BrewBox Unboxed; The Story behind Islamabad’s Coolest New Container Café
There is a fresh pop of color at Kickstart Capital; a café unlike any other on the local scene. The Brew Box is the labor of a lot of love and hard work of three friends Abdullah, Saad and Ahmed who decided to defy the odds and build an entire café from scratch instead of taking the easier alternative of outsourcing it to other vendors who were charging an arm and a leg for their services. In doing so, they not only learnt the ropes but also mastered the ability to replicate the container café at other locations.
The concept of launching a café operating out of a container became embedded in Abdullah’s mind from the get go, seeing a few running examples of the concept in Karachi and Lahore already. He forcefully booked a flight for Ahmed who was in Karachi and urged him to come to Islamabad. They wanted to start from ground zero and build a unique café that would actually be known for the advertised offering; coffee and tea that has the potential to knock-your-socks-off instead of focusing on condiments and snacks served with sub-par meh beverages. With this aim in mind, Abdullah and Ahmed tried every coffee shop in the city, visiting an average of two coffee shops daily, trying out different brews and blends. Now that is commitment to research and A LOT of caffeine! This routine continued for three weeks. Meanwhile, Saad was busy prepping for his wedding back home.
When it came to the actual container, the friends looked for the standard premade structure of 20 feet but quickly concluded that it won’t do. For starters, the height of the 20 feet container left next to no room for headspace and the café seemed to be getting claustrophobic even for them. A eureka moment ensued when they considered purchasing a 40 feet container and splitting it in half length wise to get the best of both worlds. The new structure was undoubtedly roomier with increased headspace and also fit the site perfectly due to the shortened length. Meanwhile Saad was busy in wedding preps back home with equal gusto.
Abdullah and Ahmed now needed to work out the details of the soon-to-be-launched café and were pleasantly surprised at the warmth that the Punjabis exuded. While their 17 years of experience in Karachi had taught them that businesses safeguarded their secrets and information, the Punjabis were on the other end of the spectrum with their hospitality and extended help. During this period, where was SAAD? You guessed it. Wedding preps.
In less than no time Abdullah and Ahmed were able to chalk up a rough idea of what they wanted to focus on. The emphasis would be on a limited menu that lived up to the claim of providing a great cup of coffee or tea. There were 24 varieties of tea in consideration along with a decent menu for coffees. THIS is when Saad was flown in finally and he began his task of recipe development, being a hardcore foodie. Soon, burgers, sandwiches and the universal goodness of fries also made it to the menu. Saad and Ahmed quickly moved on to finalizing the vendors and purchasing the required materials and ingredients.
And THAT ladies and gentlemen is how the Brew Box café finally became a tangible reality. The friends called upon their family and friends for a soft launch, with the delicacies up for grabs alongside speeches and duas. In case you are wondering, the friends are still at it, having recently gone live on Food Panda and catering to deliveries in I8, I9 and I10 sectors. So what are you waiting for? Support local businesses built on hard work and research by trying out the Brew Box at Kickstart Capital!
