Cheeni Announces Grand Opening of Second Location In Raleigh

Cheeni is excited to announce the grand opening of a second location with a full kitchen and new menu items. Cheeni’s first location in downtown Raleigh has seen much success, serving savory snacks and hot cups of Masala Chai to hungry patrons, and looks forward to the opportunity to expand. Owner, Preeti Waas, says “our goal is to give more, not less - more nutrition, more taste.” The new location, a short walk from North Carolina State University's campus and located inside the Alexander YMCA, opened Monday, March 1, 2021 and is located at 1603 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27605. 

The Bakery

Cheeni’s menu is inspired by traditional Indian goods with an American twist. Enjoy breads and baked goods loaded with nutritionally dense local grains like buckwheat, einkorn and rye. Heirloom Indian grains like sorghum and millet will also be used in several recipes. The new menu also includes fan favorite handmade layered and flaky biscuits with a crisp top crust. Look for flavors like sweet potato-turmeric, coriander seed- black pepper, curry leaf-mustard-scallion and rosemary-fennel seed served with compound butters and Jolly Good Jams in all Cheeni baked goods. Cheeni only uses raw cane organic sugar to highlight taste and nutrition. Of course, signature cookies from Cheeni’s sister company Sugar & Spice Kitchen will be available for a sweet treat, as well as Jolly Good Jams.

Beverages

Cheeni’s second location also plans to offer a full range of coffee beverages along with signature chai. Cheeni’s Holy Cow South Indian filter coffee will be available for purchase in 1 lb bags and featured at the cafe. The second location will expand to have healthy smoothies using all natural, whole ingredients as well.

The Cafe

New menu items feature NaanZas- Indian 'pizzas' on a made in-house naan crust - featuring toppings such as Paneer Tikka, Chicken Kathi roll, Masala Tofu scramble, Chicken Chettinad, and more. Find the perfect treat for dunking with the Bun Maska, a buttered brioche roll best enjoyed  with a Masala Chai. Enjoy tradition with South Indian tiffin- Idli & Sambhar, Uttapam and Sambhar Vada. 

Cheeni's hours are Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

About Cheeni

Cheeni serves classic tiffin, the Indian word for ‘snacks’, such as filter coffee imported from India, Masala Chai reminiscent of bustling street stalls, and Indian Street Style toast, more commonly known as "chili cheese toast". ​Puffs, made for vegans and meat-eaters alike, are served daily. And daal chawal, or Indian lentils and rice, is often offered as a quick, on-the-go meal. In addition to tiffin, American grab-and-go is also available, with options such as  a toast bar, soup du jour, smoothies, and Sugar & Spice cookies. Follow along with Cheeni on Instagram and Facebook.

About Preeti Waas

Born and raised in South India, Preeti Waas is the embodiment of what Cheeni is: a mix of Indian and American culture, with a mission to better the world through good, homemade food. When she's not at Cheeni (which is rare), she's likely to be spending time with her family or reading a book.