Of coffee & cultural codes: The Subko Coffee social media blueprint
Think of an Indian café that feels like a moodboard come to life, diffused sunlight through jali screens, hand-painted tiles lining the counter, vintage cane chairs, and a brass kettle resting in the corner. It’s the kind of place where every detail feels intentional, where you don’t just sip your coffee, you pause, click, and soak in the vibe. Over the past few years, cafés in India have evolved into more than just pit stops for caffeine. They’ve become workspaces, date spots, social lounges, and for many, a part of daily routine and identity.
India’s café culture is growing fast. The speciality coffee segment alone is worth nearly ₹25,000 crore (USD 2.94 billion) as of 2024, and it’s expected to more than double by 2030. This boom is driven by a mix of rising urbanisation, changing consumer habits, and a younger audience that values both quality and aesthetics. Cafés today aren’t just about the coffee; they’re about experience, design, and storytelling.
In this fast-growing space, Subko Coffee has carved out a clear identity. What started in a quiet Bandra bylane by Rahul Reddy is now a brand recognised across cities for its aesthetically pleasing interiors, South Asian storytelling, and a product range that goes from microlot coffee to small-batch cacao. Everything about the brand, from its visual design to its language, feels curated, slow, and rooted in a strong sense of place.
And just like its physical cafés, Subko’s Instagram reflects that same aesthetic and intention. In this piece, we break down how Subko uses social media to extend its offline presence, create standout visual identity, and tell stories that keep its community engaged and always coming back for more.
Aesthetics are baked into the menu
Subko doesn’t just post about what’s on the menu; they use recipes as a way to tell deeper stories about craft, culture, and identity. Their Instagram feed is full of detailed breakdowns of their drinks, desserts, and bakes, not just to highlight ingredients, but to share the thought process behind each creation. It’s a content strategy that educates the audience while also reinforcing Subko’s core intentions — care, intention, and a deep connection to South Asian roots.
These posts are styled beautifully, and the captions give context on why this bean was chosen, what the technique is, where the inspiration came from and more.
By doing this, Subko turns recipes into brand touchpoints. This approach builds curiosity and trust, especially with an audience that values transparency and thoughtful design. It also sets Subko apart in a crowded café market, where most brands stop at pretty food photos, while Subko goes a step further to explain the “why” behind what’s on the plate.
Expireintial brand collabs
Subko uses collaborations as a way to create real-world experiences, not just limited-edition products or co-branded content. The brand goes beyond digital promotions and builds immersive events, pop-ups, and in-store takeovers that people can actually step into and be part of.
At Hotel Chospa in Ladakh, Subko’s coffee and cacao are part of the hotel’s slow-living experience, served in co-branded packaging within a design-led, immersive space.
The brand’s return to district150 in Hyderabad offers a full Subko experience—from daily brews to chocolate, merch, and microlot beans, turning the space into a cultural café hub.
With Rolling Mills Brewery, Subko hosts SunBrun, a curated Sunday brunch in Mumbai with craft beers, sourdough pizzas, and experimental desserts designed for indulgence and discovery.
These experiential collabs work because they let people connect with the brand in a more personal, memorable way. Instead of just watching something on Instagram, they can walk into a space that feels new and exciting. It helps the brand stay fresh and relevant. For followers and fans, these events make the brand feel like more than a café; it becomes a part of how they experience food, music, and design in their city.
The people behind
Subko’s social media doesn’t just spotlight products, it also highlights the people who make them. From roasters and bakers to baristas and designers, the brand regularly puts its team at the forefront, showing the care and craft that goes into every part of the process.
By sharing behind-the-scenes moments, staff portraits, and team-led narratives, the brand adds a human layer to its storytelling. It builds trust, gives credit where it’s due, and makes the audience feel connected, not just to the brand, but to the people shaping it every day.
This approach works because it shifts the focus from just the end product to the effort and passion behind it. In a space where branding can often feel impersonal, Subko uses its people to bring warmth, transparency, and authenticity to the feed.
Gram that feels like a gallery
If you scroll through Subko’s Instagram, it feels like you're browsing a café’s page and flipping through an art book. The brand brings the same attention to detail that goes into its cafés and products into the way it styles every frame online.
Muted colour palettes, clean layouts, elegant typography, and a balance of space make the grid feel calm and intentional. Whether it’s a coffee drop, a menu update, or a team portrait, every post contributes to a larger, cohesive visual language.
This strong design identity ties everything together, from product to people to place, giving the brand an unmistakable look and feel. It’s what makes Subko stand out in a sea of café content and wraps up its social presence in the same way it approaches everything else: with thought, care, and craft.
Subko’s online presence mirrors how the brand operates offline, with a steady focus on design, detail, and clarity. In a fast-scrolling world, it offers a slower, more considered way of showing up, in line with the changing café culture.
News