New Delhi: Pakistan’s famous blue-eyed tea seller is set to expand his business in London. Over eight years, Arshad Khan, more commonly known as Arshad Chaiwala has transformed from a local celebrity in 2016, to an international business entrepreneur, opening cafes in London.
He became an internet sensation when Pakistani photographer Jiah Ali published his photo on Instagram in 2016. At the time, Khan was a tea seller in Islamabad. The photo led to Khan’s transition into becoming a model and entrepreneur with a chain of cafes in Pakistan called Café Chaiwala. It has branches in Islamabad, Murree, and Lahore.
The tea seller’s fame crossed boundaries and brought him to the notice of the Badshah of Bollywood himself, Shah Rukh Khan in 2016. The Bollywood actor posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) where Arshad claimed he resembled Shah Rukh Khan.
Artist Sid Mr Rapper released a song called Chai in 2019 inspired by the entrepreneur’s life. The video features Khan, and in this fictional retelling, he’s a chaiwala in Dubai.
In a recent interview with Digital Pakistan, Arshad Khan said he did not even know of the photo that made him famous. “See, I did not have any idea of the photo. I did not even use a mobile phone,” Khan said in the interview. “In the early days, I earned 65 [Pakistani] rupees a day… In 2016, at the time [of the photo], I was earning 365 [Pakistani] rupees a day.”
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International ambitions
When he realised he was ‘famous’, he was quite confused over the response to the image. But he had the street smarts to make the most of it. As his legions of fans grew he created his brand ‘Arshad Chaiwala’, which has now gone global. Khan in his interview asserted that within six months, no brand has gone global from Pakistan.
“Opening my cafe in Islamabad, I could spend my life well. I launched my brand because I wanted our country [Pakistan] to be recognised in the world…It was my aim to do business, to help our people do business,” he added.
On his international ambitions, Khan announced that agreements for ten more cafes in London have been finalised. The first cafe in London was opened in July 2023, in Ilford Lane.
The 24-year-old also made it clear that when he is ready to be married, he will inform his fans. He denied being involved with anyone romantically, despite the numerous offers he has received since becoming famous.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)