From Selling in the Streets to Owning a Thriving Brand – Meet Coffee Girl Barsha
OppazZ Coffee Bar, located in Lagankhel, has a peculiarly remarkable success story. Started by a duo of brother and sister, the brand has come a long way from selling coffee in the streets to owning a commercial coffee & bar venue. Barsha Ranjitkar & Suraj Ranjitkar embarked on a business journey at a young age and overcame the hurdles involved in establishing a successful business in Nepal. Videos of Barsha selling coffee in the streets have acquired mass admiration. For someone who holds a bachelor’s degree, selling coffee in the streets in a country like Nepal requires a fair share of humility and determination. As such, the startup has grown to be an established brand. In light of the brand’s applaudable achievement in a relatively short period, BrandGuff reached out to Barsha Ranjitkar, popularly known as the “Coffee Girl” on TikTok, for an interview.
How did the brand Oppaz Coffee come alive?
We started this business five years back in 2017. I had completed high school, and my brother was pursuing his bachelor’s degree. We grew up in a humble household that was not well-off financially. So, we wanted to establish a successful business to assuage our parents’ financial burden. Also, our family came from a hospitality background, due to which we began this advent into a cafe business as selling coffee seemed to be a soft option.
Your content on TikTok has been spot-on, so much so that you are called the Coffee Girl. How did this come about?
I was a person who refrained from falling prey to the infectiousness of TikTok. However, one day I stumbled upon the videos of inspirational entrepreneur Garyvee and had a realization that the social media platform can serve as a great business & marketing tool. Thus, I started using TikTok to grow the recognition of OppazZ Coffee.
How did the idea of selling coffee in the streets begin?
The idea of selling coffee in the streets was a desperate move to sustain and grow the business. The initial six months of OppazZ Coffee were a failure, and we lost our investment. Then, a day when visiting Mangalbazaar, we came across kids trying to sell coffee in the streets. With minor calculations, we figured selling coffee & tea in the streets was a profitable business. So, we started selling coffee in the streets with a rationale that if kids aged 11-12 are doing it to support their parents, why can’t we? Initially, there was a sense of discomfort but, the more we did it, the more we realized that there was no shame in it, just intrinsic satisfaction of serving coffee to customers and earning profit off of it.
What would you say is the USP of OppazZ Coffee?
I believe that OppazZ Coffee is not a brand that only sells coffee to its customers. We have engrossed ourselves in offering happiness to our customers. Through OppazZ Gift Code, we reward lucky customers with giveaways like scooters and mobile phones. Furthermore, we come from a school of thought that a faction of profit earned from the community must be re-invested for progressive purposes. Thus, we donate 25% of our business profit to Educating Nepal campaign.
Where do you see OppazZ Coffee in the next five years?
Well, I see the growth of OppazZ Coffee in an everyday context. Five years ago, I would have never imagined our brand on this stage. So I can’t pinpoint what’s next for OppazZ Coffee in the next five years, but our immediate plan is to distribute franchises all over Nepal. Beyond cafes, we plan to expand our business to an e-commerce platform in the years to come. With this expansion to the e-commerce segment, we plan to offer premium quality merchandise to our customers.
We are also looking for credit-line investments to grow our company. We are willing to share ownership to bring in partners who can share their set of expertise and grow “OppazZ” as a brand in the years to come.
Lastly, what were the challenges of establishing a successful business, and any recommendations to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Despite a persisting stigma in the Nepalese society against women, I learned from a young age to pass over the comments made by others. I never found it troublesome because stepping out of my comfort zone had always been my forte. However, the legalities involved in establishing a business were infuriating. The bureaucracy and laborious process involved in business registration were frustrating for someone like us with no prior experience in the matter.
I recommend aspiring entrepreneurs of Nepal a very cliched – Follow your passion. Don’t hesitate to experiment around with your business ideas. Persevere and be patient with your business ideas, and success will be imminent.
