Indian QSR brand Chaiiwala’s global sales jumped by 35% to £89.4m in 2024 as it pushed ahead with a store expansion strategy.
The growth was driven by the brand’s expanding UK and international footprint and the launch of new ‘bolt-on’ menu items and bundles to increase average order values, according to a trading update covering the 52 weeks to 31 December.
The street food brand opened 24 new stores in the period, including 15 in the UK across a variety of formats such as drive-thru sites and travel locations.
Chaiiwala CFO Abdul Piranie told The Grocer its expansion into travel hub and drive-thru formats was “introducing more people to what we have to offer” and winning customers “who traditionally would not have gone to our high street stores”.
Chaiiwala, which has about 105 stores in the UK, 20 in Canada and three in the Middle East, is now targeting 500 openings over the next decade. Piranie said it would also be expanding to the US for the first time, with a site expected to open on the east coast by the first quarter of 2026.
The positive sales momentum continued into 2025, with system sales in the year-to-date up 16%. This was driven by further menu innovations, including the launch of a range of high-protein on-the-go breakfast wraps, more than a million of which were sold in the first 12 weeks, according to the trading statement.
Piranie said appealing to different meal occasions had been a focus for the brand. “Everyone loves Indian food, but Indian street food is becoming a more and more credible option for people, whether it’s breakfast, lunch and potentially in the evening.”
The group has also opened six new stores in 2025, including a new container concept at Watford Gap with a compact, low capex format. Chaiiwala said this would “provide new opportunities for franchisees to scale”, particularly in areas with high footfall, such as service stations, universities and shopping centres.
“It’s less investment and it’s more mobile,” Piranie said, adding that it gave customers “more accessibility and opportunity”.
Speaking as the results were announced today (6 October), Chaiiwala co-founder and CEO Muhummed Ibrahim added: “We are delighted to record another strong year of commercial and strategic progress. 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.
“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. These are really exciting times for Chaiiwala.”
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