Today we’d like to introduce you to MEHZABIN KHAN.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
DMV Chai Cart really started in my childhood. Growing up, chai was part of almost every moment in our home. It was how guests were welcomed, how conversations started, and how family and friends gathered together. No matter what was going on, there was usually a cup of chai involved somewhere.
My first “business” was actually a food blog during medical school. Between studying for exams, surviving on caffeine, and running on very little sleep at 2 a.m., I found myself constantly photographing food, testing recipes, and writing out the story behind each dish. I loved medicine deeply, but I also realized I loved cooking, hosting people, and creating experiences around food just as much.
But med school and healthcare became my first passion and career, so the idea stayed in the background for nearly a decade while life got busy. Then, after years of saying “one day I should do something with this,” I somehow decided the perfect time to launch a business was while I was six months pregnant with my second child and still chasing a toddler around in diapers. Which, in hindsight, feels like an absolutely unhinged level of confidence. Most people prepare for a baby by nesting. I was sourcing carts, tasting chai recipes, and calculating how many samosas fit on a grazing table.
What started as “maybe I’ll do something like this for fun on the side” slowly turned into a growing business. It’s definitely a lot more work than I ever imagined, but it never really felt like work in the traditional sense because I genuinely enjoy it. I love designing the setups, creating the menus, meeting clients, and seeing people gather around the cart or grazing table the same way families gather around chai at home.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been completely smooth, although I think that’s part of what makes entrepreneurship interesting. In the beginning, I genuinely thought, “I’ll just serve chai from a cute cart at events.” I quickly realized there’s an entire world behind the scenes that people never think about: permits, licenses, insurance, food safety requirements, logistics, transport, staffing, prep kitchens, and timelines. It becomes a whole operation very fast.
And budgeting was a huge learning curve. When you’re catering for large gatherings, you suddenly realize how much goes into it beyond the actual food. You need more equipment, more storage, more labor, more transportation, and more serving pieces. Everything multiplies quickly. I went from making chai in my kitchen to realizing I needed commercial equipment and systems in place to handle larger events properly.
I also started the business while six months pregnant, which in retrospect was a very ambitious choice. There were definitely moments where I questioned my sanity while unloading heavy equipment and late-night pack-ups. But honestly, every challenge taught me something. I learned how to adapt quickly, problem solve under pressure and build the business step by step instead of trying to have everything perfect from day one.
We’ve been impressed with DMV CHAI CART LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
DMV Chai Cart is a modern South Asian catering and event experience company that is based in traditions. While we love venturing into fusion concepts and modern presentation, we always come back to the root of it all: a deep aromatic masala chai, the tangy crunch of chaat, spicy samosas, just pure nostalgia.
We specialize in live food and beverage stations because, honestly, what’s better than having an auntie serving you fresh chai or freshly made chaat? There’s something so familiar and comforting about seeing food prepared live in front of you. It creates a natural synergy between the hosts, the guests, and the food itself. Our services include live chai stations, bubble tea bars, falooda carts, pani puri and chaat stations, Indo-fusion grazing tables, throughout the DMV area.
One thing I’m especially proud of is how organically the business has grown. What started as a small creative idea has turned into a business built almost entirely through word of mouth, repeat clients, and community support. I think people connect with the authenticity behind it because every menu, setup, and event is still approached very personally and intentionally.
At the end of the day, we want people to remember more than just the food itself. We want them to remember the feeling around it.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I think one of the biggest lessons for me has been perseverance. Many businesses look effortless from the outside, but know behind the scenes there are long nights, mistakes, unexpected problems, and moments where you have big doubts.
There were definitely moments where I thought, “Why am I unloading carts at midnight or stressing over chai logistics, especially when I already spent years building a successful and demanding career in healthcare that I deeply care about?” But I realized this business fulfills a completely different creative and personal side of me. It gives me an outlet to build, create, host, and connect with people in a way that’s very different from my professional world.
I also think being genuine matters more than people realize. Especially in hospitality and catering, people can feel authenticity. Clients remember how you made them feel just as much as the food itself. Some of our strongest relationships and opportunities have come simply from being warm and honest.
And honestly, I think it’s important to be kind to yourself throughout the process. Social media can make it seem like everyone has everything figured out overnight, but most businesses are learning in real time. Give yourself room to grow, make mistakes, pivot when needed, and enjoy the process as you build something meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dmvchaicart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmvchaicart?igsh=NjIyeTcwajF6ZjMz&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EJeNpxrUA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
