The Blackburn opening will serve as a test site, allowing Chaiiwala to assess the suitability of 24-hour drive thru locations as part of its future expansion plans.
The group now operates a total of five drive-thru locations, with its two newest sites in Nottingham and Blackburn both opened by franchisees within the past six months.
The launch also supports Chaiiwala’s wider ambition to reach 500 global locations over the next decade, with a strong emphasis on UK expansion and strengthening its presence in key urban areas, including Blackburn and across Lancashire.
“Consumers today aren’t bound to the usual nine to five as seen in previous decades but are often left with late-night options that are stuffy, few and far between, or out of the way,” says Sohail Ali, co-founder of Chaiiwala.
“As we deliver against our mission to make Indian street food and Karak chaii even more accessible for consumers, we wanted to launch our first 24-hour drive thru and create a new destination for consumers looking for bold flavours, reliable quality, and convenience through the night.
“This will also create an opportunity for our franchisees Arif and Yakub Master to drive incremental sales overnight to support the growth of their business and allow us to gain insights from this store for consideration across other drive thru locations as we expand.”
Founded in Leicester in 2015, the business offers karak chaii alongside high-quality Indian street food, inspired by traditional flavours and Indian home cooking.
Still overseen by founders Sohail Ali, Muhummed Ibrahim and Mustafa Ismail, Chaiiwala has around 115 sites across the UK, more than 20 in Canada and a handful in Dubai.
Earlier this year Chaiiwala completed a series of pop-ups in Houston, Texas, to prepare for its full US launch later in 2026.