Bungalow Hospitality Investments (Bungalow Hospitality), a newly formed platform co-founded by Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna and restaurateur Jimmy Rizvi, has entered a strategic partnership with Kolkata Chai Co. The Kolkata Chai Co. was founded in 2019 by siblings Ani and Ayan Sanyal and the press release said the brand aims to introduce millions of Americans to authentic Indian chai. The investment marks a new chapter for South Asian food and beverage presence in the United States.

Kolkata Chai operates café locations in New York City and sells a full line of chai blends and concentrates through its own channels and national retail partners, the release said. Under the agreement Bungalow Hospitality Investments will make a strategic investment and secure an exclusive menu integration across the expanding portfolio managed by Bungalow Hospitality Management in New York City. The companies intend to collaborate on product placement and joint promotional activity to build wider consumer awareness.

Beginning this summer the restaurant portfolio, including GupShup and the soon to open Punjab Meet House, will feature Kolkata Chai's signature Masala Chai and the partnership will produce a series of limited time collaborative menu offerings in the autumn. The release noted that the collaboration is designed to expose diners to curated South Asian flavours within established dining concepts across the city. The announcement follows the earlier involvement of investor and creative partner Hasan Minhaj in 2024 which the release said helped to amplify the brand through content and cultural storytelling.

Bungalow Hospitality Investments has been positioned as an investment and partnership vehicle focused on building mentoring partnering and investing in the next generation of food and hospitality brands, the release added. Kolkata Chai is the platform's inaugural investment and the decision was attributed to Khanna's personal connection to chai and his endorsement of the brand's craft and authenticity. The companies said they see a broader movement of Indian cuisine and related consumer packaged goods entering mainstream retail and dining channels in the United States and aim to position their ventures at the centre of that trend.