Bira 91 Buys The Beer Cafe in an All-Stock Deal

Bira 91 buys India’s 1st alcobev retail bar chain The Beer Cafe in all stock deal.

Homegrown premium beer maker Bira 91 has bought the alcobev retail bar chain The Beer Cafe in an all-stock deal. The chain will now run as a full-fledged subsidiary of Bira 91. The investors in the Beer Cafe including the promoters Rahul and Bineeta Singh will get shares of Bira 91. Bira 91 buys Beer Cafe to increase its consumer base around the nation.

Both Bira 91 and The Beer Café were conceived with the same intent of evangelizing and elevating the beer experience in the country and with this acquisition, we aim to catalyze the growth of beer culture in India. Through this partnership, consumers are in for an exciting ride of unique, experimental, and flavorful beers,” Ankur Jain, CEO, Bira 91 said.

The motive behind this move of Bira 91 is to strengthen its presence among its customers. This will give an edge to Bira 91 over other beer brands in Bars and pubs. The Beer Cafe is currently present in over 33 outlets in 15 cities which includes tier 1, 2, and 3 cities in the most favored locations such as malls and high street hubs.

Rahul Singh, Founder, and CEO of The Beer Café, said, “The Beer Café has a strong consumer base that is loyal and passionate towards the brand. We have a strong operating model, and by leveraging on the strengths of Bira 91, we will be able to enhance the consumer experience and take the brand to newer heights.”

As per the deal, Bira 91 will provide support to The Beer Cafe in refining its operating model by leveraging its infrastructure, experience, and elevation capabilities. This will help the chain in redefining its operations strategy and service to beer lovers.

The pandemic forced restaurants and bars to shut down their operations but the beer market has recovered to pre-covid numbers. The Beer Cafe Management team, led by the founder and CEO Rahul Singh will continue to lead the operations and will be tasked with Bira’s restaurant division, including its newly introduced Bira Taprooms. Taprooms will primarily focus on serving Bira 91 beer and the existing outlets of The Beer Cafe will continue to serve multiple beer options.

This premium beer maker startup Bira 91, launched in 2015 is backed by Sequoia Capital, Belgium’s Sofina, and Japan’s Kirin Holding. Currently, Bira 91 operates over 500 towns and 15 countries and had a revenue of Rs. 482.2 crore in the FY 2020-21.

With the offerings of The Beer Cafe and the expertise of Bira 91, the future of Bira 91’s restaurant vertical looks bright. This deal will be beneficial for both as it will enhance the consumer experience of The Beer Cafe and will fill the small gap between Bira 91 and customers. And with the combined strength of both parties, there will be an increase in the Bira 91 loyalists which will create a novel beer culture in the nation.

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