Third Wave Coffee has entered Lucknow with the opening of two new cafés, marking the Bengaluru-based coffee and food QSR brand’s 250-café milestone in India. The expansion brings Third Wave Coffee to two prominent locations in the city — Le Press, Hazratganj, and Experion Tower, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar — as the company continues to expand across metro, Tier 1 and Tier 2 markets.
The Lucknow launch comes at an important stage in Third Wave Coffee’s national expansion strategy. The company has been rapidly increasing its store network while broadening its presence beyond established metro markets.
According to recent industry reports, the brand is targeting approximately 320 cafés by FY27, with further expansion planned across new and existing markets.
Third Wave Coffee Opens Two Cafés in Lucknow
Third Wave Coffee has made its entry into Lucknow with two cafés located at:
- Le Press, Hazratganj
- Experion Tower, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar
The Hazratganj outlet holds particular significance as it marks the brand’s 250th café in India.
Hazratganj is one of Lucknow’s established retail, dining and social destinations, making it a strategically relevant location for the coffee chain’s first presence in the city. The café is positioned to serve a broad consumer base, including young consumers, professionals, students, families and coffee enthusiasts.
The second location at Experion Tower in Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar extends the brand’s reach into another important commercial and residential catchment within Lucknow.
Customers at the Lucknow cafés can expect Third Wave Coffee’s specialty coffee-led proposition alongside food and bakery offerings. The company’s portfolio includes specialty single-origin coffees, signature beverages, artisanal bakes, quick bites and other curated food options.
Third Wave Coffee Reaches 250 Cafés in India
The Lucknow launch marks a major network milestone for Third Wave Coffee.
The company had crossed more than 240 cafés earlier in 2026 and subsequently reached the 250-café mark with its Lucknow expansion. The milestone demonstrates the pace at which India’s specialty coffee and café market has been expanding, particularly across emerging urban markets.
Third Wave Coffee’s proposition is built around specialty coffee, food, convenient café locations and technology-enabled customer experiences.
The brand has developed a network designed to serve multiple consumption occasions, including coffee breaks, work meetings, casual conversations, social occasions and everyday dining.
Third Wave Coffee’s Expansion Across India
Lucknow is part of a broader expansion programme for Third Wave Coffee.
During 2026, the company has expanded into markets including Agra, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam and Jalandhar, while strengthening its presence in other major Indian cities.
The company has also been strengthening its footprint across markets such as Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune.
Following the Lucknow launch, the brand’s North India footprint has reached 72 cafés, according to industry reports.
The company has indicated plans to enter additional markets including Ludhiana, Manipal, Kochi and Amritsar during the current financial year. Other markets such as Guwahati, Ranchi, Patna and Bhubaneswar have also been identified as potential expansion markets.
Third Wave Coffee Targets 320 Cafés by FY27
Third Wave Coffee is targeting approximately 320 cafés by FY27, representing another significant step from its 250-store milestone.
The expansion strategy is focused on a combination of:
- Entering new cities and geographies
- Increasing store density in existing markets
- Expanding across metro, Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities
- Developing new food and beverage categories
- Improving operational efficiency
- Strengthening customer experience
- Building technology-enabled convenience
The company has also discussed longer-term ambitions to potentially reach 400–500 stores, according to reporting around its latest funding round.
₹408 Crore Funding Supports Third Wave Coffee’s Expansion
Third Wave Coffee’s store expansion comes after the company raised ₹408 crore in a funding round led by existing investor WestBridge Capital, with participation from Creaegis and other investors.
The funding is being used to support the company’s expansion across India, strengthen its presence in existing markets and invest in newer food and beverage categories.
A key area of investment is Third Rush Desserts, the company’s dessert-focused format. Third Wave Coffee has been expanding beyond its traditional coffee offering into desserts, breakfast, savoury food and seasonal menus to create additional consumption occasions.
This diversification reflects the broader evolution of India’s café and QSR market, where brands increasingly compete not only on beverages but also on food, desserts, experience, convenience and frequency of visits.
Third Wave Coffee’s Focus on Specialty Coffee
Third Wave Coffee was founded by Ayush Bathwal, Anirudh Sharma and Sushant Goel, with the brand building its proposition around specialty coffee and a coffee-first customer experience.
The company’s portfolio includes single-origin coffees, specialty blends, signature beverages, food, bakery products and other café offerings.
