Kathmandu · Nepal

Himalayan Java Coffee

Himalayan Java Coffee roasts in Kathmandu, Bagmati Province.

Since 1999 · Gagan Pradhan, Anand Gurung

Overview

Himalayan Java was opened in 1999 in Kathmandu's Heritage Plaza, Kamaladi by Gagan Pradhan and Anand Gurung as Nepal's first specialty coffee shop — Pradhan returned from a Sydney hospitality-management degree with the country's first commercial espresso machine in his luggage, having raised roughly Rs 1.3 million to start. Twenty-five years on, the brand runs 40+ outlets across Nepal plus international locations in Toronto, Lhasa and Omaha (Nebraska), operates its own coffee farm in Ilam in the eastern hills, runs a barista school at Civil Mall in Sundhara, and through its Mocca Trading subsidiary imports espresso equipment and exports Nepali coffee.

Known for

Nepal's first specialty coffee shop — opened 1999 by Gagan Pradhan and Anand Gurung
Brought the first commercial espresso machine into Nepal
40+ outlets in Nepal plus Toronto, Omaha (Nebraska) and Lhasa
Operates own coffee farm in Ilam, eastern hills of Nepal
Mocca Trading subsidiary imports espresso/grinder equipment and exports Nepali coffee
Himalayan Java Barista Coffee School at Civil Mall, Sundhara

Why it matters

Until 1999 a freshly brewed cup of coffee in Nepal meant a hotel lobby. Himalayan Java created the country's domestic coffee culture from scratch — Pradhan handled design, training and shifts personally in the early years, then expanded from one café into the network that nearly every later Nepali specialty operator (Dhaulagiri, Coffee Beans Specialty) credits as the pioneer. The brand's cross-border spread to Lhasa, Toronto and Omaha is also the only example of a Nepali coffee chain operating internationally.

Production

filter equipment: Nuova Simonelli grinders for pour-over
roastery location: Kathmandu, Nepal
espresso equipment: Nuova Simonelli Appia Life (2-group); Eureka 1920 Atom grinder

Café

Multiple Kathmandu locations including Heritage Plaza Kamaladi (original), Boudha, Lazimpat, Civil Mall Sundhara

Sources

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