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Nepalese Family Opening Chai-Focused Cafe In Logan Square

By Paul Biasco | April 18, 2016 5:48am
 Chiya Chai Cafe, an upcoming Logan Square cafe, is a family business with a history that stretches all the way to Nepal.
Chiya Chai Cafe, an upcoming Logan Square cafe, is a family business with a history that stretches all the way to Nepal.
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DNAinfo/Paul Biasco

LOGAN SQUARE — A family with deep roots in the tea industry stretching all the way to Nepal are preparing to open a Logan Square cafe.

Chiya Chai Cafe will focus on chai with at least 15 options of the specialty, while also serving up food from a number of regions where tea has had a big influence such as India, Nepal, China and England.

"It's like a coming together of all these different ideas and experiences we have had," said Rajee Aryal, a co-owner of the cafe.

Aryal's father-in-law still lives in Nepal and was one of the first people in the country to export tea to Europe, according to Aryal.

The upcoming cafe, 2770 N. Milwaukee Ave., will feature his teas.

"It's like a family business. It's our own product really," Aryal said. "We source direct from the growers. It's something that we have been working very closely with for all these years. My husband and brother-in-law basically grew up in the tea trade."

The food selection at Chiya Chai Cafe will be served in a fast casual setting and include items such as curries, savory pies and dumplings.

Aryal's family currently operates a full service restaurant in Minneapolis called Namaste Cafe.

The chai options at that location have been one of the most popular items, Aryal said.

"These are all our own creations," she said of the teas. "You won't find these chai teas anywhere else."

Chiya Chai Cafe plans for a mid-May opening, but the cafe will have a booth at the Logan Square Farmers Market in the meantime.

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