Its café network is also designed around creating spaces where customers can combine coffee consumption with work, conversations and social occasions.
Lucknow Becomes Another Important Market for India’s Café Chains
The entry of Third Wave Coffee into Lucknow comes as India’s café culture continues to develop beyond traditional metro markets.
Lucknow’s established food culture, growing urban consumer base and increasing interest in contemporary cafés have created opportunities for national and regional café brands.
For Third Wave Coffee, the launch provides an opportunity to establish a presence in Uttar Pradesh’s capital while simultaneously using the city to mark its 250-café milestone.
The company’s approach of entering both established commercial districts and emerging urban catchments is consistent with its wider strategy of expanding across different city tiers.
What the Lucknow Launch Means for Third Wave Coffee
The Lucknow expansion represents more than the addition of two cafés to Third Wave Coffee’s network.
It brings together three important elements of the company’s current strategy:
1. New-market expansion: Lucknow adds another major Indian city to the brand’s growing network.
2. Network scale: The Hazratganj café marks the company’s 250th café in India.
3. Continued growth: The company is targeting around 320 cafés by FY27 while exploring additional cities and new consumption categories.
As the company expands, its next phase will involve balancing store growth with individual-store performance, customer experience, product innovation and operational efficiency.
Third Wave Coffee Lucknow: Key Details
| Particular | Details |
| Brand | Third Wave Coffee |
| City | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh |
| New cafés | 2 |
| Locations | Le Press, Hazratganj; Experion Tower, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar |
| Milestone | 250th café in India |
| North India network | 72 cafés after Lucknow launch |
| FY27 target | Approximately 320 cafés |
| FY26 revenue | ₹550 crore |
| Recent funding | ₹408 crore |
| Funding led by | WestBridge Capital |
| Expansion focus | Metro, Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities |
| New categories | Desserts, breakfast, savoury food and seasonal offerings |
The ₹550 crore FY26 revenue figure relates to the financial year ended March 31, 2026, while the 72-café North India footprint and 250th café milestone relate to the September 2026 Lucknow expansion.
Third Wave Coffee Lucknow Expansion: The Bigger Retail Story
Third Wave Coffee’s entry into Lucknow reflects the continued expansion of India’s organised café and QSR market beyond the country’s largest metros.
With 250 cafés already reached, a target of around 320 cafés by FY27 and fresh capital supporting expansion, Third Wave Coffee is entering its next phase of national growth.
The Lucknow launch therefore serves a dual purpose: it introduces the brand to a new city while providing a milestone marker for a company that has expanded from its Bengaluru roots into a nationwide specialty coffee network.
For Lucknow’s evolving café ecosystem, the arrival of two Third Wave Coffee cafés adds another national specialty coffee brand to the city’s growing contemporary food and beverage landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Has Third Wave Coffee entered Lucknow?
Yes. Third Wave Coffee has entered Lucknow with two new cafés at Le Press, Hazratganj, and Experion Tower, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar.
2. Where is Third Wave Coffee’s 250th café located?
Third Wave Coffee’s 250th café is located at Le Press in Hazratganj, Lucknow.
3. How many Third Wave Coffee cafés are there in India?
Third Wave Coffee reached the 250-café milestone in September 2026 with its Lucknow launch. The company’s store network has continued to expand following this milestone.
4. What are the two Third Wave Coffee locations in Lucknow?
The two launch locations are Le Press, Hazratganj, and Experion Tower, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar.
5. What is Third Wave Coffee’s expansion target?
Third Wave Coffee is targeting approximately 320 cafés by FY27. The company has also discussed longer-term ambitions of reaching 400–500 stores.
6. How much funding has Third Wave Coffee raised recently?
Third Wave Coffee raised ₹408 crore in a funding round led by existing investor WestBridge Capital, with participation from Creaegis and other investors.
7. Which cities is Third Wave Coffee planning to enter?
The company has indicated plans to enter Ludhiana, Manipal, Kochi and Amritsar during the financial year, while other markets including Guwahati, Ranchi, Patna and Bhubaneswar have also been identified as potential expansion markets.
8. What does Third Wave Coffee offer?
Third Wave Coffee’s offering includes specialty coffees, single-origin coffees, signature beverages, artisanal bakes, quick bites and curated food options. The company is also expanding into desserts and other food categories.