Reliance Brands Limited, led by Deepa Hall, is redefining India’s café culture through brands like Pret A Manger, EL&N London, and Armani Caffè. Focusing on “experience first, scale next,” RBL co-evolves global café concepts for Indian lifestyles, blending accessibility, luxury, and cultural fit to create meaningful, people-centred dining spaces.
In India’s rapidly evolving food and beverage landscape, Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) is scripting a fresh narrative — one that merges global excellence with local rhythm. The company, which has successfully brought nearly 90 global fashion and luxury brands to Indian shores, is now pouring the same precision and passion into cafés and dining. And at the heart of this ambitious expansion is Deepa Hall, Senior Vice President – F&B Retail, RBL, whose leadership is quietly transforming how India experiences its café culture.
A standout milestone in this journey is the launch of the world’s first Pret A Manger full-service dine-in format at Phoenix Mall of the Millennium, Pune. Co-designed for Indian café cadence and meal rhythm, this concept marks a global first for the British brand — and a clear statement that RBL’s approach is not about importing Western café templates but co-evolving them with Indian sensibilities. “Experience first, scale next” seems to be the mantra driving this transformation.
RBL’s entry into food and beverage began in 2022, a strategic move guided by the company’s philosophy of entering sectors that promise scale, cultural resonance, and long-term value. In just two years, it has opened 18 Pret A Manger cafés, one EL&N London, and one Armani Caffè across Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida — with more locations already under development.
But unlike typical chain expansion models that chase numbers, RBL’s café strategy is refreshingly deliberate. Each opening is a curated experience, designed to fit the context and character of its surroundings. Whether it’s a high-street Pret A Manger serving natural, freshly made meals to on-the-go professionals or the Instagram-perfect interiors of EL&N London offering an indulgent lifestyle moment, the focus is on creating “places to belong” rather than just cafés to visit.
Deepa Hall explains that India’s café spaces today serve far more than coffee. “They’ve become places to work, meet, pause, express, create rituals, and belong,” she notes. “Our goal is to shape environments that reflect these evolving rhythms of modern Indian life.”
With over two decades of experience in the global F&B sector, Deepa Hall brings both strategic depth and human warmth to the table. Her career spans across the U.S., India, China, and Japan — including influential leadership roles at Starbucks, where she helped shape landmark initiatives like the market launches, menu localisation, and the experiential Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in Shanghai and Tokyo.
But Deepa’s journey began on the café floor as a young store manager — an experience that shaped her people-first philosophy. “Our greatest ingredient is our people,” she often says. This belief remains central to her leadership approach, empowering teams to create warm, intuitive, and memorable hospitality experiences across RBL’s café portfolio.
At RBL, Deepa is now architecting a portfolio that blends the accessibility of everyday cafés with the distinction of luxury dining environments. Her approach balances global aesthetics with local relevance, making every café not just a product of international collaboration but also a reflection of Indian café culture in motion.
Pret A Manger’s positioning in India reflects RBL’s vision for a “premium all-day café” offering fresh, natural food for discerning urban consumers. The brand’s rollout strategy combines a steady multi-metro expansion with strategic presence in travel hubs and institutional spaces. By piloting new dine-in formats — like the one in Pune — RBL is expanding Pret’s global identity while giving it a uniquely Indian signature.
Each Pret outlet is designed to resonate with its surroundings — from the breezy, open layouts that encourage relaxed conversations to menu tweaks that include locally appealing flavours alongside Pret’s global bestsellers. For Indian consumers who crave both speed and experience, Pret’s expansion offers an answer that feels both aspirational and accessible.
If Pret A Manger is about rhythm and routine, EL&N London is about art and expression. Known as one of the world’s most Instagrammed cafés, EL&N’s design-forward identity finds a perfect match in RBL’s retail expertise. The first EL&N London outlet in India adopts a flagship-first strategy, located within luxury retail destinations to maximise experiential impact.
Every detail — from its pastel palettes and floral installations to its photogenic plating — makes EL&N more than just a café; it’s a mood, a destination, and an experience rolled into one. For India’s new generation of urban consumers, who seek lifestyle spaces that blend food, fashion, and social identity, EL&N delivers a multisensory experience tailored for today’s digital-first culture.
Completing RBL’s triad of café brands is Armani Caffè, a name that evokes Italian sophistication and timeless style. Its rollout follows a highly selective integration into premium retail environments, ensuring that the café remains aligned with the exclusivity of the Armani Maison.
At Armani Caffè, every element — from the minimalist interiors to the curated Italian menu — embodies a seamless transition between fashion and gastronomy. The spaces are designed not just for dining but for immersion in a lifestyle that mirrors the elegance of the brand’s couture roots.
Beyond these marquee names, RBL is incubating a series of Curated Café Concepts that blend lifestyle with retail. These new formats will emerge within RBL-developed precincts, bridging the gap between everyday convenience and elevated experience. Each concept aims to capture a specific mood — from community-driven cafés to boutique dining spots — marking RBL’s intent to create diverse, layered café ecosystems.
By developing such varied café typologies, RBL is positioning itself not merely as a brand operator but as a cultural designer of India’s emerging café economy. The emphasis is on building spaces that reflect the Indian consumer’s changing aspirations — from wanting quick bites to seeking quality time, aesthetic pleasure, and emotional connection.
What distinguishes RBL’s F&B strategy is its insistence on cultural fit and human-centred design. “Experience first, scale next” encapsulates an approach that privileges authenticity over aggressiveness. In an industry often defined by replication and speed, RBL’s deliberate pace suggests a long game — one focused on crafting enduring relationships rather than fleeting trends.
Under Deepa Hall’s leadership, this philosophy translates into thoughtful details: staff trained for emotional intelligence as much as efficiency, menus adapted for diverse Indian palates, and spaces designed for comfort, inclusivity, and community. Every decision reflects the idea that cafés, at their best, are not just businesses but social anchors — places where identity, interaction, and indulgence converge.
As the lines between work, leisure, and lifestyle blur, India’s café culture is becoming an emblem of urban expression — a space where global meets local, and everyday meets exceptional. In this dynamic landscape, Reliance Brands Limited is not just participating but defining what the next chapter will look like.
From Pret’s warm familiarity to EL&N’s visual glamour and Armani’s refined exclusivity, RBL’s growing café ecosystem mirrors the diversity and dynamism of modern India. And with Deepa Hall steering its evolution, one thing is certain: India’s café revolution is being brewed thoughtfully — one experience at a time.
In Deepa’s words, “Cafés today are not just about coffee; they’re about connection. And the best ones make you feel at home — wherever you are.”
