‘Hidden gem’ in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills

‘Jubilee Coffee’, which started as a footpath stall, is now most sought-after coffee shop

Hyderabad: Established 32 years ago, Jubilee Coffee is a hidden gem in Jubilee Hills that is well known for serving a variety of beverages such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, lemon tea, chocolate coffee and honey lemon tea.

“I started a stall on a footpath in 1990 at the Jubilee Hills Checkpost signal, where I used to put up a table and sell cigarettes. In 2000, I put up a coffee machine and started selling coffee and tea,” says Afsar Khan, the proud owner of Jubilee Coffee.

About a decade ago, the stall became a small shop in a lane next to the same Jubilee Hills Checkpost signal. Afsar Khan says that his son Ashraf Khan started handling the shop after him along with his son-in-law.

“After putting up the stall at night and selling cigarettes, we had customers who used to ask for coffee and tea. It was difficult for us to put up a stove, gas and make tea or coffee so we did not do it. We then happened to meet a guy who asked us to take his coffee machine which he wasn’t using. Thinking of giving it a try, I set it up at the stall taking electricity from a neighbourhood shop,” says 60- year-old Afsar Khan, on how he started the business.

Very quickly, customers got used to their lemon tea. Afsar Khan’s family saw people coming from far-off places just to drink lemon tea, coffee and hot chocolate served at Jubilee Coffee.

They were surprised to see so many customers coming to their stall and used to wonder where they got to know about their stall, but they believe people came mainly through word of mouth.

When they opened Jubilee Coffee, there was no other store in the entire lane apart from theirs and a puncture shop. The coffee shop ended up attracting so many customers that the lane used to be full of people prompting many other stores to open up in the lane, recalls Afsar.

Ashraf Khan, the 24-year-old son who took up the responsibility and started working with his father when he was 15 said, “We sell nearly 1,000-1,200 cups of tea and coffee a day”.

While the going is great, at present Afsar Khan’s family has no plans to expand their store. The Jubilee Coffee is open from 3 am to 5 pm and 10 pm to 12 pm every day.