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Tag: bubble tea

  • Vietnam pho, milk tea franchised for first time in Philippines

    Vietnam pho, milk tea franchised for first time in Philippines

    The famous noodles dish pho has been franchised for the first time in the Philippines along with milk tea and spa services by three Vietnam’s companies.

    Pho’S, Phuc Tea and Care With Love have signed franchise contracts with Philippine businesses through the ecosystem of Go Global Holdings, a company that helps small and medium-sized businesses become franchisers, its CEO, Nguyen Tuan Quynh, said Thursday.

    Many foreign brands have been rushing into Vietnam to franchise their products and services in recent years, but there have been few such efforts in the reverse direction, and even fewer have succeeded, he said.

    “These franchise contracts are therefore positive signs for Vietnamese firms.”

    Tran Thao Vi, founder of spa service provider Care With Love, told VnExpress that a franchise deal has been signed with a Philippine partner specializing in medical services.

    “In two months we will launch our first franchise in the Philippines and open another three in the first quarter next year, and eventually have dozens of spas in the country.”

    Care With Love has been operating for 11 years with 13 branches. It plans to increase the number to 20 by the end of this year, 80% of them franchises.

    Tran Nhat Vu, co-founder of beverage chain Phuc Tea, which has 140 stores in Vietnam after six years since opening, said the franchise partner would open around 20 stores in the Philippine capital Manila next year.

    The franchise fee for each Pho’S and Phuc Tea store is US$7,000-10,000.

    The three companies said the Philippines partners were interested because their business models are “unique” with their focus on middle-class customers.

    Pho’S is the first major company to use ginseng in its recipe, while Phuc Tea has been making new beverages from unusual ingredients.

    The three companies are also in talks for franchising in Indonesia and Malaysia.

    Vietnamese companies to launch franchises overseas so far are footwear and leather company T&T, Pho 24 and Vu Giang Jsc under the brand Bobby Brewers coffee chain.

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  • Chupa Chups x Chatime launch lolly-inspired boba drinks

    Chupa Chups x Chatime launch lolly-inspired boba drinks

    Chupa Chups has partnered with boba franchise Chatime to launch drinks based on the lolly brand’s best-selling flavors: Grape and Strawberry & Cream.

    Dubbed “The Tea That Pops”, the lolly-based boba beverages are available in Chatime T-breweries nationwide from September 19 until October 31.

    “It’s not just a drink; it’s a whole vibe!” expressed Marta Ballesteros, global licensing manager for Perfetti Van Melle, the parent company of Chupa Chups.

    “I hope our Australian fans are all set to dive into a world of forever fun flavor and will give the sweetest launch of the season a go!”

    The Grape Chupa Tea is a green tea base with grape jellies to add an “extra pop”, while the Strawberries & Cream Chupa Tea is a milky tea with a strawberry-vanilla flavor and a dollop of creamy mousse.

    According to Gabi Bishop, senior brand manager at Chatime, the collaboration aims to demonstrate the company’s commitment to innovation.

    “Our exciting partnership with Chupa Chups not only introduces a delicious new range of limited-edition teas to our customers but also energizes our vibrant breweries with a fun and playful campaign,” concluded Bishop.

    “We can’t wait to share it with our industry peers and tea enthusiasts!”

    The Grape Chupa Tea is priced at $7.50 for a regular size and $8.35 for a large, while the Strawberries & Cream Chupa Tea is available for $8.10 for a regular and $8.95 for a large.

    Asembl, a leading brand extension agency representing Perfetti Van Melle, brokered the partnership.

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  • Malaysian bubble tea chain brewing up rapid expansion, to revisit IPO plans

    Malaysian bubble tea chain brewing up rapid expansion, to revisit IPO plans

    Malaysia’s Loob Holding, which owns Southeast Asia’s biggest bubble tea brand by stores, will consider plans for a share listing once it reaches its target of operating 1,000 Tealive stores in the country by 2024, its top executive said.

    “By then, we may consider an IPO if the timing and pricing are attractive,” Bryan Loo, Loob’s chief executive officer, told Reuters in an interview.

    Loob, which opened its 800th Tealive store in Malaysia last month, had previously planned for a Malaysian IPO but put it on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, according to a media report.

