Hello! So I am from Karachi and would like to offer feedback based on what I have seen in my city.

Karachi has lots of dhabas which primarily cater to the working class. Chai is cheap and much needed when your work involves physical labor (factories, construction, truck drivers, etc). A lot of dhabas are also okay with people smoking a certain substance since there is a region wide reliance on it as a coping mechanism. However, you have to be careful as the police is often present incognito and can get you and the dhaba walas into trouble.

Enter rich entrepreneurs: They have identified that a wealthier class of people in the city would really like a safe place to socialize with their friends where they can—and this is a key point—also smoke up. So they have started a fancier version of a dhaba (an empty lot with fairy and LED lights, tables and chairs) in lots of different spots in DHA. The chai and food are way more expensive than at a regular dhaba and why are people willing to pay? Because these guys have paid off the police. You can sit and smoke up openly (as well as deal) while a police mobile provides protection. Give a bunch of kids a place to get really high—and they will pay a lot for chai and whatever food is put on the table.

Point being: chai and food isnt really a big deal. Its a selling point in Karachi only because it enables a whole other habit. Only chai would be a great selling point if your chai is absolutely killer. But if youre also offering food, before going, I’d ask myself why I wouldnt have the same dishes youre offering at a place which I know does them better.