Chai Kings
Chai Kings is a Chennai-based chai retail chain operating 60+ Company Owned Company Operated outlets across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. Founded in 2016, it serves urban working professionals with traditional chai, snacks, event catering, corporate snack boxes, and the Coffee Theory and Boba Brews sub-brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersChennai, India
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Chai Kings does
Chai Kings is a Chennai-headquartered chai retail chain founded in 2016 by co-founders Balaji Sadagopan and Jahabar Sadique (CEO), operating 60+ Company Owned Company Operated (COCO) outlets across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. The company sells traditional and contemporary chai variants (milk, black, herbal, and iced), Indian snacks, plus two newer sub-brands — Coffee Theory (premium espresso-based coffee) and Boba Brews (bubble tea with tapioca and popping boba) — through dine-in, takeaway, and Swiggy/Zomato delivery. Complementary revenue lines include event catering (300+ menu items, packages from ₹25 per guest), custom corporate snack boxes (from ₹50 per box), and a flask-branding advertising platform used by HDFC, Kotak, Reliance, Amazon, and Maersk.
The underlying technology footprint is intentionally minimal: no proprietary platform, no own consumer app, and integration only through third-party delivery aggregators (Swiggy, Zomato) and WhatsApp for bookings. The business model combines high-volume per-cup retail pricing (chai from ₹15) with per-guest catering, per-box corporate gifting, and B2B advertising on packaging. The customer base is dominated by urban working professionals aged 19–39, supplemented by students, event hosts, and enterprise catering clients. To date, Chai Kings has raised approximately $4.3M across three rounds, most recently a $3M Series A in March 2025 from packaged tea manufacturer A.V. Thomas and Co., which is funding the next phase of store expansion, supply-chain build-out, and product-line diversification.
Chai Kings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chai Kings
- Legal name
- Chai Kings
- Website
- https://chaikings.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Chai Kings is a Chennai-based chai retail chain operating 60+ Company Owned Company Operated outlets across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. Founded in 2016, it serves urban working professionals with traditional chai, snacks, event catering, corporate snack boxes, and the Coffee Theory and Boba Brews sub-brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Chai Kings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chennai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Chai Kings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retail Store Sales: Revenue from in-store purchases of chai, coffee, snacks, and beverages across 50+ outlets in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. Sales include dine-in and takeaway options.
- Online Delivery: Revenue from delivery orders placed through Swiggy and Zomato platforms. Chai Kings offers flask deliveries (250ml, 500ml, 1000ml) and snack boxes for online orders.
- Event Catering Services: Catering services for weddings, corporate events, exhibitions, and private gatherings. Packages include live chai counters, snacks, and full-service staffing. Minimum order of 50 guests.
- Brand Collaboration and Flask Advertising: Co-branding partnerships where brands advertise on chai flasks, snack boxes, and in-store displays. Trusted by HDFC Bank, Kotak Bank, Reliance, Amazon, Maersk, and film promotion campaigns.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Kutty Samosa - Bite-sized crispy samosa |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Event Catering Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Corporate Snack Boxes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Boba Brews Bubble Tea |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Coffee Theory Premium Coffee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Chai Kings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chai Kings is a Chennai-based specialty chai retail chain operating 50+ company-owned outlets across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. It sells traditional and contemporary chai varieties, snacks, premium coffee (Coffee Theory sub-brand), and bubble tea (Boba Brews sub-brand) through dine-in, takeaway, online delivery (Swiggy and Zomato), event catering, and corporate snack box services.
Product overview
Chai Kings is a Chennai-based chai retail chain operating on a Company Owned Company Operated (COCO) model with 60+ outlets across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. The core product is traditional and contemporary chai (Milk Chai, Black Chai, Herbal Chai, Ice Chai). The portfolio includes sub-brands Boba Brews (bubble tea with tapioca pearls and popping boba) and Coffee Theory (premium espresso-based coffees including Cappuccino, Latte, Americano, Mocha). Complementary offerings include Chai Flask Delivery (250ml-1000ml sizes), Event Catering Services (300+ menu items, live counters, high-tea setups), Custom Snack Boxes for corporate gifting, and a Loyalty Program (5% reward points). Additional services include In-Store Radio Advertising, Flask Branding co-branding platform, and Chai Kings Studio cultural initiative. Products are available for dine-in, takeaway, and online delivery via Swiggy and Zomato.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Coffee Theory: Premium gourmet coffee brand offering handcrafted espresso-based beverages including Latte, Cappuccino, Mocha, and Americano. Available at select Chai Kings outlets across Chennai, Coimbatore, and Hyderabad.
- Boba Brews
Products and services
- Chai Kings Core Chai Offering Core chai menu including Milk Chai (Masala, Ginger, Dum, Zafrani), Black Chai (Ginger Lemon, Lemon, Sulaimani), Herbal Chai (Tulasi, Green, Hibiscus), and Ice Chai varieties. Brewed with quality ingredients and served at 50+ outlets across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore, with dine-in, takeaway, and online delivery options.
- Boba Brews Bubble Tea Bubble tea concept featuring milk bubble teas (Thai Red Tea, Chocolate Tea, Mocha Tea, Taro Tea, Japanese Matcha Tea) and fruit boba teas (Passion Fruit, Lychee, Green Honeydew, Strawberry, Mango) with customizable toppings including tapioca pearls and popping boba. Available at select Chai Kings outlets.
