In 2016, a blue-eyed tea seller became an overnight sensation when a photographer named Jiah Ali snapped a picture of him pouring tea and shared it online. The photo went viral making him an internet sensation and now, Arshad Khan is making headlines once again, as the proud owner of a cafe in London.
According to the press release, Khan’s café Chaiwala is located on East London’s Ilford Lane, an area predominantly populated by immigrants from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Accordingly, the cafe is a blend of contemporary aesthetics and traditional South Asian elements including truck art, hand-decorated Vespa, and desi paintings on the walls.
“My visit is being planned and I would love to brew tea for my loving fans," Khan was quoted as saying by News18. "I have received thousands of requests for a London visit.”
Meanwhile, the London café’s billboard already displays the name “Cafe Chaiwala Arshad Khan.”
As per media reports, Khan started selling tea at the age of 12 to support his family; he has 17 siblings. But when his photo became viral, Khan had no idea about his new-found fame because he lacked access to a phone or the internet. Once he did find out about the viral breakthrough, Khan landed several modelling contracts and has been sharing updates of his journey on Instagram.
Soon, however, he felt overwhelmed with the attention and took a break from the spotlight and decided to enhance his language skills and understand how he could use his popularity to run his business. Khan then went on to open a cafe called Cafe Chaiwala Rooftop in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, Lahore, and Murree.
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