The moments of quaffing and conversing about life and its race and cherishing bits and chimes down the memory lane, are the most refreshing moments. You don’t want to drive miles and spend loud just to peace out and get a pat on shoulder to carry on.
Wines and beverages are possessions to be held gently, you need to be the royale for the moment and give your finesse in every sip you maneuver in your breath and down the neck. That’s how you conquer the taste of every drip, the grapes and the blend had to offer.
But there’s more to the requisites if you want to master the art and capture every grain of delight, you are missing the ambience and the aura, that are needed to add felicity and musings to the distillery. It’s something hard to find, creating your own little space of rejuvenation where you can calm down and compose with your preferred brew.
Raghav thought the same, he had his own little bistro, which was appreciated, admired and desired by every visitor that laid eyes on, but difficult to create one for self. And with the love to share the experience of the ambience and aura and glee of the quaff, he initiated BarMoneky.
BarMonkey, an online store that delivers well crafted and finest quality bar furniture, galssware and related products at reasonable prices and it’s being manged and run by a small team of 3 dedicated people.
We had an opportunity to get in conversation with Raghav Kohli, the Founder and learn more about this innovative idea of BarMonkey.
How did this all start? How did you come up with the idea of bar related furniture and products? And why the name Barmonkey?
As consumers, we’re always looking for innovative products and better service. On countless occasions, I’ve wondered why some product or service I’m looking for is not available.
Back in college, I designed a bar for my home and a lot of people who visited complimented it and asked where they could find one. I realized there may be plenty of people like me who didn’t want to buy one of the mass produced ones from the store. In addition to this, finding the right kind of accessories and the essentials for stocking the bar involved quite some running around. I launched Barmonkey because I knew there was a market for it.
I looked for something I was interested in, where I could add value and where there were enough customers. The point is to set up something good and then make sure everyone knows about it.
Are the Furnitures, Glasssware and other products manufactured in-house? Or have you tied up with different units? Or are these imported?
The furniture is manufactured in-house using premium quality reclaimed teak wood. The furniture at Barmonkey is inspired by the craftsmanship of antique pieces and is handmade with meticulous attention to detail.
Our merchandise is carefully curated and sourced from various parts of the country. The idea is to retail products that have a distinct personality, unlike what’s being sold in the mass market.
Bar products are delicate and lavish stuffs, so shipping is a major concern, Have you tied up with some logistics and courier services for the shipping?
When we launched we were shipping local only (Delhi NCR) for which we had a couple of delivery boys. After a while we started receiving orders for bar accessories from across the country and have now partnered with a logistics firm.
Do you also take orders for creating customized labeled products, for corporates or hoteliers?
We’re not in the corporate gifting space, but we do create customized bars for homes and we’ve made a few bespoke units so far. Some people have very specific ideas for their bar, so we design around that, give them a few options and then build a new piece from scratch. We’re also going over the possibility of designing for a couple of pubs.
How has been the response so far?
We’ve been in operation for only about three months and the response has been terrific so far. We’re doing about 50 orders a month and we’ve only just started shipping nationally, so we expect that number to increase.
We’re targeting young people who like to unwind at home and a lot of them are now investing time in creating the right kind of space. With the cocktail hour gradually shifting to private spaces, one can now shop for their favorite party-starters at the convenience of a click.
What are your future plans for Barmonkey?
We are going to be significantly expanding our product portfolio. We will not only be adding a variety of products to the existing categories, but will also be adding new categories of products such as vintage collectibles and themed bars. Hopefully, we will be one of the largest online stores for bar products and furniture in the next couple of years with a presence across the country. As a young startup, we’re also looking to work with mentors from the industry who are experienced in nurturing startups into successful and profitable businesses.
