They say that ideas are best discussed over a cup of tea. And what better a place for ideas to take shape than an Open House, right? That’s why the Open House this July was rocked by Mumbai’s very own Online Chai ki Tapri – ChotuChaiWala! We were there to serve all the inspired minds some hot tea to keep them refreshed and motivated! The rains, the tea and the Rodinhooders – what more could one ask for on a Saturday afternoon?
For those who couldn’t make it to the event, ChotuChaiWala is an initiative by our team here at Zepo.in. We decided to help chaiwalas or tea vendors in Mumbai set up an online store and sell hot tea through their website. The idea became a hit across the country and was covered in major newspapers and blogs like The Hindustan Times, Mid Day, The Indian Express, DNA and YourStory among many others. But even after all the coverage, we had never done an offline event with the idea.
That is why it was a pleasant surprise when Asha called us up a few days prior to the Open House and laid the plan out in front of us. A chance to attend the most awesome entrepreneurs’ meetup in town, to give everyone a sample of Chotu’s special tea! How could we say no? We got planning right away and co-ordinated with the team at Rodinhoods to set up everything that was needed at the National Stock Exchange in Bandra.
At the time of the Open House, Chotu was ready with his piping hot chai and some delicious biscuits and mint to go with it. The chai ki tapri made for some very interesting conversations with all the entrepreneurs in the house. We discussed everything from online stores to our love for chai and business plans to the Indian Prime Minister. Everyone loved the hot tea and we loved serving it to all of them. In addition, the Open House featured some awesome jamming, match-making and boot-tapping sessions, which made it an evening to remember. It was great fun interacting with all the Rodinhooders, gathering their views and opinions and sharing some of our own.
We can’t thank Alok, Asha and the entire team enough for making it possible for us to get to the event. We can’t wait to be a part of the next Open House and meeting up with all the Rodinhooders again! This Open House was one that we will always cherish in our memories.
Did you attend the Open House in Mumbai in July? Did you get a chance to meet up with the ChotuChaiWala team? Do share your experiences and suggestions in the comments below!
asha chaudhry
hey tanya,
thanks for adding to the warmth of the event – it was really awesome having you there all throughout! i believe you guys served 300 cups of tea??!!
am curious to know – did chhotu chaiwala get any new customers post the OH? do update us on how many more chaiwalas you’ve added to the site. and whether you are doing more locations now…. we’d all love to be a part of your chai journey…
Tanz
Hi Asha! Yup, we did serve close to 300 cups of tea there. And a truckload of our favourite ParleG’s too! 🙂 And yes, we did receive a spike in the orders in the one week following the event. We received 5 orders on one of those days, one of the highest we have received in a single day.
As of now, it is just 5 chaiwalas onboard with ChotuChaiWala, but we might add 3 more by the month end! Will surely let you know when something materializes.
You guys have always been an integral part of the journey. And we’re pretty sure that you will continue being so! 🙂