The Accidental Pursuit of Geisha: Why I Queued for Uno! Coffee

One day, while passing by Uno! Coffee at Central Ladprao, my husband pointed it out as the latest trending coffee spot. He’d never tried it himself, put off by the seemingly endless queues. A long queue for a cup of coffee? How many things can Thai people really line up for?

The hook, as it turned out, was the coffee itself: a blend featuring the Geisha (or Gesha) coffee bean, a variety said to be among the most expensive in the world. Uno! Coffee has made this luxurious bean surprisingly accessible in Thailand, and that’s why people were lining up.

On a weekday, seeing a sign that the waiting time was “only” 15 minutes, I decided to take the plunge. The infamous Premium Americano, which features the Geisha blend, was thankfully in stock (it had been sold out on our last visit).

The Experience: The Wait and the Taste

The wait time sign was a little optimistic. There were 10 staff on duty around 12:20 PM, with six of them focused on drink preparation. It took about 10 minutes to place my order, as there was only one cashier, and then another 30 minutes to get my coffee. Forty minutes in total for one cup of Gesha—a true test of patience!

The price was a pleasant surprise. The Premium Americano costs 85 baht, a combination of the standard Americano price (65 baht) plus a 20 baht premium for the special Geisha blend.

Taking that first sip, I was immediately struck by a distinct, fruity aroma. While I’m no coffee connoisseur, I tasted fruity notes with a clean finish. The shop’s description of “fruity, sweet, and floral” with supposed notes of jasmine, black tea, and lemon seemed accurate. Although my palate isn’t strong enough to pick them out, I found the coffee incredibly smooth and balanced. At 0% sweetness, it was exactly what I look for in a good coffee—not too strong, not too light, and perfectly palatable.

I brought a portion home for my husband to try the next morning. While he prefers his coffee to be not-fruity, he liked it and said he wouldn’t mind drinking it again, but not to the extent of queuing for it.

On my second visit to get the infamous coffee for a relative who runs a coffee stall in a province, I thought going in early would cut down the wait, but seeing the line that early had me wondering why there were so many people on a weekday morning. The queue to order took 15 minutes, and the cashier indicated the wait for the drink would be another 15 minutes. It ended up being 25 minutes after placing my order, making the total wait 40 minutes again. It seems the wait time signs are a bit of a lowball; the cashier’s estimate of +5 minutes, and the actual wait being +10 minutes more, seems to be a reliable pattern. On this second visit, I actually walked around and came back, rather than waiting in front of the counter.

It turns out that my relative already has the Geisha blend on their menu, selling it for 75 baht. She commented that Uno!’s price of 85 baht is actually quite cheap, given the additional operating costs for a larger chain compared to her small stall. So, it seems Geisha isn’t new news after all; Uno! just created a buzz through their marketing.

The Gesha Craze: Good Coffee and Smart Marketing

The queues at Uno! Coffee are a fascinating case study in marketing. While pure genetic Geisha coffee can go for over 90 baht per cup in a cafe and much more for higher grades, Uno! Coffee never claims to use the most expensive or highest-grade beans. They have even shown on their Facebook page that they use beans like the Cafe Granja La Esperanza’s Geisha Natural Dragon Dorado. This is a crucial point, as a video I reviewed explains that not all Geisha coffee is the same; there are different qualities and prices. For example, some commercial-grade Brazilian and Ethiopian Geisha beans cost around 1,100 to 1,200 baht per kilogram, while high-end Panama Geisha can cost over 10,500 baht per kilogram.

Their success seems to be a perfect execution of the classic marketing mix, the 4 Ps:

• Product: They offer a premium, highly sought-after ingredient (Geisha) that no one else is providing at this price point.
• Price: By offering a Gesha blend at just 85 baht, they create a product that is perceived as having incredible value, making it a “must-try” and a social media sensation.
• Place: With strategic locations in high-traffic shopping centers like Central Ladprao and CentralwOrld, they ensure a constant stream of potential customers. The brand’s rapid expansion, from its first branch in late May to four branches in four months, highlights the success of this strategy.
• Promotion: The long queues themselves become a form of viral promotion. This, combined with strong word-of-mouth and user-generated content, drives demand.

Interestingly, as I listened to the customers ordering, it was clear that not everyone was there for the Geisha blend. Some were simply drawn in by the buzz and ended up ordering other drinks, such as their Signature drinks selling at 90 baht, which likely make up a significant portion of the profit margin.

It’s a great reminder to be a smart consumer. While it’s fun to jump on a trend, it’s also important to understand what you’re really consuming, as not all viral moments are created equal. In this case, Uno! Coffee provides an accessible and genuinely good product, proving that a successful launch isn’t just about the hype.

For the true coffee connoisseur, you may also want to check out the Casa Lapin Geisha coffee. They recently launched a Costa Rica Geisha coffee—Hacienda Copey—on July 31st, retailing at 200 baht per cup with taste notes of jasmine, bergamot, peach, honey, and earl grey. The higher price could be reflective of a better grade Geisha bean, but only you can tell!

For more information, you can check out this video that discusses different Geisha beans and their prices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh_OAcXc9Bs

Here are the UNO! Coffee locations:

• Central Ladprao, 1st floor (10:00 – 21:00)
• Major Ratchayothin, Avenue Zone (08:00 – 17:00)
• CentralWorld, Offices Zone, 1st floor (08:00 – 17:00)
• Maneeya Center Building, 3rd floor (connected to BTS Chidlom, Exit 2) (08:00 – 16:30)