Matt Chittaranjan, the founder of Blue Tokai, came to Chennai from the US in 2011 for a job opportunity. The city held a special place in his heart, since his dad was born there. This move marked the starting point of a completely new journey.



Around that time, the third wave of coffee was rising globally—a movement championing the farm-to-cup concept, transparency and traceability. Inspired by this shift, Matt began to wonder: why wasn’t this taking shape in India?



Specialty coffee—with all its nuance, freshness, and respect for origin—was nowhere to be found. The Indian coffee market was dominated by mass-produced blends and street-side kiosks, where coffee was more of a background beverage than a well-crafted experience.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14600" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image3.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Outside a Blue Tokai outlet</figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>


Moved by this, Matt teamed up with his partner Namrata and moved to Delhi in 2012 to start what would soon become Blue Tokai. They began by building a website, teaming up with a packaging company and locating farmers for sourcing beans. Their mission was quite straightforward: source high-quality Arabica beans directly from Indian producers, roast them fresh, and introduce people to what coffee could truly be.



They started small—with a 500gm coffee roaster, operating right out of Namrata’s family home. By 2013, they launched Blue Tokai’s first outlet.



In 2016, Shivam Shahi joined in on the journey as the third partner and took on the role of Chief Operating Officer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How Shivam joined the coffee crew</h2>



Shivam hails from a small town in Uttar Pradesh, where conventional career paths were the norm. He recalls, “I studied hard and made it to Canada on full scholarship with a dream to do a PhD, but getting a job there wasn’t my end goal. I wanted to do something impactful back home.”



While in Canada, he got exposed to coffee. “Growing up, coffee was the regular mass-produced variety or street-style beverage. Being exposed to a different type of coffee was an eye-opener,” he shares. The harsh Canadian winters also helped develop his passion—drinking three to four cups a day became a survival strategy for him.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14603" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image4.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Co-founders of Blue Tokai: Shivam Shahi (Left), Namrata Asthana (Centre), Matt Chittaranjan (Right)</figcaption></figure></div>


After returning to India, Shivam joined a tech company, which unfortunately shut down once they ran out of money. Left without a job but full of curiosity, he found comfort in coffee. “During those days of struggle, I’d often take a bus to visit a café, just to enjoy a good cup from a premium brand,” he says. It struck him then—if he was willing to spend more on quality coffee, others might be too.



That’s when he stumbled upon Blue Tokai online and reached out to Matt via LinkedIn. Matt was impressed by Shivam’s enthusiasm and invited him to meet in-person. “At the time, the main outlet was still under construction. I officially joined Matt &amp; Namrata in January 2016,” Shivam says.



Initially, Shivam worked across multiple teams, taking a very proactive approach. Over time, he took charge of expanding operations, while Matt led product and Namrata steered design and marketing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brewing the product: It goes beyond coffee</h2>



According to Shivam, Blue Tokai’s journey always starts with two questions: what if someone asks where this coffee came from? Or how did they make their croissant or bread? This spirit of accountability and transparency runs through everything they do.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14607" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image5.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Trioccino at Blue Tokai</figcaption></figure></div>


The founders believe in being deeply involved across the entire value chain—from farm-to-cup. This includes everything from process improvements at the farm level and advising farmers on how to improve quality, to roasting, packing, and distributing coffee across multiple channels and formats. They create every product from scratch, taking pride in manufacturing everything in-house.



Shivam says. “Our breads too are made in just three days at our own factories.” With this approach, they emphasize patience, craft, and intentionality. “Everything we make is about delivering an authentic experience. We’re not just trying to meet demand—we’re trying to create something meaningful.”



Even the design of their cafés reflects this belief. Each space is created to offer a moment of pause—a break from the rush, where customers can slow down and savour a delicious brew.



According to Shivam, the team also emphasizes education for customers, fellow members of the café community and budding entrepreneurs. Every year, they invite people to visit the farms, aiming to deepen appreciation for Indian coffee and grow the category itself. They also offer brewing lessons for anyone willing to learn more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Expanding the brand: Growing beyond borders</h2>



In the early days, Blue Tokai knew they were ahead of the curve. “We didn’t hire aggressively until 2023 and worked with a small team in those initial years,” Shivam says. But things changed significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic. “That’s when the business really took off. We grew 4x after that.”



