Subko makes its global debut at Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue

Subko Coffee Roasters & Bakehouse has opened its first store in the UAE at Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue, a 5,000+ sq feet experience centre and specialty cafe for microlot coffee, fresh sourdough bread and croissants, and fine cacao from the Indian Subcontinent, all in the midst of a nostalgic yet contemporary homage to South Asian design. 

The expansive space is segmented into two levels: ‘The Craftery’ is the ground floor. Reminiscent of a concept store-esque experience around bean to bar chocolate, specialty coffee beans and in-house designed merch, combined with a fully transparent view ‘behind the hood’ of the production facility, showcasing Subko’s radical, craft-driven and origin-led philosophy, where every part of the process is visible in real time from roasting and chocolate-making to dough lamination. A living expression of transparency and intent, the space invites guests to engage with immersive, multi-sensory experiences that connect craft with culture. Bean to cup, pod to bar, grain to loaf, farm to plate.

At The Craftery, guests begin their journey at ‘Taiyaar’, Subko’s ready-to-go section offering a grab-and-go selection of canned drinks alongside instant, pre-batched options. This flows into Batch Your Own Brew (BYOB), an innovative tap system that lets guests “tap” into rotational, pre-batched pour-overs, served hot or iced. Next one witnesses a unique ‘Subko Singularity’ table- a custom 3-D Printing station with their bespoke design studio outputs coming to life in unique ways.

From here, visitors are guided into the regularly activated ‘Don’t Be Sensitive, Be Sensory’ coffee cupping and cacao tasting room, paired with the super unique ‘Single Origin VR’ experience that transports guests to smallholder coffee farmer cooperatives across the Subcontinent – grounding flavour in origin while engaging the senses in real time while one sips on unadulterated microlot coffee. 

The journey continues through Subculture by Subko, with their ‘Dukaan’ spotlighting design-led objects, publications and merchandise inspired by Asian diaspora craft and cultural expression. Adjacent spaces include the roastery where a bespoke Giesen coffee roaster, customised to Subko’s profiles and approach, makes the act of roasting a visible, integral part of the guest experience rather than something hidden away, the cacao transformation and confectionary experience room, the dough lamination room, and open hot kitchen where making remains visible, active, and ongoing throughout the day. To top it all off, there is ‘Taufah,’ where Subko intends to create customized specialty gifting experiences for the customer with their uniquely designed offerings for all occasions.

Upstairs on the uniquely designed mezzanine level lies the heart and soul of Subko, a specialty café in its signature interior style screaming whimsical nostalgia and modernity together and reminiscent of its Bombay roots, affectionately localized with the name ‘Quoz Quarters’- an homage to both the South Asian style old school homes found in the region, and the brand’s new local home, Al Quoz. Quoz Quarters Cafe embodies Subko’s design-first ethos and philosophy of adaptive architecture, transforming heritage or disused forms into spaces for community, learning and reflection. This level is built like a winding discoverable maze of multiple rooms with themes and creative styles strewn around. First comes the ‘Mehfil’ area, an earthy red-oxide bleacher seating enabled gathering space centred on conversation and community overseeing the specialty coffee counter. 

Next is Zubaan, dedicated to Indic typography and language along with The Wheat Room, tracing the origins of flour and the farmers Subko sources from; The Coffee Corridor dedicated to various coffee species and the cherry to cup process, The Cacao Room, shedding light on pods, raw materials,and the foundations of fine cacao. A Raw Humanity Corridor maps iconic moments from Subko’s humans and farmer community, ending in The Last Supper, a gallery-style space designed for dialogue, exhibition and shared reflection, and, to cap it off, a custom designed ‘carrom’ board, inviting guests to play the old school South Asian game alongside their brew.

Built on the principles of transparency, provenance and re-imagination, Subko looks to reframe the Indian Subcontinent as a world-class origin for coffee, cacao and baking. Every element from crop to cup, bean to bar and grain to loaf is crafted from scratch, combining hyper-traceable sourcing with master-level technique.

Founded in Mumbai, India, Subko has evolved from a niche craft coffee brand into a multidisciplinary house of design, storytelling and product innovation. Its name, short for “subcontinent”, reflects its purpose: to represent South Asia’s potential on the global stage.