Despite Hyderabad having a centuries old connect with tea, coffee of late has been gaining in popularity. And to get tea back in reckoning, 23-year-old Vikas Reddy decided to open an exclusive tea store called Chai Kahani. Located in Madhapur, the outlet has already grabbed the attention of tea connoisseurs in the city for its variety of teas. Vikas, who is also a graphic designer and a photographer, has always been interested in branding. He says his love for tea and his newfound interest in business led to Chai Kahani.
He wanted not just youngsters but also the middle and old-aged to visit Chai Kahani. “It was easy to connect with people of my age group through social media, but the problem was to connect with older people; as of now word-of-mouth is helping us,” he says. Vikas loves designing and photography as much as his business, and is busy juggling his passions. He is at the store every evening and enjoys interacting with his customers.
“India is one of the largest tea consuming countries in the world and, surprisingly we have very few exclusive tea cafés and lounges; especially in Hyderabad. I wanted tea to be more than something that gets served on the streets or in hotels, I wanted exclusive and modern tea cafes and that’s when I thought of opening Chai Kahani,” he adds.
Brew it or freeze it, with 18 out-of-the-box varieties of tea, Chai Kahani goes with the tagline, Chai Pe Charcha. And like coffee outlets, Vikas believes that tea is engaging and brings people together. “I also want couples to start going on tea dates and not just coffee dates,” he adds with a laugh.
