Indian street food concept Chaiiwala is launching its first airport site as part of an expansion plan targeting major travel hubs.
The café has opened a 30-seat venue on the former Crepe Affaire site, at London Luton Airport (LLA) last week.
The 1,500sq ft site will provide both an all-day dining in option as well as a selection of a grab-and-go items designed to be taken away to eat in-flight, including a new travel tiffin box.
The new opening comes after Chaiiwala recently opened the UK’s first drive-thru serving Indian street food with the launch of its Bolton site in partnership with EG Group.
It is part of a strategic expansion by the company into travel locations with CEO Muhummed Ibrahim saying the company was looking to explore an “exciting new territory for the brand and its fans” and that the new opening was a “major part of our strategic vision”.
“This will be the first time any food brand will be offering dedicated Indian street food in an airport setting so naturally we are really excited to get going,” he says.
“We want to introduce the Chaiiwala brand across key markets in the UK. Our research has shown there is a growing desire for travellers to experience an alternative to the current offering available at airports and we aim to fill that gap and become an exciting addition to not only LLA but similar locations across the UK.
“Making our debut at an airport also matches our ambitions perfectly as a young dynamic brand giving our customers the Chaiiwala experience wherever they are.”
Chaiiwala launched in Leicester in 2015 and operates 89 restaurants in the UK and 106 globally, including 14 in Canada and three in Dubai.
The company operates a varied portfolio of sites from High Street locations and small kiosks to retail park units and has a target to accelerate its domestic and international expansion to 500 stores over the next 10 years with a focus on key growth markets including the US, Canada, and the Middle East.
