The Chai Company Expanded to Milwaukee Custom Trailer
Founders Chayank and Krishna Pawar have transitioned their mobile tea business from a wooden cart to a custom trailer.
Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Tea
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After 15 months of operating a small beverage cart, The Chai Company has expanded its Milwaukee footprint with a new custom green trailer. The mobile business serves authentic Indian chai, featuring ingredients like saffron, rose, and cardamom.
Why it matters
The expansion reflects the founders' commitment to bringing authentic Indian tea flavors to the Milwaukee market. This move allows the brothers to scale operations from catering weddings and corporate events to hosting consistent weekly appearances.
The founders invested $5,000 into an espresso machine and an additional $2,000 for utility equipment. This follows 15 months of operation using a 4-foot-by-2-foot wooden cart.
The players
Chayank Pawar
He is a co-founder of The Chai Company who plans to expand the business into a nationally recognized brand.
Krishna Pawar
He is a co-founder of The Chai Company who helped transition the business to a custom trailer.
Marquette University
This is a private Jesuit university in Milwaukee that serves as a recurring site for the company's weekly pop-up events.
The details
Brothers Chayank and Krishna Pawar prepare all syrups from scratch to maintain quality across their catering and pop-up services. The business now operates out of a custom green trailer, having upgraded from the compact cart they used since their founding.
Timeline
The business launched with a small wooden cart 15 months prior to October 2026.
The company hosts weekly pop-up events every Monday on Wells Street.
Culture Shift
This move follows the rise of mobile food and beverage entrepreneurship in urban markets, mirroring the growth of similar startup-to-trailer transitions seen nationally. It reflects a shift where small-scale founders prioritize mobile agility to reach campus populations and events.
Students and residents can now visit the custom trailer for freshly prepared chai during weekly Monday sessions on Wells Street. These pop-up events offer regular access to handmade Indian beverage syrups without the need for private catering bookings.
The takeaway
The Chai Company demonstrates how incremental equipment investments can facilitate rapid scaling for small business owners. Entrepreneurs in similar sectors may consider focusing on consistent event scheduling as a strategy for building a loyal local customer base.
Further reading
Discover more about local beverage trends in our Tea section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Marquette Wire.
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