Sorrento Valley's office warriors are about to get a serious chai upgrade. Chaiwale & Co., the Indian-fusion cafe known for cardamom-heavy chais and indulgent butter-chicken burritos, is gearing up to open a franchised outpost along Scranton Road near San Diego's tech corridor. Franchise owner Naureen Malik is aiming for a spring debut, with the timeline tied to local approvals.
As reported by WhatNow, Malik is targeting a mid-April 2026 opening, contingent on permit sign-offs and filings with the San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality. The new shop is slated to operate inside the Sorrento Food Court, bringing the brand's chai-forward drinks and fusion comfort food to both the morning rush and the midday crowd.
Where it will land
The cafe is headed for the Scranton Road retail stretch locals know as Sorrento Court, a cluster that is being reshaped into a more modern food-hall-style plaza aimed at daytime office workers and evening diners, according to The Festival Companies. The broader retail cluster spans roughly 9430 to 9450 Scranton Road, putting Chaiwale & Co. squarely in the middle of the strip, per the UPG SoCal property listing. The steady foot traffic and dense office parks nearby make the site a natural fit for a quick-service chai and lunch concept.
Menu and what to expect
The Sorrento Valley location is expected to mirror the brand's existing menu, which features dozens of drinks alongside burritos, snacks, and desserts, according to Toasttab. Sample items listed include karak and masala chais, pistachio and saffron lattes, butter-chicken and paneer burritos, plus desserts such as kulfi tres leches and gulab jamun cheesecake. The compact lineup is tuned for speed, but it still leans hard on nostalgic South Asian flavors tailored to grab-and-go office crowds and late-night snackers alike.
Brand background and expansion
Chaiwale & Co. was born in Orange, where brothers Sunny and Daman built out the chai-first concept, according to Chaiwale & Co.. The Sorrento Valley stall will mark the brand's second presence in California and is part of a broader franchise push that includes planned locations in Torrance and Riverside, as reported by WhatNow. If permits line up on schedule, the new outpost could start quietly pouring chai for the neighborhood as early as mid-April 2026.
