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A legal and branding dispute has emerged between Arshad Khan, the viral sensation commonly known as Blue-Eyed Arshad Khan Chaiwala, and Nadir Durrani, a London-based entrepreneur who played a key role in introducing the Café Chaiwala brand to the UK.
The conflict revolves around the use of the Chaiwala brand, payment issues, and claims of independent development of the brand. Arshad rose to fame in 2016 after a photo of him making tea at a stall in Islamabad went viral. Riding that momentum, he opened his original Chaiwala Café in October 2020. By March 2021, UK franchise rights were granted to Nadir Durrani and Yawar Akbar Durrani through a 10-outlet master franchise agreement.
The first UK branch opened in East London’s Ilford Lane in 2023, followed by a sub-franchise in Tooting, South London, in early 2025—both achieving solid business performance.
The core of the dispute involves intellectual property rights and contractual interpretation. Arshad claims that his UK partners have terminated their association with him. Nadir confirmed to Geo News that the UK operation had ended its contract with the brand associated with Arshad. “We separated on friendly terms. We will soon rebrand under a new name, which we will reveal shortly. Another outlet is opening soon in Slough, West London,” he said.
He argued that what was initially presented as a franchise evolved into a “self-built enterprise,” stating that the UK team received no operational, marketing, or material support from franchise owner Kazim Hasan. “We had to create everything ourselves—from the logo and interior design to recipes and customer experience,” he added. Despite faithfully paying royalties, Nadir insisted the UK team was left without the usual franchise resources. “All visual branding, menus, and the overall vibe were designed here, not imported. Arshad Khan’s team didn’t support us—he couldn’t visit the UK due to issues related to Afghan nationality. Every promise made by his team was false.”
Nadir emphasized that he was responsible for the brand’s success, saying, “Arshad Khan’s team played no role in our achievements. The identity, menu, operations, and branding were conceived and executed independently through my creativity, risk-taking, and perseverance. I handled the financials, took all the risks, and laid the groundwork. Our success is entirely due to our dedication.”
Arshad asserts that since early 2025, he has faced ongoing contractual and financial disputes with his UK partners. He revealed he has not received royalty payments for over ten months, despite the cafes still operating and generating revenue. “They sent me a termination notice and stopped payments. Yet, they’re still running the business under my brand ‘Café Chaiwala,’ just removing my name from the branding,” he claimed. “This is my name, my effort, and my identity. I just want justice.”
Nadir responded that Arshad wasn’t the actual franchisor in the UK, but Kazim Hasan was the franchisor who signed the agreement. “When we signed with Kazim, they only had one flagship location in Blue Area and some outlets opening in Pakistan, but they lost all their units due to poor performance. We sued them in Pakistan and have a favorable judgment. Arshad’s issues were never disclosed before we signed. We even offered to buy the franchise outright, but Kazim refused to cooperate,” he explained.
Arshad added that he has engaged legal counsel and plans to travel to London once the issue regarding his Afghan nationality—recently resolved—has been settled and his CNIC unblocked.
Kazim stated that the brand remains solely under their franchise rights, asserting full ownership of the Chaiwala name and operations.
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