Operators such as Dimsum Room, Baroke and 33&Brew say the trend is being driven by a mix of nostalgia, a growing audiophile culture among younger consumers, rising discretionary spending, and real estate developers seeking differentiated lifestyle offerings. While still small in number, these formats are relatively capital-efficient and designed to deliver higher engagement per customer.
Vinyl refers to music recorded on plastic discs played on turntables using a stylus that reads sound encoded in microscopic grooves. Unlike digital formats, vinyl produces an entirely analogue sound, prized for its warmth and depth.
Bengaluru-based 33&Brew, established in 2025, positions itself not merely as a vinyl bar but as a fully analogue, craft-led destination. The outlet combines a vinyl-forward listening experience with an in-house microbrewery, making it one of the first such hybrid formats in the country.
“Beyond the needle-to-groove experience, we handcraft our own brews and design spaces where people can interact deeply with music,” said Karthik Chandrasekaran, general partner at Optimistic Capital, the parent of 33&Brew. A dedicated listening station allows guests to plug into a turntable and play records privately—an offering that has found takers among couples and first-time vinyl listeners.
The demographic ranges from teenagers encountering vinyl for the first time to seasoned collectors. Weekdays skew corporate-heavy, while weekends draw families and mixed-age groups. The brand’s vinyl library of over 1,000 records has been built over years of travel, with collections sourced from India, Southeast Asia and Europe.
Institutionally funded by Optimistic Capital, 33&Brew plans to open at least six more outlets in Bengaluru before expanding to tier-II cities in Karnataka and markets such as Hyderabad and Pune over the next two years.
Mumbai-based Dimsum Room, run by All In Hospitality Pvt Ltd, takes a more purist approach. Founder and chief executive officer Mayank Bhatt describes it as a “listening room first, restaurant second.” The 3,000-square-foot space, located in a 100-year-old building, is acoustically engineered by Monroe Acoustics and anchored by a sound system with lineage tracing back to Abbey Road Studios.
“This is for connoisseurs,” Bhatt said. “People who appreciate vinyl also appreciate great cocktails and carefully thought-out food.” The demographic largely falls in the 30–50 age group, though younger listeners are increasingly discovering the format through parental nostalgia. The bar hosts about 200 guests daily.
Founded in 2025, Dimsum Room has seen an investment of ₹4–5 crore as part of nearly $3 million raised by All In Hospitality to build six projects across its brands. “We are already generating annual revenues of ₹10–12 crore, with stronger store-level EBITDA and profitability than other F&B outlets,” Bhatt said.
Going forward, the brand is pitching listening-led dining concepts to luxury real estate developers for high-end residential projects. Expansion into Delhi and Bengaluru is under evaluation after the brand completes its first year.
Mumbai-based Baroke, originally founded in 2012, was relaunched in 2025 as a vinyl bar and listening room within South Mumbai’s Krishna Palace Hotel. “The concept was inspired by vinyl bars in New York discovered during the promoter’s travels,” said Dharmendra Singh, general manager at Krishna Palace.
Baroke features an audiophile-grade sound system imported from the US and a headphone-only listening section called ‘Side B’ for solitary listening. Unlike club formats, it operates on a curated weekly music calendar—ranging from jazz and R&B early in the week to rock and R D Burman vinyl nights mid-week, and more electronic, groove-led formats on weekends.
The crowd typically falls in the 25–40 age bracket, with weekends running at full capacity and weekdays averaging around 70 per cent occupancy. Vinyl records, priced at ₹4,000–5,000 apiece, are imported from the US, UK and Germany, with the venue housing over 350 original pressings.
While Baroke does not plan aggressive expansion, it continues to invest in building its music library and hosting curated listening events with artists and international DJs, including discussions to bring a well-known New York-based artist in the near future.
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