Kar.ma with a dot

Karma. A belief that everything we do eventually comes back to us, has resounded with us from the very beginning. From our time on the stairs of Gyanmandala in Jhamsikhel, serving pour over coffees to people, it was clear that Kar.ma coffee would do things differently. It would be an experience that goes beyond sipping a cup of coffee. But cash strapped, it was a challenge to transform ideas into reality.

Then how? The answer came from the beans and its processing. During our first coffee farm visit in 2010 we realized that although the beverage is valued for its caffeine kick, the processing itself is slow and done mostly by hands. This inspired us to offer our coffee through manual brewing methods, instead of using machines. A place where coffee is hand brewed, was a bold move for a city waking to the hustle culture. Yet, we persisted and soon after our farm visit, we opened for service. Those who believed in our coffee culture jumped into the band wagon right away, and so began our journey of friendships and stories.   

A pause, as the aroma of coffee fills the air, followed by the movement of golden liquid flowing in the cup, pronounced our approach at Kar.ma. In an audacious move, we decided to put a dot in the term ‘Karma’ itself, signifying a mindful stop before making a mindful movement.

From the beginning it was important for us to trace and close our dots.  When we were a staircase coffee place, we were serving supermarket bought coffee. Then we learned about Nepal’s coffee plantations and decided to work exclusively with Nepal – grown 100% Arabica coffee. We saw the value in direct sourcing, the people who cultivate coffee and the stories behind the process of turning seeds into beans. Today our coffee beans come from different villages around the mid-hills of Nepal, each offering its own exceptional aroma and taste. Many of our baked goodies and savoury dishes are results of conversations with our customers who are passionate about food and enjoy working with local ingredients. 

Over the years we have gone beyond just being a coffee place by collaborating with local businesses and artisans to create and recreate. When we saw that a lot of coffee filters were being discarded after every use, we partnered with a local business to create beautiful lamps shades that hang at our cafes today. By 2020 we shifted to using exclusively cotton coffee filters. We make scrubs and soaps out of discarded coffee beans – they are amazing for the skin! Our eco conscious consumers use the resealable Kar.ma coffee bags when buying new beans from us. The furniture at our cafes is made from the wood of old mango trees which are cut off because they no longer bear fruit. These are small steps, but such sustainable coffee practices will make a difference to the community in the longer run, like good karma. With kar.ma Handmade we have added more local artisans to our fold. Our products, which are mostly related to coffee, are made by skilled artisans using traditional materials and methods. Their warm glow is an ode to the beauty of Nepali handmade products and also a nudge to linger and enjoy the moment. 

From sourcing and roasting our own beans to training farmers’ cooperatives in growing coffee and artisans in woodworking to establishing the HUB at Bouddha and initiating kar.ma Handmade, our journey of ethical coffee has been a real adventure. It is incredible to think that a simple idea, like brewing coffee in the Gyanmandala staircase, could lead to a journey of circular economy that touches lives of countless families in Nepal. We are proud that people from all walks of life – from students to yogis to 6.5-foot trust fund finance guys support us by visiting our shops, purchasing our products and contributing with us to a sustainable future. 

Kar.ma coffee was born out of passion for coffee, but today it tells the journey from the crop to cup and beyond. Take a sip of your coffee and join the adventure!