HEYTEA now fastest-growing bubble tea chain in US

HEYTEA, a Shenzhen-based tea chain, marked another milestone with the opening of its new store on Main Street in Cupertino, California, solidifying its position as the fastest-growing bubble tea chain in the U.S. 

Customers line up outside Heytea’s new store on Main Street in Cupertino, California, on opening day. Phtos courtersy of Heytea

The company now operates over 100 overseas locations, a sixfold increase in just one year, it said yesterday.

In the U.S. alone, HEYTEA has expanded from two stores to more than 30, making it the largest new tea drink brand in the country by store count. The Cupertino opening is particularly symbolic as the Silicon Valley hub, home to Apple's headquarters, welcomed HEYTEA as the first premium tea brand to establish a presence there.

HEYTEA's Cupertino store features a design blending tea culture with modern social spaces and tech aesthetics. The brand also introduced a U.S.-exclusive drink, iYerba, a superfood smoothie made with yerba mate, kale, and chia seeds.

A customer poses for a photo at a Heytea store in London.

Having already established a presence in eight overseas countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, HEYTEA targets high-profile urban centers by opening stores in the landmark shopping districts of cities like London, New York, Toronto, and Sydney.

Its New York Times Square LAB store, opened earlier this year, sold over 3,500 cups on its first day and maintains a steady daily average of 2,000. A Flushing, Queens location recorded nearly 3,300 cups on its third day, while a San Jose store continues to outperform initial sales even during off-peak seasons, the company said. Social media buzz has included viral videos of customers waiting two hours for a drink, with some U.S. consumers calling it "more addictive than coffee."

A photo collage showing customers in different countries enjoying Heytea drinks.

HEYTEA attributes its success to its ability to balance signature drinks with localized creations. Its bestseller, Coconut Mango, has sold nearly 2.5 million cups overseas, including 1 million in the U.S. Other classics like Grape Cheezo and Mango Pomelo Sago have also surpassed 1 million in global sales.

HEYTEA has also partnered with global names like alexanderwang, Sandy Liang, and artist Yayoi Kusama, enhancing its cross-cultural appeal. Pop-up events, NBA star Paul George's exclusive drink-mixing experience at the Beverly Hills store, and a viral social media moment with Blackpink's Lisa have further boosted its profile.

A photo collage features Heytea stores in different coutnries. 

To support its rapid growth, HEYTEA built a dedicated overseas supply chain, establishing warehouses on the east and west coasts of the U.S. and in the U.K., Australia, and Malaysia. In the U.S., it collaborates with Sysco for local sourcing of milk, fruit, and other key ingredients. The brand also launched in-house delivery services in early 2025, becoming the only U.S. bubble tea chain with a self-operated delivery system.

Established in Shenzhen in 2012, Heytea currently has more than 4,000 stores in China and overseas, catering to a customer base exceeding 150 million worldwide.

It launched its first overseas store in Singapore in 2018 and accelerated its globalization pace in 2023, opening outlets in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, among others, within that year.

HEYTEA is not the only Shenzhen-based tea chain venturing overseas. Nayuki Holdings, the operator of the Naixue tea chain, opened its first store in Thailand at the end of 2023.