Local South Asian tea and coffee café temporarily closing
A Columbus tea and coffee shop is temporarily closing after outgrowing its Bethel location.
Cha Sha & Coffee announced in a statement today that its last day at 1462 Bethel Rd. will be Sunday, March 29. Cha Sha—which serves authentic South Asian chai, street foods, and desserts—will temporarily continue operating through carryout from their cloud kitchen at We Got Meat on 5833 Sawmill Road in Dublin, said founder Syed Raza Arif. Catering operations will continue without interruption.
“This decision was not easy. The Bethel location has been a place full of memories, late nights, chai conversations, laughter, and the beautiful community that made Cha Sha feel like home,” the statement reads. “Every cup of chai served and every meal shared here has meant the world to us.”
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Arif said they hadn’t anticipated the overwhelming response the Bethel space would receive when they first opened in early 2024. Cha Sha saw not just local customers, but regulars from nearby cities and even states like Michigan. The quick bite and grab-and-go concept they originally envisioned morphed into a cozy late-night spot as groups of five to ten people would gather over chai and food. And Arif expressed how it was quickly made clear the space wasn’t designed for that level of demand.
The same was true for their small coffee-style kitchen space, which wasn’t built to handle the large-scale production of their increasing catering orders.
“Out of all the businesses we currently operate, Cha Sha has always been our favorite child,” Arif said. “It didn’t just have our full attention—it captured the attention and love of the entire Columbus community. We cared for it and nurtured it like our own, never fully realizing how quickly it would grow and how soon we would need to start thinking about giving it a bigger home.”
Arif is working on acquiring a new location on Sawmill Road and hopes to be back in full operation by the end of the year. With their new space, Arif said their focus will be building a full commercial kitchen to accommodate large orders and a comfortable, spacious dine-in area for families and groups. This space also means new additions to their menu and expanding authentic offerings to provide “a more complete South Asian tea house and dining experience.”
“Our goal is to create a space that truly reflects the demand and gives customers—especially those who travel long distances—a welcoming place to sit, enjoy chai, and experience Cha Sha the way it was always meant to be,” Arif said.
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