About

Starting Semester: Spring 2026
Assigned: Yes
Location: Atlanta

The Chai Box

Client Profile

The Chai Box, based in Marietta, GA, is a certified women-owned, small-batch tea company rooted in tradition. We craft authentic Chai blends and concentrates using high-quality, ethically sourced teas and spices from small farms in India. Each product is made with intention — balancing bold flavors, wellness benefits, and cultural heritage.



From loose-leaf blends to our signature Chai Concentrates, every sip of The Chai Box is designed to bring people together and celebrate the timeless ritual of chai. With a commitment to sustainability and community, we compost thousands of pounds of leftover tea and spices each year, ensuring our impact goes beyond the cup (enough to grow 40,000 tomatoes).



Whether you’re brewing at home, picking up a bottle at Costco, or enjoying a cup at our future Atlanta Chai Café (launching the end of 2025), The Chai Box is chai steeped in tradition — and made for today.

Project Description

Right now, we operate out of two facilities — one 4,000 sq. ft. and one 11,000 sq. ft. — but we are preparing to consolidate into the 11,000 sq. ft. facility by May 2026. We need your help to solve two big challenges:



1. Facility Optimization

Our operations include grinding, blending, brewing, fulfillment, storage, and receiving.

We want to maximize space and efficiency across these functions.

We’d like creative solutions for today and for growth: if we were to double our business, how could we still make this space work? (e.g., vertical storage, modular layouts, smart workflows).



2. Traceability & Automation

As a food manufacturer, we must track every ingredient and packaging material from the moment it enters our facility until the finished product reaches the customer.

Currently, this is done by hand, which is slow, error-prone, and not scalable.

Existing software solutions we’ve tested are too slow, don’t meet our needs, and compromise privacy.

We’re looking for an in-house solution that automates end-to-end traceability, while protecting our intellectual property (recipes, blends, processes).



Project Goals

Propose space optimization strategies for our consolidated facility.

Design a scalable traceability system that automates compliance, saves time, and protects our IP.

Think creatively about how tech can future-proof The Chai Box as we grow.

Skills

1) Data Analysis
2) Ability to build a database (on the cloud - user friendly), could potentially integrate with current Shopify Apps