Green Coriander Pop-Up Grinds To a Halt, as The Chai Cart Picks Up Speed

The Chai Cart's Paawan Kothari unveiled a new logo recently. Now all she needs is a vehicle to affix it to.

​Naturally, Saturday's closure of La Provence killed Paawan Kothari's Green Coriander lunch pop-up deader than a quiche left overnight in a warming oven. New tenant Beast & the Hare told Kothari she could stay till the end of September ― Green Coriander continues as a meal service, while she looks for new production space. Other bad news: Somebody stole Kothari's Chai Cart bike rig.

But even without wheels, the Chai Cart is surging. Kothari unveiled a new logo over the weekend, and her new retail product line is shelf-ready. Rainbow is already selling Chai's loose-leaf tea blends, and they're headed for San Francisco Whole Foods stores, along with Kotahri's unsweetened Chai Brew, which comes in mint, rose, and masala ― just add milk and sugar. Online market Foodzie.com hosts a Chai Cart shop. And Kothari sells every other Friday at Off the Grid Fort Mason, with more substantial food options (samosas, and biryani with hot sauce, a specialty of her mom's). Meanwhile, Kothari's seeking a bigger, street-legal cart. "There's no time for remorse," she says.