Karak chai with Burj Khalifa fireworks: Business Bay eateries cash in on New Year's Eve

As the temperature dipped and the air turned sharply nippy on New Year's Eve, Business Bay turned into a slow-moving river of people heading towards Downtown Dubai, eyes fixed on the Burj Khalifa skyline and phones already warming up in their pockets.

Before the fireworks came the wait, and before the wait came the tea.

By 10.40pm, cafeterias, food trucks and supermarkets along the Business Bay stretch were doing brisk business, selling karak chai, sandwiches, samosas and popcorn to thousands preparing for hours on the pavements.

At Hubba Cafeteria, operating from a food truck parked in an open lot, the scene was almost festive in itself. Steam rose from paper cups as customers crowded around the counter, rubbing their hands against the cold and calling out orders.

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“This weather makes tea non-negotiable,” said a young Indian man clutching a cup of karak as his group prepared to walk towards Downtown. “We'll be standing for hours. This is fuel.”

A few hundred metres down the road, Second Home Restaurant was already in full swing. Staff used microphones to advertise tea, biryani and sandwiches, stopping pedestrians who were already on their way to the Burj Khalifa.

On a table, kettles hissed and cups lined up in quick succession. The owner said the night was shaping up to be one of the busiest of the year.

“By conservative estimate, we’ll sell at least 1,000 cups of tea tonight,” he said, gesturing towards the steady stream of customers. “People want something hot before they head out and they’ll be back after the fireworks too. That’s when it really peaks.”

Across the road from Business Bay Metro Station, Safestway Supermarket had taken things a step further. A man in a black hat stood behind a shopping trolley piled high with popcorn bags, flanked by flasks of tea and trays of samosas and kachodis, refilling cups as fast as they were picked up.

As the crowd thickened, staff called out snack options repeatedly, drawing in passers-by who had not planned to stop but did anyway.

“We need this,” said an Egyptian woman buying tea and snacks for her family. “It’s going to be a long night. Tea keeps you warm and awake.”

Shopkeepers said timing was everything.

“People come before the fireworks, but the real rush is after,” said a Second Home staffer. “Once the show ends, thousands walk back. Between 1 and 2 in the morning; that’s our real window.”