Tea News
New coffee and tea shop in Frisco takes the art of chai to another level
Hold My Chai tea
A new drink and dessert cafe has opened in Frisco, serving coffee, chai, and more: Called Hold My Chai, it opened June 29 at 5266 Independence Pkwy. #110, in a small center just north of SH-121.
The concept was founded by a trio with a goal of bringing the community together with a menu of great tea that highlights South Asian flavors: Fahim Ahamed who oversees operations and menu development; Ram Majji, a one-time Frisco City Council candidate who oversees community outreach, and Kumber Ali, in charge of business finance and logistics.
Each comes from a different background (Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan) and applies that culture to shaping their varied chai drink offerings.
"The reason we chose Hold My Chai was because there's a gap in the market when it comes to South Asian chais; we're very underrepresented," Ahamed says. "It's a very appropriated beverage that a lot of people are distributing, and we felt like there's a gap in authenticity."
Instead of the single "chai tea" offered at typical coffee shops, Hold My Chai has nine flavors, hot and iced, including:
- duhood with classic milk tea — Bangladeshi chai only using milk and tea
- railway with five spice milk tea (includes Indian blend of cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper)
- ginger black tea
- lemongrass
- Kashmiri, originating from India, with a green tea base, infused with cardamom, and pink coloring
There are also coffees, lemonade, and refreshers. Prices range from $5 to $6.
"We wanted to provide authentic, fresh chai that's brewed on the spot," Ahamed says. "We don't make 50 gallons in the morning and brew it every hour — every cup is made fresh."
The menu features muffins cake, cookies, and chicken bites, but the "talker" is the croffle: a croissant that's been flattened by a waffle iron, so it looks like a waffle and tastes like a croissant. It's topped with condensed milk, choice of cereal, and vanilla ice cream.
A refrigerator case holds a selection of authentic Indian desserts such as rasmalai, a cake jar that's a little like an Indian version of tres leches cake, flavored with Indian spices like saffron and cardamom.
"We get a magnitude of every culture, every race," Ahamed says. "We open our doors to everyone, not just one demographic."
