You may recall not too long ago Chaiwala Colombo, a humble tea truck launched their initiative with a bang. It was quite literally a sensation online, with long lines of people waiting to get their hands on a cup of tea. Many of them were braving the awful April weather.
In the past year we have witnessed numerous startups such as this come and go, and while they showed great promise the pandemic was harsh on everyone and we were slightly doubtful on how they were going to manage to stay afloat, especially considering how the entire business model relied on hospitality and enjoying a cuppa with a friend in the outdoors.
Regardless, Chaiwala continued to build their brand and kept getting bigger and bigger. There was a lot of buzz about how Chaiwala Colombo has made a breakthrough launch in Sri Lanka and being the pioneers in introducing the authentic street food chai concept in the island.
Chaiwala Colombo founders – an airline pilot and five of his best friends were on an ambitious mission to create a successful business with a plan to take a Sri Lankan brand globally. It would appear that they’ve in fact taken a few more steps in the right direction.
Within just a very short period of time, largely thanks to a massive community that came together to support the initiate the brand is now located in five different locations – at Marine Drive (Caligo Sports), Havelock (Blues basketball court), Dehiwela (Frazer Avenue – pick up point) and now at One Galle Face (food court on LG20).
Dropping by at the launch event in One Galle Face on 20 November, it was evident to all present that Chaiwala is quite beloved and there’s plenty of chai enthusiasts ready to support the brand as they move forward.
The guys behind the scenes at Chaiwala Colombo shared that all though the journey has not been easy with enormous challenges faced with the Covid-19 pandemic continuously hindering momentum, they shared that they weren’t deterred and knew they had to keep moving on, with all the support from their fellow islanders, they were able to reach these heights. They also shared that they have since seen many other brands coming up in this way and or are trying to follow the same footsteps, and they said that they greatly encourage and admire these brands and wish them all the best.
With regards to their decision to open up a stall at One Galle Face specifically, Chaiwala Colombo Director Shehan Sameen stated: “With our vision to take a Sri Lankan brand global, this is a micro level stratagem to have our presence strong locally to cater to all levels of customers and this is why we have an outlet now in OGF, with many more to come.”
If you are a tea enthusiast, or even if you have tried Chaiwala Colombo’s tea before or not, now you know where to find them. We were sure to try one of their signature items, the Tandoori Chai, which has become one of our favourites since we first had it, and it’s just ideal for any time of the day. If you are ever around, strolling through One Galle Face, don’t forget to stop by Chaiwala Colombo.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chaiwalacolombo/?hl=en
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chaiwalacolombo
In the past year we have witnessed numerous startups such as this come and go, and while they showed great promise the pandemic was harsh on everyone and we were slightly doubtful on how they were going to manage to stay afloat, especially considering how the entire business model relied on hospitality and enjoying a cuppa with a friend in the outdoors.
Regardless, Chaiwala continued to build their brand and kept getting bigger and bigger. There was a lot of buzz about how Chaiwala Colombo has made a breakthrough launch in Sri Lanka and being the pioneers in introducing the authentic street food chai concept in the island.
Chaiwala Colombo founders – an airline pilot and five of his best friends were on an ambitious mission to create a successful business with a plan to take a Sri Lankan brand globally. It would appear that they’ve in fact taken a few more steps in the right direction.
Within just a very short period of time, largely thanks to a massive community that came together to support the initiate the brand is now located in five different locations – at Marine Drive (Caligo Sports), Havelock (Blues basketball court), Dehiwela (Frazer Avenue – pick up point) and now at One Galle Face (food court on LG20).
Dropping by at the launch event in One Galle Face on 20 November, it was evident to all present that Chaiwala is quite beloved and there’s plenty of chai enthusiasts ready to support the brand as they move forward.
The guys behind the scenes at Chaiwala Colombo shared that all though the journey has not been easy with enormous challenges faced with the Covid-19 pandemic continuously hindering momentum, they shared that they weren’t deterred and knew they had to keep moving on, with all the support from their fellow islanders, they were able to reach these heights. They also shared that they have since seen many other brands coming up in this way and or are trying to follow the same footsteps, and they said that they greatly encourage and admire these brands and wish them all the best.
With regards to their decision to open up a stall at One Galle Face specifically, Chaiwala Colombo Director Shehan Sameen stated: “With our vision to take a Sri Lankan brand global, this is a micro level stratagem to have our presence strong locally to cater to all levels of customers and this is why we have an outlet now in OGF, with many more to come.”
If you are a tea enthusiast, or even if you have tried Chaiwala Colombo’s tea before or not, now you know where to find them. We were sure to try one of their signature items, the Tandoori Chai, which has become one of our favourites since we first had it, and it’s just ideal for any time of the day. If you are ever around, strolling through One Galle Face, don’t forget to stop by Chaiwala Colombo.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/chaiwalacolombo/?hl=en
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chaiwalacolombo