Hey Tea

Hey Tea (Chinese: 喜茶; pinyin: Xǐ Chá; Jyutping: hei2 caa4; lit. 'Happy Tea') is a Chinese tea beverage chain founded in 2012 and headquartered in Nanshan District, Shenzhen.^[1] Originally established as "Royal Tea" (Chinese: 皇茶; pinyin: Huáng Chá; Jyutping: wong4 caa4) in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, the company quickly expanded across Guangdong and other regions of China. Following a trademark dispute, the brand was renamed "Hey Tea" in 2016. As of 2025^[update], the chain operates over 4000 locations, primarily in China.^[2]

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Hey Tea is often classified as a "wanghong" brand due to its popularity on social media. It is known for its modern store design, photogenic packaging and innovative beverages, including cheese tea and fruit teas.^[3]^[4] Its signature cheese tea uses a mixture of New Zealand Anchor cheese, milk, cream and salt. The brand possesses locations in several countries like the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea, as well as Hong Kong and Macau.^[4]

History

Hey Tea opened in 2012 as Royal Tea in Jiangmen but rebranded to avoid trademark conflicts.^[5]

In 2015, the company expanded to the first-tier cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen.^[6]

After receiving an investment of 100 million yuan from IDG Capital and angel investors in 2016, Hey Tea expanded into Guangxi.^[7]

The brand entered Shanghai in 2017, where the opening of its first store at Raffles City attracted significant attention on social media. In the same year, its bakery concept, "Hey Tea Mix," launched in Guangzhou.^[6]

Hey Tea opened its first Hong Kong store in 2018 at New Town Plaza, later expanding to Hong Kong Times Square, Hysan Place, Yoho Mall, Yuen Long, and Citywalk. The chain now has locations across most first- and second-tier Chinese cities, as well as in Singapore.^[6]

In 2021, Hey Tea introduced a milk-tea product based on Eisbock milk.

In December 2023, Hey Tea entered the U.S. market with its first store in Manhattan, New York.^[8] By January 2025, the chain had 15 stores in New York City.^[9]

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Stores

Types of stores

Source:^[10]

Standard Stores
Hey Tea Lab: a Lab-style concept store. The first store was opened at Shenzhen Central town Square in October 2016.
Hey Tea Black: a black and gold themed store. The first store was opened at Shenzhen Mixc in January 2017.^[11]
Hey Tea Mix: a store that mainly sells freshly baked bread. The first store was opened in March 2017 in Guangzhou.
Hey Tea Pink: a pink themed store that targets at young women. The first store was opened at Shenzhen Mixc in September 2017.
Hey Tea DP: a store that originates from HEYTEA Daydreamer Project. The store had a cross-border cooperation with independent designers. The first store was opened at Shenzhen Uniwalk in October 2017.
Hey Tea Go: a small size store that customers can order online through Hey Tea Go App.

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Controversies

Summarize

Perspective

Food safety issues

In 2019, a report found that 10 brands of pearl milk tea, including Hey Tea, contained caffeine at an average level of 258 mg/kg. Each cup of Hey Tea's milk tea was estimated to contain an amount of caffeine comparable to 3.5 cans of Red Bull.

In the same year, a pregnant woman in Suzhou reported finding a fly in a drink purchased at the Hey Tea store in Yuanrong. After unsuccessful negotiations with the company, she appealed to the media and regulatory authorities. On May 31, local authorities closed the Yuanrong store due to internal hygiene issues. On the same day, another Hey Tea location in Suzhou was also closed for similar hygiene violations.^[12]

Additionally, a supervision inspection at a Hey Tea store in Xiamen found excessive water on the kitchen floor, improperly stored fruits and containers with an ATP index (measured using ATP bioluminescence, a rapid method to assess organic matter and microbial contamination on surfaces, indicating potential food safety risks)) significantly exceeding the prescribed standard.^[12]^{[dead link]}

Violent dispute

In September 2019, a video posted online showed a physical altercation between Hey Tea staff and a takeaway rider at a store in Jinan. The video depicted staff members using chairs and other objects during the conflict. The company later explained that the incident occurred around 1300 h on September 14 and stemmed from a misunderstanding while handling an order.^[13]

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History

Stores

Types of stores

Classic products

Controversies

Food safety issues

Violent dispute

References

External links

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