Chai cafe with snacks
Open a small cafe serving masala and karak chai with samosas, bun maska and other snacks.
- £15k-60k
- Full-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
Official data
345 active UK companies have “chai” in their name, 64% registered since 2024
Name search “company names containing “chai””. Source: Companies House, November 2026.
What it is
A small cafe built around freshly brewed masala chai and karak tea, served with snacks such as samosas, pakoras, bun maska, parathas or Indian-style toasties. The menu stays short so one or two people can run it.
Your first three steps
- Perfect two or three chai recipes and a short snack menu, then test them with friends and neighbours
- Look at units on busy streets near homes, colleges or offices, and check rent, business rates and the lease terms
- Register the food business with your local council and complete a food hygiene course before opening
Who pays
Local residents, students, office workers, shoppers and families, including South Asian communities who want a familiar cup and anyone curious to try it.
How it makes money
Sales of hot drinks and snacks at a healthy margin, with extra from takeaway cups, loose chai blends, meal-deal combos and evening or weekend trade.
Skills that help
- Brewing consistent chai
- Cooking or sourcing good snacks
- Customer service
- Basic cash and stock control
Watch out for
- Register with your local council at least 28 days before opening, and check hygiene inspection requirements
- Allergen labelling and food hygiene rules (milk, nuts, gluten) apply to every item
- Check planning use class and whether you need permission for a change of use or extraction
- Public liability insurance, plus employer's liability once you hire staff
- Rent, business rates and energy costs can be high, so run the numbers before signing a lease
Deep research report · UK
Everything you need to start: chai cafe with snacks
Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Other ways to run this business
Mobile chai stall or cart
Serve fresh masala chai and snacks from a stall, cart or small trailer at markets and events.
- £1.5k-8k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
Home-made chai blends and chai kits
Blend and sell masala chai mixes and kits online or at local markets, made in a registered home kitchen.
- £300-2k
- Side hustle
- From home
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