Pakistan’s viral tea seller-turned-entrepreneur Arshad Khan’s Café Chaiwala brand has expanded its UK presence with the opening of a new outlet in Sutton, South London.
The brand is planning several more branches across Britain, with further outlets expected to open in the coming weeks as it seeks to introduce Pakistani chai culture and street food to a wider British audience.
The UK expansion is being led by British-Pakistani businessman Asif Khalique, the brand’s UK master franchise holder. Khalique previously launched the Café Chaiwala outlet in Tooting, South London, with his brother Yousuf Khalique in January 2025.
More Café Chaiwala outlets planned
Khalique said the brand was preparing for rapid expansion across London, with new outlets planned in Norbury, Leyton and New Malden.
“We are planning a rapid expansion, with further Café Chaiwala outlets expected as part of efforts to establish the Pakistani café brand across more locations in Britain,” he said.
Khalique said there was strong demand for the brand from customers across the UK and Europe.
He added that the business aimed to bring the taste and atmosphere of Pakistani chai culture to mainstream British audiences.
Chai remains central to the Café Chaiwala menu, which includes Karak Chai, Doodh Patti, Gurr Chai, Kashmiri Chai, Masala Chai, Badami Chai, Honey Malai Chai and Peshawari Kahwa.
Arshad Khan welcomes UK expansion
Arshad Khan welcomed the opening of the Sutton branch and praised Khalique for helping take the brand to new locations.
“I am extremely happy and proud to see Asif Khalique opening another Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan branch in Sutton and taking our brand forward across the UK,” Khan said.
He added that Khalique had demonstrated commitment, hard work and belief in the vision of taking an authentic Pakistani brand to an international audience.
Viral ‘Chaiwala’ Arshad Khan Launches UK Trademark Action Against Former Business Partner
From Islamabad tea stall to international brand
Khan’s rise to fame began in 2016 when photographer Javeria Ali photographed him while he was working as a teenage tea seller at a roadside stall in Islamabad.
The image quickly went viral on social media, turning Khan into an international internet sensation.
He later moved into entrepreneurship and developed the Café Chaiwala brand, which eventually expanded beyond Pakistan.
The brand entered the UK market in June 2023 when its first international franchise outlet opened in Ilford. The Ilford operation was initially run under a franchise arrangement involving Nader Durrani and Yawar Akbar Durrani.
The business expanded further with the opening of the Tooting branch by Asif Khalique and his brother Yousuf in January 2025.
Expansion follows UK legal dispute
The latest expansion comes against the backdrop of a legal dispute involving the original Ilford operation.
Khan and his business partner Syed Kazim Hasan have initiated proceedings at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) seeking to invalidate a figurative trademark registered by former UK business partners Nader Durrani and Yawar Akbar Durrani.
The wider dispute concerns the use of Khan’s name, likeness and Café Chaiwala branding.
According to a claim filed on behalf of Khan and Hasan, the original UK Master Franchise Agreement was signed with Nader and Yawar Akbar Durrani in 2021.
The business relationship later deteriorated amid disagreements concerning royalties, contractual obligations, branding and intellectual-property rights. The applicants say the franchise relationship was formally terminated on April 8, 2025.
Their legal representatives allege that Durrani subsequently applied on August 19, 2025, to register a figurative trademark incorporating Khan’s likeness, more than four months after the alleged termination of the franchise relationship.
Khan and Hasan contend that the application was made without continuing permission to use Khan’s intellectual property and have challenged it under the UK Trade Marks Act.
The filing also alleges that Khan’s likeness continued to be used without authorisation in connection with café businesses in Ilford and Slough.
The legal claims remain part of an ongoing dispute, while Café Chaiwala continues its expansion under the UK franchise operation led by Khalique.
