India's Postal Service Opens First Coffee Shop in Kolkata

Recently, local Indian media "The Indian Express" reported that India's postal service has surprisingly opened its first coffee shop in Kolkata, the third-largest city in India.

People typically associate post offices with package delivery or banking services. The recent opening of a coffee shop by the postal service has sparked heated discussions online. Some netizens commented, "They haven't figured out their main business yet but are already venturing into side businesses," while others inquired online, "When will it open near my home?"

Siuli: The Post Office Coffee Shop

Now, even India's postal service has entered the coffee business, suggesting that the coffee industry competition has reached India. This Indian post office coffee shop is located inside the General Post Office of Kolkata, near the Dalhousie Square area. The coffee shop has been named "Siuli" (derived from Sanskrit, meaning "a flower"). The area was once the town of Ballygunge during British Calcutta, where local Indians were once restricted from entering this area.

In an interview with the media, Niraj Kumar, the Postmaster General of the Kolkata region, stated that establishing a café in this package delivery location is aimed at attracting younger generations to visit the post office, thereby promoting the post office's package business. Kumar, a coffee shop employee, introduced that this "Parcel Cafe" also features areas selling gifts and antique treasures, from stamp collections to silver ornaments, with everything available, and even sells Gangotri-packaged Ganges water.

Historical Furniture and Decor

Inside India's first post office coffee shop, most of the furniture used is old furniture. The wooden furniture and sofa seats displayed in the shop are brightly colored. Don't underestimate these old pieces of furniture—some are nearly two hundred years old, and each item has its unique purpose and special story.

A table from the 1850s used for package sorting has become part of the decor of this "Parcel Cafe." This table was once used for sorting letters from various small areas and now serves as both decoration and a dining spot.

Several ancient spears are also mounted on the walls. You might wonder what stories these spears could hold. During the British Indian period, postal workers carried packages everywhere while also carrying valuable items, making them targets for lawbreakers. These spears were the protective weapons for British Indian postal workers.

The Challenges of the Postal Industry and Diversification

In ancient times, sending a letter home required months of waiting, and that characteristic of "time passes, but romance never dies" continues to this day. However, how many can escape the key issue of profitability or loss? With the rapid development of online shopping, more and more delivery brands have emerged in the postal industry.

In India, some private delivery brands even perform better than state-owned enterprises. Despite the numerous national post office networks and wide coverage, the volume of mail received by postal delivery services has declined. Competition is fierce in various industries—today one company launches new products, and tomorrow another creates a blockbuster.

To expand the market as much as possible, diversification has become a choice. The domestic coffee sector is booming, with previous investments like HeyTea investing in SEESAW COFFEE; Tianjin Goubuli Group becoming the only brand user of Gloria Jean's Coffees in China; and China Post opening offline coffee shops. Coffee no longer appears in a high-profile manner but exists more as a daily beverage, like Western soy milk.

If not for the pandemic, would you like to visit a post office café in this magical country?

Image source: Internet

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