Today, as per the Blue Tokai team, their food offerings—including bestselling items like almond croissant, butter croissant, mushroom sourdough sandwich—play a big role in their overall growth, outside crowd favourites like Vietnamese style iced coffee, cappuccino and trioccino.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14609" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image2.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Korean bun at Blue Tokai</figcaption></figure></div>


Currently, Blue Tokai runs 155+ outlets across eight Indian states and Japan. Of their business mix, 45% is beverages, 40% is food, and 15% is retail. “About 95% of our business comes from four big cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Bangalore,” Shivam notes. “Our plan is to dig deeper into these markets while expanding into newer ones where we see the potential to grow.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Japan effect</h2>



The idea of going international started in an unexpected way—at their Sikanderpur outlet. It was here that the founders noticed a steady stream of Japanese visitors. “We realised they were very particular about taste and valued everything we stood for—quality, origin, stories,” says Shivam. This discovery led to their first overseas café in Japan.



While growing, they made sure to customize their offerings by location. “In Japan, people prefer darker roasts so we adjust our roasting accordingly.”


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14613" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/image1-1.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A close look at the Blue Tokai outlet in Japan</figcaption></figure></div>


Their global presence has also extended to Dubai, where they&#8217;ve established an FMCG distribution network—driven by growing international interest in Indian coffee.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Collaborating with Zomato: Scaling greater heights</h2>



Blue Tokai onboarded on Zomato in 2017 to scale its reach through delivery. “We’ve been able to expand the number of people we reach, all thanks to the platform services,” Shivam says. “With ads and other digital levers, we’ve been able to grow the brand further and better deliver our products.”



With plans to enter Hyderabad and Dehradun, and a sharper focus on key cities, the brand is only diving deeper into the brewing journey. Once started with a 500gm roaster and a few passionate individuals, Blue Tokai has now become a brand which weaves a story with each cup.&nbsp;

Cups of change: How Blue Tokai rewrote India’s coffee culture

Eliminating Bottlenecks in Real-Time Data Streaming: A Zomato Ads Flink Journey

Brothers Nishant and Vikash Ranjan had a dream—to create a space where people could come together over warm vibes while enjoying unforgettable meals. But bringing this idea to life was no easy feat!



It required grit, resourcefulness and a whole lot of faith in their passion for food.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A dream takes shape</h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14551" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image4.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nishant Ranjan, Founder of Jashn The Restaurant</figcaption></figure></div>


After completing high school in Ranchi, Nishant and Vikash moved to Mumbai for further studies. While Nishant pursued Chartered Accountancy, Vikash studied mathematics. It was during this time that they started cooking for themselves. This was out of necessity at first, as they longed for the comfort of home-cooked meals. But what started as a task soon became a passion.



While a corporate career seemed like the logical next step, something about food and cooking kept pulling them in a different direction. Vikash says, “Having lived outside as students, we wanted to recreate the sense of comfort that we often missed.”


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14554" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image3-1.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Vikash Ranjan, Co-founder of Jashn The Restaurant </figcaption></figure></div>


They were drawn to the idea of opening a restaurant in their hometown, one where they could serve high quality meals while upholding exceptional service standards.



With a clear goal in mind, they researched the Ranchi market, evaluated competitors, and improved the concept of their restaurant. After locking a suitable location, they carefully designed a stylish yet cosy ambience and built a team of skilled chefs and staff.



Jashn The Restaurant eventually opened its doors in Ranchi in 2017, poised to create a lasting impression.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Building a standout brand</h2>



The first few months were tough. Ranchi was already home to established food giants, which attracted a huge crowd of customers. The brothers tackled this head-on by focusing on three key areas: quality, consistency, and customer service.



They personally connected with customers on social media and tweaked the menu based on customer feedback. They also built strong relationships with local suppliers to secure the freshest ingredients, ensuring every dish delivered on taste and quality.