    In June last year, Loob gained funding from Malaysian private equity fund Creador, which bought a 30% stake in it but the companies did not provide financial details.

    “With Creador on board, our options for funding have indeed widened very much,” Loo said, adding that Loob was “adequately funded” for its current planned expansion.

    “So the question of whether we will go for an IPO and if so, in which market, is best re-visited a year from now,” said Loo, who founded Loob in 2010 and launched Tealive in 2017.

    Tealive makes and sells beverages ranging from pearl milk tea to coffee and has expanded to countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia and the United Kingdom.

    The expansion comes a time when Malaysia’s economy grew at its fastest annual pace in a year in the second quarter, with consumer spending picking up strongly following the easing of coronavirus restriction. Other milk tea brands such as CHAGEE and KOI have also expanded rapidly in the Southeast Asian country.

    Loob is also gearing up to double Tealive’s store count in the Philippines annually, with a target of 300 stores by 2024 from 25 currently, Loo said.

    Besides Tealive, Loob also owns sparkling water maker Sodaxpress, kombucha brand Wonderbrew and coffee brand Bask Bear Coffee. Loob is expanding at a rate of 100 Tealive and 100 Bask Bear Coffee outlets a year in Malaysia, according to Loo.

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  • Vietnam third largest market for bubble tea in Southeast Asia

    Vietnam third largest market for bubble tea in Southeast Asia

    Turnover of the Vietnamese bubble tea market hit $362 million in 2021, ranking third among six major Southeast Asian markets, according to a recent study.

    The region’s largest market was Indonesia with an estimated $1.6 billion annual turnover. Thailand came in second with $749 million, according to a study by Singapore-headquartered venture outfit Momentum Works and digital payments solution firm Qlub.

    Turnover in the Southeast Asian market last year accumulated to $3.66 billion, it added.

    As of April 2022, Vietnam had 439 bubble tea shops, with over half located in Ho Chi Minh City, a survey by German data portal Statista and Vietnamese market researcher Q&Me showed.

    Bobapop, a local brand, was the leader in terms of locations with 89 stores.

    It was followed by three foreign players, Tiger Sugar (48 stores), The Alley (47) and Gong Cha (42).

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  • Leading milk tea brands plot Australian expansion

    Leading milk tea brands plot Australian expansion

    Major milk tea brands Gotcha and Chatime have disclosed Australian expansion plans and their focus during the next few years.

    The assistant MD of Gotcha, Christy Chen said that the brand is set to open 20 new stores by the end of the year.

    “Gotcha will continue to focus on the interior of our stores to deliver an elevated level of design,” Chen said.

    Launching in 2018, the brand now operates more than 20 stores across the country. Gotcha aims to expand to Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Singapore this year, and is expanding its store network in Indonesia.

    “We are very confident the bubble-tea market will continue to grow, especially as we expand into international regions.”

    Meanwhile, rival Chatime, said it will add 29 more stores to its existing 126 franchises in Australia this year.

    “As of right now, we currently have over 50 percent of our target locked in,” said Andrew Benefield, chief development officer at Chatime.

    The company expects the market will consolidate to just two to three key players including itself. Chatime’s goal is to hit 250 stores across the country during the next five years. At the same time, it will shift its focus to be more environmentally friendly and reduce plastic waste.

    “Chatime is currently working on Project Happy Turtle, which aims for us to completely eradicate single-use plastic within our stores across Australia,” Benefield said. “We’ve tried this through the introduction of reusable bubble-tea cups, as well as paper straws across the network.”

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  • Taiwan’s Chun Fun How opens new outlet in Singapore

    Taiwan’s Chun Fun How opens new outlet in Singapore

    Taiwanese bubble-tea chain Chun Fun How is preparing to launch a flagship store at the Esplanade in Singapore this month.

    The floral-themed store will offer takeaway drinks only in its new outlet – mostly premium fruit tea blends in attractively designed “Instagrammable” cups – with a heavy emphasis on sanitization as the coronavirus outbreak continues. The brand is expected to be offering new drinks and menu items exclusive to the Singapore market.