- Coffee Theory Premium gourmet coffee sub-brand offering handcrafted espresso-based beverages including Italian Black Collection (Espresso, Café Macchiato, Café Americano), creamy café-style hot coffees (Cappuccino, Latte, Mocha), and refreshing iced coffees. Available at select Chai Kings outlets in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Hyderabad.
- Event Catering Services Full-service event catering for weddings, corporate events, exhibitions, fundraisers, and private celebrations across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. Includes live chai counters, high-tea setups, and 300+ menu items for vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Packages start from ₹25 per person with a minimum order of 50 guests.
- Custom Snack Boxes Custom-branded snack boxes for corporate gifting and bulk orders including masala peanuts, chips, sandwiches, samosas, puffs, chocolates, and beverages. Starting at ₹50 per box, customizable for corporate branding. Trusted by Amazon (3,800 boxes in 2025) and Maersk (7,500 boxes for three consecutive years).
- Chai Flask Delivery Chai delivery service offering flask sizes of 250ml, 500ml, and 1000ml available through online delivery via Swiggy and Zomato, as well as office daily/flask subscriptions. Steel flasks available for recurring office deliveries to keep chai fresh and hot for hours.
- Flask Branding Advertising Platform Advertising platform featuring branded chai flasks, paper cups, and snack boxes delivered to homes and offices, serving brands in BFSI, OTT, FMCG, Health, and Entertainment sectors. Reaches 6+ lakh monthly impressions with the 19-39 urban demographic.
- In-Store Radio Advertising Curated Tamil music playlist (Ilayaraja, A.R. Rahman classics) played across Chai Kings outlets including 24-hour locations. Offers radio ad slots for external brands to reach an engaged urban audience through in-store audio advertising.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves 2+ million cups of chai monthly
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Chai Kings
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Chai Kings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Chai Kings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Reliance DigitalcoreCo-branding partnership for Chill Fest campaign featuring AC @ ₹1 promotion on Chai Kings takeaway flasks. Second campaign partnership between the brands.
- MaerskcoreLong-term corporate client ordering custom branded snack boxes for annual celebrations. 7,500 boxes fulfilled for 3 consecutive years with branded packaging and on-time delivery.
- AmazoncoreCorporate client that placed first bulk order of 3,800 snack boxes with premium snacks and beverages customized for corporate requirements.
- SwiggycoreOnline food delivery platform partner enabling chai flask and snack delivery across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore.
- ZomatocoreOnline food delivery platform partner for chai delivery and takeaway orders across operational cities.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Chai Kings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chaayos: India's largest organized chai cafe chain with tea, snacks, and beverages across multiple cities. Directly comparable to Chai Kings as a chai-focused cafe chain targeting urban working professionals with dine-in, takeaway, and delivery.
- Chai Point: Indian chai and tea brand offering chai retail outlets plus office tea subscriptions and beverage delivery. Highly comparable business model covering retail cafes, bulk office chai, and packaged tea products.
- Third Wave Coffee: Premium coffee cafe chain rapidly expanding across Indian metros with a Company-Owned/Company-Operated (COCO) growth model. Comparable as a multi-city Indian cafe chain targeting young urban consumers with dine-in, takeaway, and delivery.
- Tea Junction: Tea cafe chain in India offering tea variants alongside snacks in a quick-service cafe format. Directly comparable as a tea-led cafe chain in the same organized chai retail space.
Broad incumbents
- Cafe Coffee Day: India's largest cafe chain with thousands of outlets nationwide. Comparable as a mass-market Indian cafe chain targeting the same urban young-adult demographic, though focused on coffee rather than chai.
- Barista (Lavazza): India-focused cafe chain now part of Lavazza, offering espresso-based beverages, snacks, and casual dine-in. Comparable cafe format and Indian urban footprint, though coffee-led rather than chai-led.
- Tata Starbucks: Joint venture between Tata and Starbucks operating premium coffee cafes in Indian metros. Comparable as an established multi-city Indian cafe chain with dine-in, takeaway, and delivery, but a global premium brand.
- Indian Coffee House: Iconic legacy Indian cafe chain with hundreds of outlets serving filter coffee and snacks. Comparable as a long-running Indian cafe chain with a strong regional cultural identity, though state-society operated rather than VC-funded.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chai Kings social profiles
Digital presenceChai Kings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chai Kings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Chai Kings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chai Kings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chai Kings
What does Chai Kings do?
Chai Kings is a Chennai-based specialty chai retail chain operating 50+ company-owned outlets across Chennai, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. It sells traditional and contemporary chai varieties, snacks, premium coffee (Coffee Theory sub-brand), and bubble tea (Boba Brews sub-brand) through dine-in, takeaway, online delivery (Swiggy and Zomato), event catering, and corporate snack box services.
Is Chai Kings a public or private company?
Chai Kings is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Chai Kings founded?
Chai Kings was founded in 2016. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Chai Kings based?
Chai Kings is headquartered in Chennai, India, in the Asia region.
How does Chai Kings make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Store Sales are the primary driver. The others are online Delivery, event Catering Services and brand Collaboration and Flask Advertising.
Who are Chai Kings's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chaayos, Chai Point, Third Wave Coffee and Tea Junction. Broad incumbents are Cafe Coffee Day, Barista (Lavazza), Tata Starbucks and Indian Coffee House.
Does Chai Kings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chai Kings.