Nishant says, “One dish that has received a lot of love from our customers is chicken dehati. I used to make it during my time in Mumbai and now, every bite takes me back to my University days.”



One of their biggest early challenges was finding the right location for the restaurant. Staffing was another challenge which they solved by visiting local eateries, networking with industry professionals, and identifying potential hires.



And slowly but surely, Jashn carved out its own space in Ranchi.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14557" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image2-1.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chicken Dehati served at the outlet</figcaption></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Adapting and growing</h2>



By 2018, Nishant noticed a shift in dining habits—people weren’t just visiting restaurants; they wanted great food delivered straight to their doorsteps.



Recognizing this, he onboarded Jashn on Zomato. They were soon able to expand their audience, boost sales, and optimize inventory so that menu items were always available.



Nishant recalls, “Our first big breakthrough came when we crossed 1,000 online orders in the very first month after onboarding.”



Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that forced many businesses to shut down. But with the guidance of Key Account Manager Nikesh Kumar, it turned into an unanticipated growth engine for Jashn.



He explains, “The decision to work with Zomato changed our operations and reach for the better! Our orders surged threefold during COVID, and our monthly revenue increased 2x between 2019 and 2024.”



Together, they took a food first approach, adding new menu items while utilising online levers such as promos and discounts.



Beyond this, their focus on maintaining high service standards and strategy of engaging with customers on social media paid off. Positive reviews boosted their online visibility, while regular feedback led to continuous improvements in their menu and service.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="441" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14559" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C705&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?resize=300%2C206&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?resize=768%2C528&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1057&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C826&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?resize=1568%2C1079&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/image1-1.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Outside a Jashn The Restaurant outlet</figcaption></figure></div>


With enormous demand from customers, the brothers decided it was time to expand. They opened a second Jashn outlet in Ranchi using all the knowledge they accumulated from running the first one. The response to this was incredible.



Nishant says, “Today, Jashn is a go-to spot for food lovers, offering mouthwatering dishes such as murg mussalam and biryani at affordable prices.”



According to Nishant, with a growing tribe of loyal customers, the restaurant is focused on maintaining top-notch quality standards while consistently meeting customer expectations.



Noticing the success they achieved with Jashn, they decided to set up four more sub brands: Titli by Jashn, Hitchki Thela, Wow Biryani and Kiana Restaurant.



Nishant mentions, “One of our biggest lessons from being in the industry has been the power of being vigilant everyday. The challenges may feel familiar, but solving them requires us to be hands-on and fully engaged, day in and day out.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Their next big move</h2>



The brothers wish to expand across Ranchi and beyond, introducing new cities to Jashn’s specialties and welcoming atmosphere.



From exciting new concepts to an innovative menu, they’re cooking up something special. They’re also coming up with tech-driven solutions to boost efficiency and improve the customer experience.



For Nishant and Vikash, Jashn is living proof that dreams can come true with perseverance, passion, and adaptability.

How two young dreamers built a crowd-favourite eatery in Ranchi

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Introduction</h2>



At Zomato, we love food and we love data. And sometimes, those two passions collide in the creation of beautiful, portable, and secure PDFs. From invoices and receipts to detailed reports, PDFs are a cornerstone of our operations and a staple across the industry. However, our existing PDF generation process, powered by a PHP-based library, was starting to show its age. We encountered latency issues, especially during the peak hours and the situation worsened with complex, multi-page PDFs that included significant graphical content.



We needed a solution that could sustain our growing demands &#8211; something faster, more efficient, and scalable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Perfect Blend: Chromium and Golang</h2>



In pursuit of a more tailored and efficient approach, we decided to develop our in-house PDF generation solution. We chose Go as our programming language, given its performance and our team&#8217;s familiarity with it.