    The brand is known for its low profile in Taiwan, with the majority of its stores targeting students and local business people rather than tourists.

    Chu Fun How has 14 outlets within Taiwan, a franchise outlet in both Hong Kong and Canada, and plans to expand in Indonesia as well as Singapore.

  • Bubble-tea chain The Whale debuts in Singapore

    Bubble-tea chain The Whale debuts in Singapore

    Bubble tea chain The Whale has opened its first outlet in Singapore.

    The Nanjing-based brand opened the first franchise in the territory in a basement takeaway kiosk at Lot One Mall in Choa Chu Kang. It is known for its unusual blends, including the Brown Sugar Avocado and Volcanic Sapphire Whale drinks.

    The brand’s marketing and business development manager Clement Low revealed a broad-ranging expansion strategy for The Whale, telling local media outlet 8 Days that the company plans to expand across Singapore.

    “We are currently looking for space where we can have dine-in seats,” said Low.

    The Whale will open its second outlet at City Square Mall, Farrer Park within a fortnight, and a third at Chinatown’s China Square Central next month. A fourth outlet will launch at Rivervale Mall in Sengkang towards the end of the year.

    The Whale’s Singapore partner also operates Thai eatery chain Gu Thai Noodle Cafe.

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  • Bubble-tea chain Milksha opened in Australia

    Bubble-tea chain Milksha opened in Australia

    Taiwanese bubble-tea chain Milksha has opened a flagship store in Melbourne, Australia.

    The store is the Milkshop brand’s first flagship in Australia. It operates 240 locations in several Asian countries.

    The brand is known for its use of fresh milk rather than creamer.

    “Those familiar with the Milksha brand know that it’s a premium bubble tea brand,” said Milkshop International GM Peter Huang. “We chose Melbourne to launch our flagship store because it is no doubt the foodie capital of Australia. The city is a melting pot of different cultures open to trying new products, which can be seen in its established and growing market of bubble-tea lovers.”

    The firm is partnering with local supplier St David’s Dairy for fresh milk.

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  • Travellers Can Now Order Boba Milk Tea On AirAsia Flights

    Travellers Can Now Order Boba Milk Tea On AirAsia Flights

    AirAsia Thailand recently introduced bubble milk tea in their in-flight menu – much to the delight of customers. There’s even a poster that says that passengers can now enjoy Boba milk tea 35,000 feet in the air.

    You’ve probably come across articles on how unhealthy bubble tea drinks can be, due to its sugar intake, sweeteners and artificial flavourings. To combat that, AirAsia Thailand has come up with a healthier option flyers.

    Enter AirAsia’s milk tea with konjac bubbles. According to Google, konjac (also known as konnyaku and devil’s tongue) “is high in fiber and has almost no calories”. Made from the root of a plant, some of its alleged health benefits include helping people to lose weight.

    Its boba also come in diamond shapes. There is only 1 flavoured bubble tea on the menu for the time being though.

    Priced at ฿75 (RM10), it is available on AirAsia Thailand and AirAsiaX Thailand flights.

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  • Taiwanese bubble-tea brands caught in Hong Kong protest backlash

    Taiwanese bubble-tea brands caught in Hong Kong protest backlash

    Internet users on the Chinese mainland have blacklisted popular Taiwanese bubble-tea brands after a Hong Kong franchise urged solidarity with street protesters in the Asian financial hub.

    The online furore began when Yifang Fruit Tea, a maker of the tea-based drink, closed one of its Hong Kong shops for a day and put up a sign that said in Chinese: “Stand together with Hong Kongers”.

    Photos of the sign circulated on mainland social media this week, angering users who accused the firm of backing Hong Kong independence. Calls for a boycott spread to other Taiwanese bubble tea brands like Gong Cha, HeyTea, CoCo and A Little Tea.

    Yifang and the others were blacklisted by users of China’s microblog Weibo. A white list promoted “good” brands.

    “Rest assured, I won’t spend another cent on you. Yifang is rubbish,” a Weibo user named ProfiteroleK wrote in a comment that received more than 1500 likes.

    Hong Kong is facing its worst crisis since returning to China from British rule in 1997, as sometimes violent protests since June against a now-suspended extradition law have become a direct challenge to the city’s government and Beijing.

