Downtown workers looking to swap their latte for something with a little more cardamom just got a new option. Elaichi Co., the Berkeley-born chai shop, has quietly slid into SoMa, with owners Muhammad “Mojo” and Zainab Joyo opening their doors at 360 Third Street last Sunday. The small storefront is calling itself San Francisco’s first standalone chai-only spot and is currently running limited hours while the team settles in, with a grand-opening bash set for this weekend that will feature DJs and free chai.
What to expect at the SoMa shop
According to The San Francisco Standard, the new shop at 360 3rd St. is open Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 3 PM, and until 5 PM on Saturdays. After this weekend’s celebration, the Joyos plan to stretch those evening hours to 7 or even 9 p.m. so downtown regulars can linger a bit longer over their tea.
The debut was intentionally low-key. Neighbors welcomed the owners with doughnuts and gifts, and now a bigger, more public party is in the works to properly introduce the chai bar to nearby residents and the weekday office crowd.
Chai, not coffee
The SoMa menu is all about tea, no hedging. Karak chai, oat chai, Kashmiri chai, and masala chai are the core offerings, and the owners deliberately left coffee off the board to keep the focus squarely on chai culture, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The Joyos launched their first Elaichi shop in Berkeley in 2024, where they built a loyal following for house-brewed chai and cardamom-scented pastries. That original cafe remains a busy stop for students and locals, as reported by East Bay Express.
How they landed the space
Elaichi’s San Francisco debut came through Vacant to Vibrant, a city-backed effort that pairs small businesses with short-term downtown leases and provides permitting support and grants to bring empty storefronts back to life. The program is run by SF New Deal with backing from the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and it is structured to speed up openings and pump foot traffic into quiet blocks, according to Vacant to Vibrant.
From Berkeley to wholesale
The Joyos say they launched Elaichi while still working in tech, and they now produce pastries and their signature chai blends out of a commissary kitchen. They have already secured a wholesale partnership with Love Potion Library in Noe Valley, The San Francisco Standard reports. For details on the brand, its cafe menu, and packaged chai blends, Elaichi keeps an updated menu and product list on Elaichi Co.'s website.
