A drive-thru Indian restaurant claiming to be the first of its kind in the UK has opened its doors in Greater Manchester this week.
Moving into a former petrol station forecourt on Manchester Road, new opening Chaiwala is bringing Bolton diners the ultimate convenience with a menu of Indian-inspired teas, street food and soft drinks to go.
With a selection of all-day breakfast options, street food dishes, rotis, desserts and hot and cold drinks, some menu favourites include the chilli chip butty, butter chicken wraps and Mumbai Mac ‘N’ Cheese.
The Desi Breakfast at Chaiwala. / Image: Chaiwala
Pani puri at Chaiwala. / Image: Chaiwala
Popular breakfast dishes on offer include the Sweet Bombay Toast, Aloo Paratha and Bun Omelette, whilst drinks-wise flavoured teas include a caramel chai, Garam chocolate and pink cha, plus cream-topped frappes and Karak coffee.
First founded on the streets of New Delhi in the 1920s, Chaiwala first began life as a small tea stall (hence the name) but today has 50 sites in the UK and even more abroad.
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The group already has sit-down eateries in Cheetham Hill, Old Trafford, Levenshulme, Oldham and Rochdale, as well as another restaurant on Deane Road in Bolton, but is bringing something new to the area with its drive-thru diner concept.
Opened in partnership with the convenience retailer EG Group, its co-founder told the Bolton News: “This is extremely exciting news for Bolton and the UK in general as this is the first time the Chaiiwala brand has been created as a drive-thru concept.
The chilli chip butty with masala chips tossed in chilli powder, onions, tomato, relish and cheese. / Image: Chaiwala
Image: Chaiwala
“This is a totally new experience for our valued customers and the first time they can experience our Indian street food in a drive-thru setting. This is the first time we have offered this concept and are delighted with the results.”
“Using this blueprint we are now actively searching for new drive-thru locations across the UK which will replicate the Bolton store model. We have built the Chaiiwala brand on a mixture of providing original Indian street food with the best customer service, with the aim of providing a unique experience.”
Feature image – Chaiwala
Eats
Family behind Salvi’s launch new concept, weeks after iconic restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Just weeks after the closure of its iconic, 16-year-old Italian restaurant in the Corn Exchange, the family behind Salvi’s have revealed a brand-new concept.
And this time, the reins are being handed over to the next generation.
Salvi’s founder Maurizio Cecco has helped to shape Amò, but it’s all the brainchild of his daughter, Sienna.
Sienna will run the business out of a unit up on Deansgate Mews, serving fresh pasta dishes, pizza sandwiches, tubs of tiramisu, and two-for-£10 spritzes.
The deli aspect of the original Salvi’s has been carried over to Amò too – you’ll find shelves almost to the ceiling filled with Italian pasta, wine, olive oils, pistachio spreads, and more.
Sienna has grown up in restaurants, with her parents launching Salvi’s when she was just two years old.
She said she wants the space to be a livelier, fresher version of the Italian restaurant that has been so loved by Mancs for so many years.
Sienna outside AmòFresh pasta dishesInside Amò by Salvi’sTheir viral frozen crema di caffeLemon granitaInside Amò by Salvi’sTiramisu pots
Amò, which is Neapolitan slang for ‘my love’, will have loads of fresh Italian dishes, including arancini, gnocchi, and hearty pasta plates.
At lunchtimes, guests can order from a £10 lunch menu, with dishes changing daily depending on the best produce the kitchen can get – it could be a pizza sandwich with proscuitto and tomato, a spicy pasta, or a gnocchi bake, always served with your choice of soft drink.
With its position on Deansgate Mews, Amò basks in the sunshine at lunchtimes.
And while it’s definitely a different concept to the original Salvi’s, Amò looks set to carry the family’s Italian food legacy into its next generation.
Award-winning Didsbury bakery La Chouquette reveals incredible new site
Daisy Jackson
La Chouquette is one of Greater Manchester’s top bakeries – an award-winner, with queues down the street every weekend for its authentic French pastries and loaves.
And now they’re ready for a new chapter, revealing a major expansion today.
Owners Catrina and Flo have painstakingly expanded the bakery into the unit next door, creating what feels like a true French bakery.
And in the midst of this huge renovation project, they’ve welcomed a tiny new baby boy – quite the summer for the couple.
Catrina and Flo launched La Chouquette in lockdown, and in a time where people could only get their hospitality fix from takeaways, immediately became one of the most popular spots in the region.
Their success has been so great, you’ll still consistently find queues down the street every weekend, for their top sellers like their authentic almond croissants.
Then in October 2024, they grew the business and launched Piqniq, a new deli in Didsbury village, serving freshly-baked baguette sandwiches, breakfast butties, toasties, tiramisu pots and their legendary pastries.
The new-look La Chouquette features beautiful details like mosaic floors, rich blue walls, wooden shelves, and brass light fixtures.
La Chouquette’s best-selling almond croissantsInside the stunning new La Chouquette in DidbsuryNew savoury bakesThe chausson aux pommesThe counter stuffed with artisan French bakesChocolate chip cookies and cinnamon buns
The huge new counter displays more pastries and breads than ever before, like a hearty chausson aux pommes filled with apples that will be perfect for autumn, plus seasonal treats like a rhubarb creme brulee pastry, and homemade quiche.
Speaking at the grand relaunch today, Catrina said: “The layout has changed, it looks so much more chic, it looks like a traditional French bakery. We’re really excited about it.”
As for what’s on the counter, Flo reassured fans that their beloved almond and pistachio croissants remain, but with some new savoury editions, like a truffle croque monsieur made with croissant dough.
La Choquette has reopened today, and will be open seven days a week from 7am until 5pm.
Georgina Pellant -
6th January 2023 
