At more than 100 sites across the UK, 20+ in Canada, and a handful in Dubai, Chaiiwala serves authentic and carefully brewed Karak chaii and unique, high-quality street food bursting with traditional flavours.
Its fresh and high-protein meals make Chaiiwala highly accessible throughout the day – from egg roti wraps in the morning to Bombay Bowls and Toasties throughout the day and a compelling sweet treat and dessert offering in the evening. Group sales are split evenly between food and drink, with more 100m+ cups of chaii served to date.
A focus on authenticity is central to the brand. Chaiiwala makes its dishes from closely-guarded recipes inspired by Indian home-cooking. In addition, adhering to Fair Trade principles which focus on job creation and building communities, the Group partners with dedicated tea gardens in Assam, India, which grow, pick and craft its tea to serve authentic and high-quality chaii tea to consumers at a variety of destinations, from local high streets to key retail destinations such as shopping centres and drive-thrus.
Led by its three co-founders, Chaiiwala is executing an ambitious expansion strategy to scale up to 500 global locations over the next 10 years. This includes significantly expanding its footprint in the UK and Canada with its existing multi-site franchisees, and exploring new international markets, including the US, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In the year to 31 December 2024, Chaiiwala delivered strong top-line growth, with global system sales increasing by 35% to £89.4m. The brand’s strong financial performance was driven by its expanding UK and international footprint and the launch of new ‘bolt-on’ menu items and bundles to increase average order values.
New store openings form a critical part of Chaiiwala’s ambitious expansion strategy, with the Group targeting 500 openings over the next decade as it aims to cement its position as the global leader in accessible Indian street food.
In the Period, Chaiiwala opened 24 new stores, including 15 in the UK, including new flagships in strategically important formats and locations. This included its second drive-thru site in Mellor Brook, just outside of Blackburn, and new travel locations at London Luton Airport and Birmingham Airport. Internationally, the Group also expanded its presence in the UAE, with a new opening in Al Barsh, Dubai, and a flagship location at the University of Calgary. The variety of formats and location types will enable Chaiiwala to unlock valuable insights that will help inform and optimise the next phase of its global expansion strategy.
At a product level, Chaiiwala served more than 9 million cups of freshly brewed Karak chaii. A cornerstone of its proposition, Chaiiwala continues to work with its tea partners in Assam, India, to ensure its Karak chaii is truly world-class at all locations around the globe.
Meanwhile, more than 750,000 Wala wraps – Chaiiwala’s famous naan wraps perfect for lunch or dinner – were served. In addition to main menu items, Chaiiwala has continued to focus on new product and menu innovation, adding new ‘Street Snacks’ and sides in the Period, helping to increase average order values and drive repeat visits.