For rendering, we leveraged <a href="https://github.com/go-rod/rod">Rod</a>, a go library for controlling headless Chromium. For PDF signing, we integrated Go PDF (<a href="https://github.com/digitorus/pdf">digitorus/pdf</a>), allowing us to generate and sign PDFs directly from HTML templates. This approach gave us full control over layout, styling, and security.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Custom Certificate Signing</h2>



To ensure the authenticity and integrity of our PDFs, we implemented digital signing using a custom certificate. This adds a layer of security and trust to our documents, which is especially important for sensitive information like financial transactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Optimizations: Squeezing Every Last Drop of Performance</h2>



We&#8217;re always looking for ways to improve performance, and Espresso is no exception. We implemented several optimizations to make our PDF generation process as fast and efficient as possible:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Pre-Paint PDF Generation: We generate the PDF before the paint step of the rendering process, saving valuable time.</li>



<li>Chromium Flags: We fine-tuned various Chromium flags to further improve the start time of the application.</li>



<li>DataURI Image Prefetching: We prefetch HTML images from the template and save them as dataURIs, reducing the rendering cost by eliminating the need for the browser to download images on page load.</li>



<li>Streamlined Processing: By combining PDF generation and signing into a single application, we can work with streams instead of files, improving performance and reducing disk I/O.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brewing PDFs for Everyone</h2>



We developed a small front-end application to accompany this system, allowing anyone at Zomato to create and customize PDF templates effortlessly. This tool empowers users to modify existing templates or design new ones from scratch, all while receiving real-time feedback on the appearance of their final PDF output.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="640" height="319" src="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?resize=640%2C319&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-14539" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?resize=1024%2C511&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?resize=300%2C150&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?resize=768%2C383&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?resize=1536%2C767&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?resize=2048%2C1022&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?resize=1200%2C599&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?resize=1568%2C783&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https://i0.wp.com/zomatoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Untitled-design-1.png?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></figure></div>


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Open Source: Sharing the Espresso Love</h2>



Driven by our commitment to open source, we’re excited to announce that Espresso is now available for everyone. You can deploy it in your environment, tailor it to your specific requirements, or even actively contribute to its ongoing development. This includes the lib package, which you can utilise as a library within your Go applications to build and customize your PDF generation solutions.



We hope that Espresso will serve as a powerful asset for organizations and developers seeking a rapid, efficient, and dependable PDF generation solution.



You can find the repository on github: <a href="https://github.com/zomato/espresso">https://github.com/zomato/espresso</a>. We&#8217;re offering Espresso and the packages with a very permissive MIT license, allowing developers to utilise it as per their requirements/needs while retaining full ownership of the data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Benchmarks: The Proof is in the Pudding</h2>



Espresso isn&#8217;t just fast &#8211; it&#8217;s incredibly fast. Espresso has been successfully deployed across the majority of our PDF generation workflows, delivering consistently impressive performance metrics.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Rendering and Signing Times Under 200ms: Espresso can render and sign PDFs in under 200 milliseconds, making it ideal for high-traffic applications.</li>



<li>Peak Load Handling: Espresso can handle peak loads of 120K requests per minute (RPM), ensuring your users never have to wait for their PDFs.</li>



<li>Massive Signing Capability: We recently signed 1.6 million PDFs in just 19 minutes &#8211; approximately 1,400 PDFs per second.</li>
</ul>



These numbers were witnessed when running espresso as an AWS ECS service with 4vcpu and 4G memory. This scaled to a hundred containers at peak load.



Espresso&#8217;s efficiency is truly remarkable. Compared to our prior system, it demands significantly less infrastructure, drastically reducing resource consumption. This translates directly into substantial cost savings, resulting in a 90% deduction in server costs for generating the same volume of PDFs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion: The Perfect Cup of PDF</h2>



Espresso is the culmination of our quest for the perfect PDF generation solution. It delivers simplicity, speed, efficiency and unwavering reliability, all within an open-source framework. We&#8217;re proud of what we&#8217;ve built and are excited to share it with the world. So go ahead, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and give Espresso a try. We think you&#8217;ll find it&#8217;s the perfect blend of speed, simplicity, and power.



And remember, much like a perfectly brewed coffee, the most effective solutions are often discovered in the simplest of places.