Meet the blue-eyed Pakistani chaiwala who now owns a cafe in London

Once an incident or person becomes viral, Internet users remember it. In a similar vein, the chai-wala from Pakistan who became an overnight star has again hit the headlines for his impressive success. Arshad Khan, a blue-eyed tea seller from Pakistan amassed a huge fan-base in 2016 after a photographer named Jiah Ali posted Khan’s picture on her social media handle. Now, almost 7 years later, the popular chai-wala is once again in the news for setting up a café in East London’s Ilford Lane. The area is known for its diverse community, rich history and well-built transportation links.

Khan’s striking blue eyes and moustache coupled with a typical tea-seller’s shirt contributed to the picture’s popularity. Now, after years of struggle, he has finally come up with Cafe Chaiwala Arshad Khan® in bustling East London, an area inhabited majorly by South Asians: Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.

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According to the latest press release by Khan’s café, the place invites people to savour the authentic flavours of real Karak Chai prepared with love and tradition. Another feature to attract customers is the beautifully painted clay pots. Adding to the icing on the cake, the pots can be taken along by customers at home.

Check out the recent press release:

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The post garnered several responses. “Love the matka aesthetics!” said a user. Another wrote: “Alluring. What a sight.”

A third user added: “Absolutely stunning,” while a few commented with red hearts on the post.

Khan’s Instagram bio says the place serves authentic Pakistani karak chai. In addition, it provides Pakistani street food prepared using traditional flavours and not frozen. The place takes immense pride in intermixing traditional and cultural South Asian elements, ranging from truck art, a hand-decorated Vespa and Desi paintings on the walls. The interior is modern and at the same time, gives out a Dhaba feel.

After reaching popularity due to the viral picture, Khan was offered a wide range of work that included modelling gigs and acting jobs based on his looks. As per a report by NDTV, although he didn’t make a career out of the media and entertainment industry, he used the success to open his first-ever cafe in 2020 in Islamabad named ‘Cafe Chaiwala Rooftop’. In an earlier interview with Urdu News, a Saudi Arabian Urdu language-news website, the famous teamaker said that the name ‘chaiwala’ symbolises the journey he has taken and the name is integral to his identity.