To launch your own coffee brand in Sri Lanka, lock down supply, compliance, and roast‑to‑retail execution from day one. Register a Pvt Ltd with the Registrar of Companies, get your TIN from the Inland Revenue Department, and obtain local authority Food Business Registration for your roasting/packing site; add HACCP/ISO 22000 to win modern‑trade listings and export. Source green beans from high‑elevation Sri Lankan estates (Kandy, Matale, Uva) or import under HS 0901 with Sri Lanka Customs and NPQS clearance; contract‑roast with a certified plant or install a 1–5 kg roaster (afterburner recommended in urban zones). Use foil laminates with one‑way valves, nitrogen flush, and heat seals; rest roasted coffee 24–48 hours; target water activity <0.60 and document SCA cupping, color, moisture, and roast loss (12–18%) for QC and costing. Label to the Food (Labelling and Advertising) Regulations 2020: product name, net quantity, batch/DOM/BBE, ingredients, origin, address, storage, and any claims, in required national languages, plus GS1 barcodes. Price for 45–60% gross margin by channel; offer 250 g/1 kg SKUs, whole bean and grind options. List with Keells/Cargills, sell on Daraz and D2C subscriptions, and use QR traceability and wholesale Horeca to scale. Use “Ceylon coffee” only for Sri Lankan‑grown beans.
