July 28, 2025
San Francisco Business Times — After moving to the U.S. from Pakistan, Muhammad Joyo remembers his mom’s excitement when she saw chai on the menu at restaurants and cafés. But that feeling would usually dissipate by the time she took her first sip.
“What is this watery, cinnamony drink?” Joyo remembers her asking, a sentiment he has heard countless times from other South Asians trying chai in the U.S. About two years ago, Joyo decided to bring the chai he grew up with to the Bay Area with the opening of Elaichi Co., a late-night space in Berkeley that serves chai, coffee and desserts.
Continue reading the full article on the San Francisco Business Times website.
