About Us
Clean Food. Honest Coffee. Dehradun Roots.
Tavaasa is a Dehradun based hospitality brand that runs various verticals including specialty coffee, cafe, artisanal bakehouse and a buffet restaurant, built on one rule: real ingredients, nothing artificial.
Our Philosophy: Clean Food, No Compromises
Tavaasa is built on one non-negotiable rule: no additives, no preservatives, ever. Across coffee, bakehouse, cafe and Red Coal, this single principle shapes every decision we make, even when it makes life harder.
It means our French patisserie is made the honest way, without preservatives to extend its shelf life. It means our breads genuinely do not last long, because that is what bread without additives looks like. It means the fruit we use is always fresh, never frozen, never pre-packed. In the cafe, every sauce and condiment is made in-house. At Red Coal, we even blend our own spices rather than buy them ready-made.
The same standard applies to coffee. Every bean we buy is sourced directly from the estate, and these are estates we have visited ourselves, chosen for their commitment to sustainability, fair wages and quality. We are also building a polyhouse, so that soon the vegetables across our kitchens will be grown in-house too.
This is not the easiest way to run a business. However, it is the only way we know how to run one we are proud of.
What We Do.
Tavaasa began as a coffee company and grew into a small family of brands, all built on the same obsession with clean, honest food.
- Tavaasa Coffee: Our roastery, coffee lab and barista training academy, sourcing direct from estates we have visited ourselves
- Red Coal: Dehradun's best buffet restaurant, where even the spice blends are created in-house
- Tavaasa Cafe: Dehradun's favourite cafe, where every sauce and condiment is made in-house
- Tavaasa Bakehouse: French patisserie and bread made without preservatives, so it never lasts long on the shelf
- Tavaasa Grab and Go: Clean, fast food for people on the move, opened in 2026
Our Team
Rishu Agarwal
Rishu founded Tavaasa Cafe, Tavaasa Bakehouse and Red Coal
Rishu built his early career in real estate, where he became known for straight dealings and no unnecessary drama. That reputation followed him into hospitality when he pivoted in 2018 with Cafe Village Highway, an instant Dehradun favourite that made way for Tavaasa Cafe in September 2024. Since then, Rishu has built three more Dehradun institutions: Red Coal in 2022, the city's best buffet restaurant, Tavaasa Bakehouse in 2024, its best bakery, and Tavaasa Cafe in 2025, its best cafe. He was also one of the driving forces behind starting Tavaasa Coffee.
Rachit Nagalia
Rachit founded Tavaasa Coffee and Roasters
Rachit spent 12 years as an investment banker with Deutsche Bank, most of it in the UK. On moving back to India, he ran revenue for Oyo and then Lohono Stays before deciding to build something of his own. He founded Tavaasa Coffee in 2023 on a simple principle: education comes first. Rachit is a Q Grader and holds SCA Diplomas in Roastery Operations and Coffee Trade. He believes the best way to grow India's coffee culture is to teach people to taste and question what is in their cup, not just sell it to them.
Neetu Gupta
Chef Neetu is the pastry chef behind Tavaasa Bakehouse. She trained with City & Guilds and worked professionally in Bangalore.
Married to Col Manish Gupta, whose army postings meant moving cities every two years. That constant movement meant her skills were built less in professional kitchens and more at home, perfecting recipes one house at a time. Today she brings that same hands-on approach to Tavaasa Bakehouse, baking the way she always has, by hand and without shortcuts.
Col Manish Gupta (Retd)
Col Manish Gupta served in the Indian Army for 32 years. Where most people would call that a full career, Manish saw it as the start of another one. He pursued his second passion with the same discipline he brought to the army, becoming a Q Grader and AST, and going on to earn SCA Diplomas in Roastery Operations, Coffee Trade and Cafe. Today, Manish runs various aspects of Tavaasa Cafe. He runs courses around Brewing and Barista Skills at the academy, though ask anyone who has visited and they will tell you his real joy is standing behind the counter, making a pourover for a guest and watching their face as they taste it for the first time.