"One thing I discovered early on about a strong partnership is knowing when the other person has reached their point of overwhelm. A gift that our long, shared history brought to our business partnership is the ability to read the signs and know each other's tipping points so that we can step in when help is most needed. We relied on not falling apart at the same time. This helped our marriage as well as our business, and it prevented our staff from seeing us fight. There were countless times that we missed the mark, but we always tried to catch each other."
"Staring at the cash register on Chai Pani's opening day, I quickly realized we had no choice but to jugaad it. "Jugaad" is a term used throughout India to describe the reliance on ingenuity to make something happ"
Molly and Meherwan left steady jobs in 2009 to build Chai Pani from scratch, blending culture and street-food hospitality into a business. Their 15-year marriage became an operational asset, enabling them to recognize overwhelm, cover for one another, and prevent staff from witnessing fights. On opening day, unexpected challenges forced immediate improvisation and reliance on jugaad—practical ingenuity and resourcefulness common in India. The founders learned through missed marks and recoveries, using mutual support, quick problem-solving, and cultural traditions to sustain their partnership and the restaurant during high-pressure moments.
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