A specialty chai and coffee shop in the Bay Area

** We know there are a lot of tragedies happening in the world right now, so we highly urge you to consider donating to Palestine and Afghanistan first. You can still support us by telling your friends and coming to visit us when we open ❤️ **

Our goal is to create a space built around culture with chai from the streets of Karachi, high quality ingredients, and decor imported directly from South Asia. While we've been able to acquire the space ourselves, we're realizing that offering a high quality experience is a bit more expensive than we had expected. Given this is going to be a cafe for the people, we are kindly asking for donations to bring you a cafe that you can proudly call home ✨

Our mission statement:

elaichi co. exists to weave a tapestry of connections, through the cozy embrace of our spaces and the culinary tales we share. With every aroma and taste, we invite souls to reconnect with their roots, intertwine with diverse cultures, and create heartwarming memories together.

Can you find the elaichi hidden in our logo?

Where we're at in our journey:

We've secured a spot in Downtown Berkeley, we've crafted our menu and taste-tested all our recipes, and we've even curated an amazing playlist (shoutout Pakistani indie artists) :). Now, the funds we raise on GoFundMe will allow us to:

The space we've found and are working to make our own

Our Story:

Every time I landed in Karachi, it was a ritual. Late into the night, in the buzzing city, I found myself at the local chai dhabas with my cousins and friends. They're nothing fancy - mismatched chairs, tables set on dirt lots, but they're the heartbeat of the city. The hum of conversations, the shared laughter, and of course, the steaming cups of chai. It was home in every sense.

Baba enjoying chai at one of our favorite highway dhabas

Back in the Bay Area, after a long day, I often found myself longing for that same warm and inviting atmosphere. Not the loudness of a bar or the flash of a nightclub, but a cozy space to catch up, to reminisce, to just 'be'. That's when elaichi co. began to take shape in my mind. It wasn't just about bringing chai to the US; it was about recreating those irreplaceable moments and sharing them. Moments where cultures blend, memories are made, and everyone feels a bit closer to home.

Drinking chai on charpai just hits different

But before I could pursue my dream, I had a personal journey to embark upon. Behind every aspiration lies a deeper motive, and for me, it was bringing my fragmented family back together. My Baba has always been our backbone and yet he's always been on the move, whisked away by work most of the year. His presence was felt more in the echoes of phone calls than in our daily life. The past decade hasn't been a cakewalk for us; his frequent absences felt like a missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle. But, we held on, each of us sacrificing and dreaming of a day when our scattered pieces would come together, painting a complete picture.

Me and Baba, back then

So, when Baba suggested we should start elaichi co. together, it wasn't just about chai or business. It was about stitching together those fragmented memories, about rebuilding and rejuvenating those lost times. This venture is a canvas for our family's hopes, aspirations, and unity. More than just a brand, it's our story, our effort to bring together not just our family but the entire community over shared moments and cherished cups of chai.

Me and Baba, today

Thank you:

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for any contribution you make to support our journey. And we are so excited to welcome you and take care of you when we officially open our doors. Please share this with your friends, families, co-workers, neighbors - you get the idea! We can't wait see you soon <3

According to the Terms and Conditions of GoFundMe, we cannot offer any raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions in exchange for any donations made to our GoFundMe.