Coffee has not traditionally been popular in Nepal.
The Himalayan nation is both a major tea producer and a heavy tea consumer. Morning greetings typically begin with “have you had your tea?” rather than “how are you.”
In Nepal, tea — usually sweetened and served with milk in hot glass tumblers — holds deep cultural value, much like rice. It's present in homes, meetings, and social gatherings across the country.
However, an increasing number of Nepalis are embracing coffee, as modern cafes begin to populate city streets and small towns.
Coffee culture began in the 1990s
One Kathmandu café is credited as the starting point.
Entrepreneur Gagan Pradhan launched Himalayan Java as a single café in an alley. Today, it has grown into a chain with 84 outlets nationwide. Pradhan estimates Nepal now has about 7,000 cafes, although international coffee giants like Starbucks have yet to enter the market.
“There are tea shops all over the country, but their setup remains traditional,” Pradhan said. “When it comes to coffee, we — investors and entrepreneurs — focus seriously on every aspect: equipment, lighting, furniture, and locations.”
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Tea stalls typically serve basic milk or black tea, while coffee shops offer menus with 10–15 hot and cold drink options, he added.
Pradhan noted that cafés require relatively low initial investment, are easy to operate — even by single individuals or families — and customers are willing to pay a premium for coffee.
Even in Nepal’s eastern mountain regions known for tea, coffee plantations are now emerging alongside them.
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Nepal reflects a broader regional trend where tea-drinking cultures in Asia are seeing a surge in coffee consumption, driven by middle-class consumers seeking new experiences and global influences.
Coffee is considered a luxury in Nepal. A cup at Himalayan Java costs around $2 — enough to buy an entire meal at a local eatery or five cups of tea. Yet, cafes remain full, especially with office workers on breaks and students studying.
“Initially, people in Nepal saw coffee as a symbol of elevated lifestyle,” said social worker and regular café visitor Deep Singh Bandari. “But many developed a genuine liking for its taste and continued drinking it.”
Nepal’s domestic coffee production is growing
While much of Nepal’s coffee is still imported, local cultivation is expanding in the same eastern regions known for tea.
Data from Nepal’s National Tea and Coffee Development Board shows the country produced about 400 tons of coffee in the fiscal year 2021–22 — a small amount compared to 26,000 tons of tea — but rapid growth is expected.
“People across age groups in Nepal have taken to coffee,” said Pradhan. “The number of coffee drinkers is increasing every day, and this trend will only continue.”
Source: Agency