our story
Karak chaii brought us together. A spice, a kettle and a willingness to slow down — and it built a movement, one steaming cup at a time.
where it began
a sip of the east, on a british high street.
Chaiiwala began in Leicester in 2015 with a simple, almost stubborn idea: bring the cardamom-and-ginger karak our founders grew up with — the cup served in family kitchens and roadside dhabas across South Asia — to the British high street, properly.
No syrups. No shortcuts. A seven-spice blend, whole milk, slow brewing, pulled long the way it’s done back home. The first store opened its doors in Leicester, and the queue made the case. People weren’t just looking for a chaii — they were looking for the cup that meant home.
Ten years on, we’re 115 stores strong across the UK, Canada and growing — pouring over 100 million cups, and still brewing each one the way our founders learned in Mumbai.
the road so far
a decade, one cup at a time.
2015
first store opens
Leicester. The original chaiiwala.
2018
ten stores
A footprint across the Midlands and the north.
2021
fifty stores
The UK falls in love with karak.
2023
canada arrives
First chaiiwala opens outside the UK.
2024
one hundred million cups
Of karak chaii poured since 2015.
2025
foundation launched
Giving back to the communities that built us.
2026
115 UK stores
And counting.
what we stand for
five things we won’t compromise on.
- no.01
authenticity.
We serve what we grew up with — no apologies, no dilution. The karak in your cup is the karak our founders learned to brew in their family kitchens.
- no.02
community.
Every store is a meeting point. Birthdays, baby showers, late nights with friends, quick mid-shift breaks — chaiiwala is the room people choose to be in.
- no.03
craft.
Seven-spice karak. Fluffy naan. Fresh coriander. Hand-rolled samosas. The same kitchen routine in every store, on every plate, every time.
- no.04
hospitality.
Desi warmth — come as you are, stay as long as you like. The cup is on the house if you’ve had a hard day and you just want to sit.
- no.05
impact.
The chaiiwala foundation turns our growth into the community’s good — supporting local causes in every city we open a store.
the chaiiwala way
pulled long. served warm. shared loud.
We’re not a coffee shop with chaii on the side. We’re a karak-first café — built around the cup our founders grew up dunking biscuits into, brewed slow, served hot, finished with whatever the kitchen’s firing that morning.
Karak in the morning, wala wraps at lunch, samosa chaat when you need a moment, gulab jamun when the meal’s asking for a sweet finish. Every dish is from the same family kitchen, plated for the high street.
come say salaam.
115 stores, 100 million cups, one welcome. Pull up a chair — we’re already brewing.