The now particularly popular cafe “Sattar Buksh” was launched in 2013 in Karachi by entrepreneurs Rizwan Ahmed Malik and Adnan Yousuf. Its rise can be traced to the aversion people have of Zionist brands—leading to a resurgence of promoting national brands. This cafe takes a western concept and “Pakistanifies” it with a desi sense of humour. Its brand name sounds like a common Pakistani name but echoes “Starbucks” is a deliberately subtle way and the man featured in the logo resembles someone you’ll see out and about on the roads.
But this desi humour didn’t resonate with Starbucks who sued the cafe for infringing its global trademark. “They were pretending to be us,” Starbucks argued in court filings. “We never wanted to pass ourselves off as Starbucks,” co-founder Rizwan Ahmed Malik said. “This was always about creating something uniquely Pakistani, with a wink and a smile.” As revolutionary as it sounds the “Sattar Buksh” due actually won the case against this global giant cementing their resilience.
