Rajshahi man builds mobile tea business on the back of pandemic innovation
Photo Collected
In the rural landscapes of Rajshahi’s Paba upazila, Rony Ahmed has redefined the traditional tea-stall experience by transforming it into a personalized, mobile delivery service. Known locally as “Rony Bhai,” the 43-year-old resident of Dahapara village traverses vast distances on his motorcycle to deliver freshly brewed tea to customers in fields, markets, and homes, responding to phone calls with the speed of a courier.
Rony’s journey began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when nationwide lockdowns shuttered local tea stalls and left many without their daily refreshments. Faced with his own financial instability, Rony transitioned from a fixed-shop owner at Tetultala market to a mobile vendor, initially relying on a bicycle and a flask. The venture proved so successful and essential to the community that he eventually secured a loan to purchase a motorcycle, allowing him to expand his reach across Katakhali, Harian, Khorkhori, Durgapur, and areas surrounding Rajshahi University.
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The service has garnered significant praise from local residents and business owners, who credit Rony for his unwavering reliability. Customers noted that even when they are busy at their places of work—ranging from fish markets to textile shops—a single call to Rony ensures a delivery within minutes. His menu, which includes spice tea, milk tea, black coffee, and sugar-free options for diabetic patients, is priced affordably between five and ten taka, making his service both accessible and highly convenient.
Behind the convenience lies a life defined by hardship and resilience. Orphaned at the age of seven, Rony was raised by his grandmother and began working as a child, selling peanuts and driving a van to make ends meet. Before the pandemic, he had spent 12 years operating a small, stationary shop, but the economic shift of 2020 forced him to innovate. Today, his operation is a family effort: his wife prepares the tea before dawn, and Rony spends his days on the road, often not returning home until late at night.
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Rony currently carries approximately 150 cups of tea in the morning and 300 in the afternoon, often covering distances of five to seven kilometers for a single order. Despite the physical toll and the occasional waste of unsold tea, he remains motivated by a singular goal: to fund the religious and academic education of his two sons, who are currently studying to become Hafiz and Mawlana. While he harbors dreams of one day opening a larger, permanent establishment, Rony remains committed to his mobile route, driven by the satisfaction of supporting his family and the loyalty of the community he serves.
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