Mahesh Adapa: From a Small Canopy to Building a Growing Coffee Franchise
Mahesh Adapa | Founder of THE BEAN BAR COFFEE
Mahesh Adapa’s entrepreneurial journey is a story of perseverance, experimentation, and the courage to start small. As the Founder of THE BEAN BAR COFFEE, Mahesh has built a growing coffee business by identifying an everyday customer need and turning it into an accessible business opportunity.
Mahesh began his professional career in 2022 as a 3D Animator and VFX Artist in Chennai. While the job offered financial stability, his interest in entrepreneurship encouraged him to explore different business opportunities. Over the next two years, he experimented with Forex trading, dropshipping, affiliate marketing, and digital marketing. Although these ventures did not develop into long-term businesses, they gave him valuable exposure to branding, customer behaviour, marketing, and business operations.
His entrepreneurial direction became clearer after observing a simple problem in the café and beverage market. Mahesh noticed that customers often had to wait several minutes for a cold coffee, even when they wanted a convenient and quick beverage. At the same time, he saw growing demand for affordable, good-quality coffee that could be consumed on the go.
This observation became the foundation for THE BEAN BAR COFFEE, a concept focused on ready-to-drink premium cold coffee served in stylish bottles. The idea was to combine convenience, consistent quality, and an affordable price point while developing a business model that could eventually be replicated across locations.
In June 2024, Mahesh took his first major step toward turning the idea into reality. With just ₹25,000, which he borrowed from a friend, he started the business from a modest 6×6-foot canopy in Rayagada, Odisha. His initial setup included an ice box, coffee ingredients, and glass bottles. Without major investors or a large team, he focused on creating a product that customers would enjoy and developing the business through direct customer interaction.
The response gradually helped THE BEAN BAR COFFEE gain traction. Its bottled presentation and quick service attracted customers, while word-of-mouth publicity helped strengthen its local presence. As demand increased, Mahesh expanded the menu beyond cold coffee to include multiple coffee flavours, iced teas, hot chocolate, sandwiches, cookies, and other café products. Many of these products were developed and standardized by Mahesh himself with a focus on maintaining consistency across outlets.
What began as a small roadside setup has since developed into a growing multi-state coffee business. THE BEAN BAR COFFEE has expanded to eight operational outlets across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, while additional outlets are reportedly under development across Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh.
The growth has also been supported by the brand’s franchise-focused approach. Rather than relying only on company-operated locations, Mahesh has been working toward building an affordable and scalable franchise model that can allow more entrepreneurs to enter the beverage and café business.
Mahesh’s journey demonstrates that entrepreneurship does not always begin with substantial capital or a large team. His first investment was modest, but his willingness to experiment, learn from unsuccessful ventures, understand customer needs, and act on an identified opportunity helped him develop a business with a broader vision.
Today, his focus remains on strengthening THE BEAN BAR COFFEE’s presence, maintaining product quality, improving accessibility, and expanding its franchise network across emerging markets. His journey from a 6×6-foot canopy to a growing network of outlets reflects the importance of starting with what is available and building consistently over time.
For Mahesh Adapa, entrepreneurship has been less about where the journey began and more about continuing to move forward. His experience offers a practical example of how a simple idea, when supported by persistence and customer-focused execution, can develop into a scalable business opportunity.