    Bubble tea was invented by Taiwan, a self-ruled island considered by Beijing as a renegade province. On the mainland, Weibo posts containing the hashtag “Taiwanese bubble tea shops” were read 350 million times in recent days.

    The run-in with Chinese social media users is another example of how companies can get caught in political issues.

    In January, Apple and Amazon were called out by a mainland state think-tank for “incorrect” Taiwan and Hong Kong references.

    The mainland franchisee of Yifang Fruit Tea said in social-media posts the company fired the part-time staff who put up the notice and permanently closed the outlet.

    However, Amigo Cheung, the brand manager of the Yifang franchise in Hong Kong, told Reuters by phone that nobody had been dismissed yet and no outlet had been shut.

    HeyTea and Gong Cha, on their social media accounts, affirmed their support for “One Country, Two Systems” or “One China”, in hopes of distancing themselves from the backlash.

    Fellow Taiwanese bubble-tea brands CoCo and A Little Tea could not be reached for comment.

    Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen wrote in a Facebook post this week that “China’s political power has invaded into various nonpolitical areas,” citing tea as an example.

    “For people living in a society with freedom and democracy, we need to stay on high alert for issues like this,” Tsai wrote, along with a picture of a cup of ice fruit tea.

    Jennie, a mainland student studying at a Hong Kong university, said she had sympathy for protesting students but also felt caught in the middle.

    “Seeing the locals around disliking mainland people so much, I fear I’ll be driven out (from Hong Kong) by them in the future,” she told Reuters.

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  • Bubble-tea chain Milksha opening Stores in Singapore

    Bubble-tea chain Milksha opening Stores in Singapore

    Taiwanese bubble-tea chain Milksha is opening two outlets in Singapore by the end of this month.

    The first flagship outlet will open at Suntec City Mall, and a second in Funan mall, which is scheduled to open on the 28th.

    Known as Milkshop in Taiwan, and Milksha outside of Taiwan, the chain has five signature products: Azuki Matcha Milk, Fresh Taro Milk, Refreshing Orange Green Tea, Earl Grey Latte with Honey Pearl and Valrhona 100% Cocoa Milk.

    The brand is also known for its honey pearls, which are made in Taiwan and frozen using ‘quick-freeze’ technology to maintain the texture of the pearls, before being flown to Singapore.

    The local outlets will offer four varieties: Fresh Milk Series, Fresh Milk Tea Latte Series, Premium Tea Series and Special Concoctions.

    Milksha currently has more than 230 outlets in Taiwan, 20 in China and two in Hong Kong.

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  • Chicha San Chen opens in Singapore

    Chicha San Chen opens in Singapore

    Taiwanese bubble-tea chain Chicha San Chen has opened its first outlet in Singapore.

    Located in 313@Somerset, the flagship store has modern design with an open kitchen.

    Customers can make their own tea and watch as it brews in a Teapresso machine.

    They can choose from milk-tea, fruit-tea or pure-tea bases including Green Tea, Osmanthus Oolong Tea, High Mountain Pouchong Tea, Black Tea, Dong Ding Oolong Tea and Cassia Black Tea.

    The store also features a tea appreciation counter where tea connoisseurs can learn more about teas and sample the special Taiwanese Lishan Qingxin Oolong Tea.

    Established in Taichung 20 years ago, Chicha now has more than 200 stores in Taiwan and China.

    Chicha has its own tea plantations in Taiwan, where they harvest their tea leaves and other ingredients.

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  • Malaysian bubble-tea chain Tealive Eying IPO

    Malaysian bubble-tea chain Tealive Eying IPO

    Loob Holding, parent of Malaysian bubble-tea chain Tealive, is preparing an IPO in Malaysia with a view to raising MYR300 million (US$72 million).

    The firm, which operates more than 200 food-and-beverage outlets in the territory, has reportedly hired advisors to facilitate the process and is seeking a valuation of up to MYR1 billion.

    “We have engaged corporate advisers for this exercise,” said Loo’s CEO Bryan Loo. “We cannot confirm the valuation sought nor the IPO portion, pending final recommendations from our advisers.”

