On a typical Monday or Wednesday afternoon, the scent of cardamom and simmering tea leaves drifts across the Main Quad. The alluring aromas draw curious students toward the modest but buzzing cart of Campus Chai.
Campus Chai is a student-run chai cart that was launched by a group of friends earlier this semester. These friends turned their love for authentic Indian chai into a business that has continuously been gaining popularity at the University.
Four students and co-founders — Salar Cheema, Isa Patel, Faaz Arif and Faiz Shaik — run the cart.
Originally just acquaintances, the group bonded over their shared passion for their heritage and entrepreneurship. They began their business as a way to meet new people on campus without having to participate in the party or bar scene.
They wanted to blend cultural elements from their own backgrounds with the ideas and experiences they’d seen growing up in the Chicago suburbs.
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“Coming from the suburbs, there is a common theme of having cafes that were open in the middle of the night, so we really wanted to bring that culture here, and the first way we could think of doing that was with chai,” said Shaik, co-founder and junior in Business.
The four thought that chai would be enticing to students and could serve as a meaningful representation of their culture. Their products, and their culture, are something they could proudly share with the campus community.
“After we originally had the idea, we thought of chai because it is something that is very close to our culture,” Shaik said. “I lived in India for seven years, and I drank it a lot, so we thought that since this is our culture, why don’t we try to showcase our space through our culture through something that we could really explain to people.”
While the group feels connected to chai, bringing the cart to life came with its fair share of logistical challenges. This includes perfecting their brewing process and recipe.
“It takes a lot of time and it’s just a big massive pot that we’re cooking whenever we need more chai, and there can even be a few of those pots at a time,” said Patel, co-founder and junior in Information Sciences.
Even perfecting the recipe proved difficult, despite help from their family members and local businesses who also make chai. The seemingly simple task was challenging because everyone has their preferences for sweetness, spice and strength.
However, the group has remained open and responsive to feedback as they continue working to improve their product.
“Early off, when we were starting, we were by Grainger handing it out, and this one person dissed on the chai, but they gave a lot of really good feedback that we ended up using, and we improved a lot,” said Cheema, co-founder and junior in Engineering. “Then she tried it again when she saw us on the quad a different time, and she said she really liked it.”
While refining the workflow and recipe, the group also had to tackle practical concerns. They had to navigate pricing that made sense for both students and their business model.
They also struggled with designing a cart that could withstand regular use and remain portable enough to transport easily across campus.
“I designed the cart on Fusion 360 and a CAD software and planned what to use, and then we went to Home Depot and bought and cut the wood and made the whole thing from scratch using different wood glue and stuff like that,” said Arif, co-founder and junior in Engineering. “We run into some problems, but it’s mostly fine when we make some tweaks here and there.”
Once they worked through these obstacles, the business quickly gained momentum. Campus Chai is a growing success despite only being open for about a month.
With strong student support and a clear sense of purpose, the group has ambitious plans to expand their ventures. They hope to add even more products, such as coffee and refreshers.
“Three words that describe campus to me are friends, growth and failure, and working on Campus Chai has been an avenue to embrace all three,” Shaik said. “I look at this experience as a way I can test these things out, strengthen my bond with my friends and serve the on-campus community.”
Campus Chai is typically on the Main Quad most Mondays and Wednesdays, weather and the group’s schoolwork permitting.
The team sells each cup of chai for $4. They often offers discounts to students, whether through following them on social media or through their “surprise wheel.”
The Campus Chai group welcomes and appreciates all forms of support, from regular customers to first-time visitors. They value both positive and constructive feedback as they continue to grow and improve their unique campus startup.
