re bringing in a fun, indulgent, and visual element that resonates with younger cohorts,” says Sharma.

To reach them, the brand leans heavily on digital-first marketing, influencer engagement, and community-driven events. Traditional ATL spends remain limited, with most promotional efforts focused on media platforms that reflect the consumption habits of its target base. But the brand is pretty heavy on experiential marketing.

“We do more than 100 community events a month. Everything from music gigs and book readings to chess and painting nights,” Sharma shares. “It’s about creating touchpoints beyond coffee, and Boba adds a new layer to that social experience.”

Strategic expansion meets local relevance

Earlier this month, Third Wave Coffee crossed a major milestone, launching 11 new cafés across Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, and Mysuru in a single day.

This brings the brand’s total to 165 stores, underscoring its ambition to penetrate both established metros and emerging coffee corridors. Locations now include transit-heavy zones like the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, marking the brand’s entry into mobility-led formats.

But instead of chasing new geographies at breakneck speed, the company’s growth strategy is now focused on deepening its footprint in existing markets. “Our near-term vision is to build density in these locations rather than overextending,” Sharma says. “There’s still untapped potential in these markets and we want to maximise the network effect in these urban clusters.”

The brand is taking a hyperlocal approach, analysing micro-markets within cities based on factors such as footfall potential, affluence index, real estate viability, and consumer behaviour patterns.

Let's talk aesthetics 

Third Wave maintains a localised store design philosophy that stands in contrast to the cookie-cutter aesthetic widely adopted across the QSR landscape. Many players in the café and QSR space rely on a uniform design language across locations, including standardised furniture, predictable colour palettes, and templated layouts to ensure brand consistency and operational efficiency. Third Wave, however, has taken a different route.

“Our stores don’t look exactly the same,” Sharma says. “We design each café to feel like a neighbourhood spot rather than part of a chain." That means the aesthetic is adapted based on the vibe of the locality—whether it’s an urban high street, a transit zone, or a residential enclave.

Each store may play with different design elements while still adhering to a broader mood board that favours warmth, comfort, and a sense of everyday familiarity. “The idea is to build spaces that customers can see themselves visiting every day. Not just as a coffee run, but as part of their lifestyle,” Sharma adds.

This localisation extends to consumer preferences as well. While seasonal launches remain pan-India, the brand adapts its offerings based on regional trends and feedback, something made possible by real-time insights from its physical stores and loyalty app ecosystem.

Affordable indulgence at scale

In a market where global chains often struggle to balance aspiration with accessibility, Third Wave Coffee’s pricing strategy is deliberate. Most beverages fall in the Rs 190–220 range, with indulgent drinks going up to Rs 270. The brand also deploys a subscription-based loyalty app offering discounts and cashback to build habitual consumption.

“We believe in accessible pricing,” Sharma emphasises. “Coffee is not an occasional treat. It’s an everyday habit. Our pricing reflects that reality.”