From Mangalore to Bengaluru, BuCo. is bringing its distinctive take on Karnataka's food and coffee traditions to the city with the opening of its first Bengaluru flagship in Kodihalli. Founded by Chef Shriya Shetty and Varun Shetty, the café and bakehouse combines regional ingredients, in-house preparations, European baking influences and a coffee programme dedicated entirely to filter kaapi.

Established in 2017, BuCo. grew from the founders' interest in documenting and celebrating Karnataka's culinary traditions. The name, a shortened form of Buttercream Co., came from regular guests in Mangalore. What began as an artisanal bakery has since developed into a contemporary café concept that places local ingredients and traditional food culture at the centre of its offering.

The Bengaluru outlet extends this philosophy into a new neighbourhood while retaining much of the original Mangalore menu. The café's approach is built around a simple principle: preparations are made in-house, and ingredients are sourced locally wherever possible.

Speaking about the idea behind the brand, co-founders Shriya and Varun Shetty said, “Cafe culture in India has largely been shaped by western references - the formats, the menus, the aesthetic, and most importantly, the coffee. But Karnataka has always had its own deeply rooted relationship with food and coffee. The darshini. Filter kaapi. A food culture that is everyday, local, and almost entirely absent from the modern café format. No one has built a café brand around this. That's the gap BuCo. is stepping into.”

Karnataka Ingredients Meet Global Café Influences

Karnataka's food traditions inform the menu through ingredients such as ghee, jaggery, kokum, ragi, jowar, Byadgi chilli, Bhatkal vanilla, Indian cheeses and black channa. These are used across dishes that bring together regional flavours and contemporary café preparations.

Among the savoury offerings are Mr Bob's Classic Fried Chicken Burger, served in milk brioche with fried chicken and house-made jalapeño garlic aioli; the Chicken Hummus Bowl, featuring black channa, spiced charred chicken, toum, crispy Byadgi chilli oil and pita bread; and The South Side Smash, finished with a kachampuli glaze. The Pad Krapao Omelette is another menu highlight.

Breakfast is served daily from 8 am, with options including the Thai-style Omelette Kra Pao, Anda Kejriwal Toast, Good Morning Toast and Silken Toastie. The BuCo. Brekkie Bun, made with milk brioche, jalapeño aioli, a grilled chicken patty, cheese and a fried egg, is among the café's signature choices. Vegan smoothie bowls and lighter breakfast options are also available.

The bakehouse continues to be an important part of BuCo.'s identity. Bakes are prepared in-house and displayed for guests to choose directly from the counter. The selection includes pepper chicken puffs inspired by Bombay and Karnataka flavours, sweet potato palya puffs, red amaranth danishes with crumbled feta and chilli oil, tea cakes, almond biscotti, cookies, cinnamon knots, Motte Masala Bun, Kimchi Korean Buns and Chilly Cheese Toast.

The café also has a central bakery that has been supplying its delivery operations. Its bread programme includes Milk Loaf, Whole Grain & Seed Loaf and Bombay Pao. Weekend plans include Big BuCo. Brunches, with dishes such as dosa waffles, deli-style pancake stacks, chorizo scrambles, bacon jam and cheese sandwiches.

For dessert, the menu features the Filter Kaapi Tiramisu, Classic Éclair, Nutilla and the Ellipsis Cookie.

A Coffee Programme Dedicated to Filter Kaapi

Rather than offering a broad range of international coffee styles, BuCo. has chosen to build its beverage programme exclusively around filter coffee. The café uses A-grade Arabica beans sourced from Chikmagalur and presents them in both traditional and contemporary formats.

The selection includes Classic Hot Filter Coffee and black coffee, alongside Salted Caramel Iced Filter Coffee, Kopi Peng, KT Special Coffee and cold brews such as Orange Is The New Black. The decision to focus solely on filter coffee was a deliberate one by the founders, who wanted to explore the possibilities of the familiar South Indian beverage instead of expanding into other coffee formats.

The wider coffee programme also draws attention to Indian coffee-growing regions, with the founders' emphasis on the relationship between origin, preparation and flavour.

A Contemporary Interpretation of a Mangalorean Home

The new café's interiors take inspiration from traditional Mangalorean homes, using familiar materials and architectural details in a contemporary setting. The design brief was simple: create a modern interpretation of a Mangalorean home.

Red oxide flooring, mud-toned walls, Indian marble, brass, dark teak-toned wood, exposed concrete, Sadahalli granite and terracotta establish the material palette. The exterior uses the brand's red and earthy colours, while the outdoor seating area is pet-friendly.

One of the central references is the traditional katte, the front seating area of a Mangalorean home where families would gather and welcome visitors. BuCo. reinterprets this as an outdoor community space. Details such as cornices and railings are carried into the seating and ledges, while built-in benches draw inspiration from the verandahs of South Indian homes.

At the centre of the café is its signature counter, first introduced at the Mangalore outlet. It moves from a reception desk into a display counter and then a breakfast bar, serving as a focal point for the space.

The property spans three floors, each with a distinct function. The ground floor is a no-work zone intended for dining and community interaction. The second floor accommodates work and events, with a small bookshelf for guests who want to spend time reading. The third floor is reserved for the team and office operations.

The café also incorporates characters drawn from the familiar names used for elders in Mangalorean households. A painting titled Baby Akka and Her Baguettes, created by street artists from Mangalore, features on the ground floor, while Babanna is the character associated with the café's coffee programme.

From Pupkins Kitchen to BuCo.

The story of BuCo. began when Shriya and Varun moved to Mangalore in 2016 to research Karnataka cuisine. A year later, they started Pupkins Kitchen, an experimental kitchen focused on baking and made-to-order catering. Their work involved documenting regional ingredients, recipes and techniques from across Karnataka.

The founders later opened Buttercream Co.'s first flagship in Mangalore in 2022, developing the concept around the food traditions they had been researching. For Shriya, the journey also brought a personal realisation about the cuisine she wanted to champion.

“You could be making the best pasta, but still, there's a reason people want to go to Italy and enjoy pasta from a chef who grew up eating and making it,” she said, explaining how her own upbringing and familiarity with Mangalorean food shaped the direction of the brand.

With its Bengaluru flagship, BuCo. brings that approach to a new audience: a café where Karnataka ingredients, Mangalorean references, in-house baking and filter kaapi come together under one roof.

BuCo. Bengaluru – Quick Facts

• Address: 2953, 6th Cross Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Kodihalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560008

• Timings: 8:00 AM – 10:30 PM

• Reservations: 7338336777

• Instagram: @buco.blr / @bucoindia