As a person who loves to drink tea, I held a huge fascination to drink tea from the tea glass in road side shops. But the lingering cigarette smell, and the courage to wade through the crowd have deterred me. Thanks to Chai Kings, today, I am able to experience a variety of teas that are reasonably priced in my favourite, clanky tea glasses. Jahabar Sadique and Balaji Sadagopan, perhaps, saw this opportunity and started Chai Kings that offers not just tea but an experience. In a candid conversation at Super Chennai Arattai, Jahabar shared his insights about business, culture and scaling a brand.
After leaving their corporate jobs, both Jahabar and Balaji had ventured into franchise models and collaborated with brands like Tony and Guy, Green Trends and Subway. Yet, the entrepreneurial fire in Balaji convinced Jahabar to start Chai Kings with him. “The initial three months were a disaster,” points out Jahabar. Customers were a bit hesitant to get into the store and the ones who stepped in immediately went out after hearing the price (Rs 20 per cup). Some even questioned the word ‘Chai” and walked away. There were days when Jahabar and Balaji stood outside their outlet and had chai for hours to advertise their brand. Yet it was curiosity of Chennai people that has made Chai Kings a brand from the city.
Consistency over anything
Customers and their expectations have been central to Chai Kings operations. With over 55 outlets in the city, the taste of tea remains same across. To ensure this, Chai Kings maintains consistency in its ingredients. They avoid making changes to their recipes or the process, even if it might help in cost reductions. “I believe consistency is the key,” points out Jahabar. This consistency has translated into steady expansion, with plans to open around 40 more outlets in Chennai alone. This growth is driven not by aggressive marketing or flashy branding, but by taste, word-of-mouth recommendations along with careful menu curation tailored to each location. Each market, in Chennai and beyond, is treated like a first store.
Chennai’s inclusive ethos reflects in Chai Kings’ operations too. The Neelankarai outlet employs people with special challenges. Starting with just six hires, they now make up about 12 per cent of staff, with several rising to shift and café manager roles.
Flask-The game changer
While chai has always been part of daily rhythm, stepping out for a break isn’t always feasible. Earlier there were office boys who used to fill flasks of tea. But with IT boom, slowly that culture waded off. Recognising this, Chai Kings experimented early with delivery through a flask format. However, adoption was limited as customers were hesitant to pay for chai in bulk. But when food delivery platforms gained traction, the flask became an instant hit as it retained heat and ensured quality.
Rather than reinventing habits, Chai Kings understood the city and carved a space for itself.