Indian street food and café brand Chaiiwala has posted a 35% increase in global system sales as it continues to grow across the UK and internationally.
In its results for the year ending 31 December 2024, Chaiiwala reported sales growth across all markets. It rose from £66.4m in 2023 to £89.4m, with food and beverage each accounting for around half of total revenue.
During the year, the company sold over nine million cups of Karak chaii, an 18% year-on-year increase, along with more than 750,000 Wala wraps.
The company said that introducing new “bolt-on” menu items and bundles, like “street snacks,” also helped boost average order values.
Over the past year, Chaiiwala opened 24 new stores worldwide, including 15 in the UK at locations such as Birmingham Airport, London Luton Airport, and Mellor Brook, Blackburn.
These followed nine international openings in cities including Calgary, Canada, and Al Barsha, Dubai.
Store formats ranged from a drive-thru in Mellor Brook to high-footfall university campus locations, such as the University of Calgary.
The group aims to open 500 stores over the next decade, focusing on existing multi-site franchisees in the UK and Canada while exploring new markets like the US, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Year to date, Chaiiwala has seen a 16% rise in system sales and opened six new stores, including a container concept at Watford Gap designed as a low-capex format for franchisees in high-traffic locations like service stations, universities, and shopping centres.
Muhummed Ibrahim, co-founder and chief executive officer of Chaiiwala, said: “When we first started Chaiiwala, there was a clear gap in the market for quality, on-the-go chaii and traditional Indian flavours that could be enjoyed at all dayparts. We took our passion for street food and chaii and created Chaiiwala from the ground up, bringing a unique and universally loved cuisine into a new format that can provide a delicious alternative to other high-street brands.
“Today, driven by the hard work and commitment of our fantastic teams across the business, we have cemented our position as the leading Indian street food and café brand and have incredible momentum. We have an expanding, global footprint in various formats, a strong network of hugely ambitious franchisees, and bold ideas for how we can keep delivering long-term sustainable growth and become a household name. These are really exciting times for Chaiiwala.”
Founded in Leicester in 2015, Chaiiwala has grown to over 100 sites in the UK, more than 20 in Canada, and a handful in Dubai.