    New listings have been slow off the mark this year, with only $9.4 million in first-time sales so far compared to $47.8 million during the same period last year. Several retail businesses are expected to list shortly, including Malaysia KFC operator QSR Brands and home improvement chain Mr DIY.

  • Gong Cha to open world’s first bubble-tea funhouse

    Gong Cha to open world’s first bubble-tea funhouse

    Gong Cha will team up with Tokidoki to create the world’s first bubble-tea funhouse at Singapore Shilin night market.

    The Tokidoki-themed bubble-tea funhouse will bring three new flavours including Rosa Latte, Berry Biscotti, Bambu Boba, served in Tokidoki co-branded cups.

    Boba enthusiasts can also treat themselves to bubble tea-inspired desserts such as Boba Pancake, and Earl Grey Milk Tea Ice Cream.

    There will also be two limited-edition Tokidoki x Gong Cha-merchandised tumbler and sleeve for the first 500 customers daily.

    At a DIY station, customers can customise their own drinks.

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  • Happy Lemon teashop showcases Alibaba tech

    Happy Lemon teashop showcases Alibaba tech

    Taiwanese bubble-tea chain Happy Lemon has teamed up with Koubei, Alibaba Group’s local-services app, to upgrade its in-store technology, including a new drink-making robot. At its pilot “smart store” in Shanghai, customers have the option of buying their drinks at a counter manned by employees or, for a fully automated experience, purchasing via their smartphones for service by the robot. Customers scan a QR code with the Koubei app, tick a few boxes to customise their drink, then wait for a text notification to pick up their tea at a smart locker, which opens when they tap a “pick-up” button on the app.

    The robot can make eight types of drinks with about 40 variations based on customer preferences for different amounts of ice and sugar – each taking about 90 seconds, Koubei said.

    “The smart-store initiative is part of our journey to bring New Retail to food and beverage merchants,” said Guo Haodang, head of Koubei’s smart-store program. “We bring advanced technologies, such as our QR codes, intelligent pick-up lockers and robotic tea mixers, to merchants’ brick-and-mortar stores, helping the sector rethink how they sell and engage with consumers.”

    Koubei and Happy Lemon’s tea-making robot can serve up drinks in 90 seconds.

    Koubei and Happy Lemon’s tea-making robot can serve up drinks in 90 seconds.

    Happy Lemon, which operates more than 1000 stores worldwide, including in the US, Canada, the UK and South Korea, is the latest company to join the smart-store program. Launched in 2017, there are now about 100 brands that have partnered with Koubei to upgrade their brick-and-mortar locations with in-store technology, such as features that allow consumers to pre-order by mobile app and skip queues. Other brands that have signed on include the century-old Chinese restaurant chain Wu Fang Zhai, Hong Kong traditional sweets maker Honeymoon Dessert and pastry chain Kengee.

    Daniel Lee, deputy GM of global marketing at Happy Lemon, said that high employee turnover can lead to drinks being made inconsistently. The robot, which knows right ingredients and amounts, is the perfect solution to that problem, he said.

    Happy Lemon is working with Koubei to replicate this model at more of its stores across China, according to a statement from the local-services app.

    A Happy Lemon customer uses the Koubei app to place his order.

    “Aside from hardware innovations like with the robotic tea mixer, what’s more important to us are the big-data applications behind it,” said Lee, adding that Koubei’s analytics had helped determine where to build the pilot smart store as well as provide AI-powered customisations to customers.

    Last year, the company leveraged Koubei’s consumer analytics to better reach its potential customers online and drive traffic to its physical stores. In 2016, Happy Lemon had joined Alibaba’s on-demand delivery arm, Ele.me. The brand said that 30 per cent of its orders come from delivery rather than in-store purchases, and it expects that ratio to grow further.

    Market research firm Mintel says demand for tea-shop drinks has grown remarkably in the last couple of years in China, reaching a total retail value of RMB 48.5 billion (US$7.2 billion) last year. While nearly all tea-shop consumers in China have bought their beverages in physical stores, just over two-thirds have ordered their drinks online, Mintel noted, which means online channels are a potential growth opportunity for tea chains.

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