From sidewalk to success

Nestled along the thoroughfare leading from the Dhaka airport to Kashai Market stands a diminutive tin structure, named “Raja Mamar Cha Adda.” Inside, a display of Arabian-designed copper kettles catches everyone’s eye, while an assortment of cashew nuts, mint leaves, tamarind, orange, lemon, chilli, and an array of spices grace separate receptacles.

Even though it had been raining heavily since that afternoon, tea lovers flocked to the shop to take the special varieties of tea - as they do every other day of the week.

Raja Mia recently sat with The Business Post and shared his journey of transforming from a regular tea vendor to achieving the extraordinary.

How did you start the journey?

The journey commenced with a small tin shop along the main road from the airport to the Kashai Market, bearing the name "Raja Mamar Cha Adda." Subsequently, a gradual expansion unfolded, with over 50 outlets established, one after another. Presently, extending beyond Dhaka, the presence of Raja Mamar Cha has extended to Chattogram as well.

I've endeavoured to uphold my tea heritage right from the start. Upon my return to the country in 2019 following my expatriate life, I brought back Bahari tea leaves from Saudi Arabia, which to this day grace the shelves of my Mirpur branch.

How much money did you start the business with?

I was born in Trishal, Mymensingh, in 1981. In a family of two brothers and four sisters, my father shouldered the responsibility of being the lone provider, despite our modest means. To help lift my family out of poverty, I started in a colonel's house in Dhaka. However, circumstances eventually led me to relinquish that endeavour as well.

I journeyed back to the village house in Trishal, taking up the responsibility of tending to one pair of domestic cows of the family. On one occasion, I gathered firewood and traded it for funds, which I dutifully handed over to my mother. As time went on, my endeavours led me to become a bus stand vendor, peddling items such as cigarettes, ginger, and chocolates – thus initiating my role as the enterprising "Raja Trishal."

However, destiny beckoned me to Dubai, where I sought to reshape my fortunes. From that point, I embarked anew in the tea making, armed with a mere capital of Tk 3,000.

Despite the limited financial resources, it's been the virtues of integrity, relentless endeavour, and a wholehearted dedication to the skill that have propelled me to my present standing.

Did you face any obstacles in the beginning?

At first, I was afraid. If the people of the country can have tea for Tk 5, will they have tea for Tk 20? But people have accepted me for the taste of my various teas.

Besides, the first shop was on the sidewalk. It is unfair to set up a shop on the footpath, yet I couldn't afford it then, so I had to start there. I did business with a capital of little amount. I now have many customers because of the reputation of my tea. I don't have the store next to the airport anymore. Because there is a ban on shops that use cylinders or fire near the airport.

But now I have no problem. I am expanding my business.

What kind of teas do you sell?

Nowadays, I sell many types of tea. But I started with cashew-nut tea. And, malta tea, kalijira (Nigella) tea, tamarind tea, and regular milk tea are now available. Apart from this, there are various types of masala tea, including those with mint leaves, tamarind, malta, lemon, and pepper.

What is the most popular tea?

Among all teas, some special tea is also made with recipes from different countries I learned in Abu Dhabi. Among these, cashew tea and Indian masala tea are particularly popular. Cashew nut tea contains cashew nut, wood nut, Horlicks, mat coffee, black coffee, raisins, sugar, powdered milk, and condensed milk. Indian masala tea contains bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, Horlicks, powdered milk, condensed milk, and ground coffee. These teas were sold earlier for Tk 15 but now we are selling them for Tk 20.

How popular has your tea been?

Saffron is at the top of the world's food list. I use saffron in my tea and make it right in front of whoever orders the tea. Once upon a time, people called this tea almond tea or cashew nut tea, but now only I make tea with saffron. And I named it "Raja Mama'r Special Cha."

I participated in the recently concluded Dhaka International Trade Fair. The fair officials awarded me second place there. You can understand how acceptable my tea is by seeing the series of customers in front of my shop.

Which branch do you personally make tea in?

At present, I make tea at the Mirpur branch and arrange it like a king. I visit my other branches at least twice a month so that there is no dirty environment and the workers are clean. Currently, I have more than 50 branches. I oversee all of them.

Mirpur branch is popular mainly because of “Balu Cha.” This tea is brewed over heated sand. This type of tea is made in many countries around the world and is called Turkis tea. But I planned to prepare this tea in my way and named it "Raja’s Balu Cha" to retain the native culture.

How about the prices of your teas?

I was employed at a hotel in Abu Dhabi, Dubai. Primarily, it was there that I acquired the art of tea-making. While many return from overseas trips laden with jewellery, I deviated from the norm and brought back a tea kettle instead of gold ornaments.

When I started, I was a little scared because most of those who take tea on the sidewalk are low-income people. And tea is available everywhere for Tk 5. In that situation, if I sold tea for Tk 15, there was a doubt about who would have the tea.

We've fixed the price of tea at a maximum of Tk 50. While it's possible to market this tea at a higher price, I've opted to set it at Tk 50 to ensure everyone has the opportunity to savour its flavour.

My shops offer teas from around the globe, boasting a selection of 152 distinct tea varieties. However, the one that reigns supreme in popularity is the local tea, which people usually take.

How many people are employed in your shops?

At present, around 72 employees are working in my Mirpur branch. Their salary per person is around Tk 12,000 to Tk 28,000. How many people have I approached for a job in this country? I have told many people to give me a job, even for Tk 6,000. Today, I have been able to employ 72 people by selling tea.

When any person with a disability comes to my shop, I extend a gesture of goodwill by offering them a complimentary tea. Every day, we treat at least 40 to 50 people with disabilities to our specially served tea, free of charge.