LONDON: British Pakistani businessman Asif Khaliq has opened the fourth UK branch of Café Arshad Khan Chaiwala in Leyton, East London, as the Pakistani tea brand continues its expansion across Britain.
The new outlet marks another milestone in Khaliq’s efforts to establish the brand, made famous by viral sensation Arshad Khan, in the British market.
The Leyton café follows the opening of branches in Tooting, Sutton and New Malden, expanding the brand’s presence across London and bringing traditional Pakistani tea and food to British Pakistani communities and a wider audience.
Speaking at the opening, Khaliq said the expansion reflected growing demand for authentic Pakistani food, traditional chai and a welcoming café experience among customers from different communities.
“Our aim is to make Café Arshad Khan Chaiwala a household name across Britain. We are delighted to open our fourth branch in Leyton, bringing the authentic taste of Pakistani chai and traditional food to East London,” he said.
Khaliq said the response from customers had been encouraging and that the business planned to open more branches across the United Kingdom.
The café serves traditional Pakistani kadak chai, freshly prepared parathas, Pakistani-style breakfast dishes, snacks and other popular South Asian food. Khaliq said the aim was to recreate the flavours and atmosphere of Pakistani tea culture while offering a modern café experience.
Arshad Khan, whose photograph as a tea seller in Islamabad went viral in 2016, welcomed the expansion under Khaliq’s leadership.
“I am extremely thankful to Asif Khaliq for his dedication, hard work and commitment to expanding Café Arshad Khan Chaiwala across Britain,” Khan said.
He said the expansion was helping introduce authentic Pakistani tea and food to British Pakistani families and the wider British public, adding that he hoped to see more branches open across the UK.
Khan became an international sensation in 2016 after a photograph of him serving tea at a roadside stall in Islamabad went viral. The attention brought him modelling opportunities and television appearances before he established his café business in Pakistan in 2020.
The latest expansion follows legal and commercial disagreements involving the brand’s original UK franchise arrangement. Businessmen Nadir Durrani and Yawar Akbar Durrani opened an outlet in Ilford in 2023.
The relationship later deteriorated amid disagreements over royalties, contractual obligations and intellectual property rights. Khan and his business partner alleged breaches of the franchise agreement and challenged the use of Khan’s name and image. The Durranis disputed the allegations, maintaining that they had independently developed substantial parts of the UK business.
Following the breakdown of the original arrangement, Khaliq became the brand’s UK master franchise holder and led its renewed expansion, with outlets in Tooting, Sutton, New Malden and now Leyton.
