Chayos – A unique concept for tea lovers

January 24, 2014
1,453 Comments

The humble tea has finally made
its way to the Indian market. With coffee outlets mushrooming at every corner,
tea lovers are left with no choice but to settle for the usual chai stalls in
small lanes of the city. Though there are high end restaurants that do serve a
regular cuppa to make a common man’s day glorified, small tea outlets are
something that every tea lover is searching.

The search is now finally over
with a snazzy outlet Chayos opened in the pristine hub of Galleria in Gurgaon.
With a large variety of tea flavors, this tea outlet is here to stay. Already
running successfully with two centers, at DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon and Infospace
SEZ (near Udyog Vihar), the newly opened outlet in the main market of galleria
has already started acquiring footfalls. The serene environment at Chayos makes
it the perfect place to study or read a book while sipping an aromatic cup of
tea.

The founders Nitin Saluja
and Raghav Verma who left their plush jobs as engineers ventured into this
niche market to add flavors to the pallets of tea drinkers. An IIT Bombay
Graduate, Nitin Saluja joined hands with IIT Delhi graduate Raghav Verma who
are both tea lovers felt the need to tickle the taste buds of Delhi with the
most versatile drink of the common man, Tea.
However, prior to opening the outlet, there
were many factors involved for decision-making that resulted in Chayos. When it comes to sourcing teas and equipment, what is most
important is maintaining our highest levels of quality. When choosing their suppliers, the freshness of ingredients is very important. All their sourcing is
done keeping this in mind – for example, they use fresh tulsi sourced from
Uttarakhand and their cinnamon from Kerala (both of these are accepted as the
best sources for these ingredients in India).

As far as the interiors are concerned,
their focus was to create a space that could serve multiple purposes – that of a
formal meeting point, a corporate team gathering, an after- college hangout
joint or a family get-together. Their setting is very Indian yet contemporary. They spent a good deal of time doing their research and finally went in for suppliers
whom they could trust with their quality and service specifications.

They opened their first outlet in
2011 that gathered a huge fan following and are planning to further open 10 more chai–cafes in the city by this year end.On asking Raghav about choose tea
over coffee as a food services retailer, he says, “ As Indians, tea is our
native beverage; Yet tea has not been given its due. Outside of home, the
only options available are the ‘thelas’ and machine-chai made with powdered
ingredients and artificial flavors. We felt there was a gap in the market for
freshly prepared teas combined with a relaxed ambience, which people could use
as a meeting point. Besides, the coffee market is already extremely crowded
whereas the tea market is largely untapped.”
“Experiments with Chai” is the
tag line that Chayos follows. And I couldn’t disagree with that. The outlet can
make any tea hater love tea. The 25 different varieties speak of the
versatility Chaoyos has. The usual meri waali chai has the effervescent Adrak,
Tulsi, Kali Mirch Chai which is composed of 25 ml milk and half sugar which tastes
truly heavenly.

If the usual tea seems less
interesting, try the Aam Papad Chai or Hari Mirch Chai, Kadak Chai or Irani
chai. Gods Chai (Kangra masala tea) is a green tea with over 20 herbs and
spices, including kali mirch, laung, cinnamon and rose petals. The Hari Mirch
Chai made with real green chillies, a dash of ginger and chai masala would
entice the spicy palette. If sweet n sour is your calling, the Aam Papad Chai
should be tried. Made with Darjeeling first flush, it is brewed with sweet aam
papad dissolved in water and enhanced with a lemon wedge. Chayos has space for
the non-tea lovers too. For the health freaks, the Mint and Lemon Green Tea
made with fresh mint leaves and lemon juice kick starts the day is truly
heavenly. For those who seek something mild, the Rose Cardamom Tea is the
perfect choice. Made with Darjeeling first flush brew, it has cardamom boiled
with water, and a hint of rose water added to the concoction.

Indian specialty teas like God’s
chai and Pahadi chai, and exotic teas like Moroccan Mint and Camomile tea are
truly devoured by anyone who loves tea.The most admirable feature of
this outlet is the ambiance which has a homely feeling. The entrance gives an
open kitchen appearance with few tables and chairs. A blackboard on the wall
has the cutest drawing on tea with a quote saying “How do you like your chai?”
Who said a small talk could not be enjoyed over a cup of tea. The place is the
perfect pick for a lazy Sunday tea session with close friends.
Conversations can best be enjoyed
over your favorite cup with tit bits to munch upon. Light snacks like a Kadhai Paneer sandwich with
tomato chilly served with a yogurt-based dip suits well with a God’s Chai. Or
if your taste buds want something more autherntic, try the Vada Pav with
hari chutney that would go well with a pahadi chai.

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