Chagee
A Chinese tea beverage chain built around whole-leaf tea, fresh milk tea, and an image of contemporary Chinese tea culture.
Last updated October 9, 2026
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Overview
Chagee, branded in Chinese as 霸王茶姬, is a Chinese tea beverage chain founded in Kunming, Yunnan, in June 2017 by Zhang Junjie. The brand’s name refers to the traditional Chinese opera story The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell, and its visual identity draws on the stylized appearance of a huadan, or female opera role. Rather than presenting itself primarily as a tapioca-dessert chain, Chagee has developed its identity around brewed tea, whole-leaf tea ingredients, fresh milk, and a more tea-centered drinking experience. The company’s best-known beverages are fresh milk teas made by combining tea infusions with fresh milk. Its drinks are commonly named after classical Chinese poetry or literary imagery, reinforcing the brand’s emphasis on Chinese cultural references. Signature offerings include Boya’s Absolute String, commonly known by its Chinese name 伯牙绝弦, and Osmanthus Orchid Fragrance, or 桂馥兰香. The menu also includes fruit teas and pure teas. In China, drinks have generally been positioned above mass-market tea chains, with typical prices reported at approximately RMB 16 for smaller sizes and RMB 20 for larger sizes, although prices and menus vary by market and time. Chagee uses a franchising model for much of its store network and has expanded rapidly through a combination of domestic growth and overseas development. The company moved its headquarters from Kunming to Chengdu in 2021. In 2024 it adopted a dual-headquarters arrangement in which Chengdu remained the general headquarters while Shanghai became the base for overseas business management. Its international expansion began in Singapore and Malaysia in 2019, followed by Thailand and later additional Southeast Asian markets. It has also entered the United States, opening its first location in Los Angeles in April 2025, and has established a U.S. headquarters in Irvine, California. The company has been described by media as pursuing an “Oriental Starbucks” model: a scalable, recognizable tea-house brand that combines standardized products with a cultural and lifestyle-oriented retail environment. Its packaging and store design have attracted comparisons with established luxury and coffee brands, while its products and presentation have also been discussed in relation to other Chinese tea chains. Chagee has sought to differentiate itself through whole-leaf tea, fresh milk, premium visual design, technology-enabled operations, and a menu organized around tea varieties rather than only sweetness or toppings. Chagee has also used international visibility and localized formats to support its expansion. During the 2024 Summer Olympics it operated a temporary store in Paris. In Singapore it later opened a sign-language-oriented store at the National University of Singapore, while in the Philippines it introduced a pet-friendly location. In the United States, it added an evening tea service featuring a tea sommelier and a flight of different teas. These initiatives show the brand testing experience-led formats alongside conventional takeaway stores. The company has faced reputational challenges during its international growth. A 2024 Malaysian promotional controversy led to criticism after a staff member appeared to inspect promotional cups before a “Tear & Win” campaign. Chagee Malaysia apologized and changed the prize process to QR-code slips. The brand also faced backlash in Vietnam and Malaysia over a map displayed in its mobile application that was interpreted as depicting the disputed nine-dash line. These episodes illustrate the regulatory and cultural sensitivities involved in exporting a China-origin brand across Southeast Asia. Chagee remains an active international tea chain whose core proposition is the modernization and commercialization of Chinese tea culture through a standardized retail network.
History
Chagee was established in Kunming, Yunnan, in June 2017 by Zhang Junjie. Before founding the company, Zhang worked in the milk-tea sector from a young age, progressing from an apprentice role to regional supervisory work and later becoming a franchise partner. He also gained experience in corporate governance at a Shanghai startup. After observing the rapid development of Chinese new-style tea chains, he launched Chagee with the intention of building a more tea-centered beverage brand. The Chinese name 霸王茶姬 draws on The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell, a well-known opera and cultural story. The brand’s logo and visual language reference Chinese opera, while its product names frequently invoke poetry and classical imagery. Its principal product format is fresh milk tea prepared with whole-leaf tea. This approach gives the chain a distinct identity within the broader Chinese beverage market, where brands compete through ingredients, store experience, packaging, delivery systems, and cultural positioning. Chagee’s first international expansion took place in 2019, when it entered Singapore and Malaysia. In Singapore it initially operated through a franchise partnership and had expanded to twelve outlets by 2021. In Malaysia, its first Kuala Lumpur location opened in August 2019 under the BaWangChaJi name; the market adopted the Chagee Malaysia name in 2021. Thailand became another overseas market in 2022. By 2024, Malaysia had more than 100 Chagee stores, and Singapore functioned as the company’s Southeast Asian headquarters. The company moved its headquarters from Kunming to Chengdu in 2021. In 2024, it formalized a dual-headquarters structure, keeping general headquarters functions in Chengdu and assigning overseas business management to Shanghai. Chagee also continued broadening its Southeast Asian footprint through stores in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, while developing additional formats such as a pet-friendly Philippine store and a sign-language-oriented Singapore store. International expansion was accompanied by promotional and cultural initiatives. A Paris pop-up during the 2024 Summer Olympics gave the brand exposure outside its primary Asian markets. In the United States, Chagee opened its first store at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles in April 2025 and established a U.S. headquarters in Irvine, California. The U.S. proposition included an evening tea service with a tea sommelier and a multi-tea flight, extending the brand beyond a conventional takeaway beverage format. Chagee’s growth has also produced controversies. In Malaysia, a 2024 “Tear & Win” anniversary promotion became the subject of online criticism after a video appeared to show an employee inspecting cups for prize information. The company first announced legal action against the uploader, then apologized after public criticism and changed the prize-distribution process to QR-code slips. In Vietnam and Malaysia, a map in the company’s application was criticized because users interpreted it as representing the disputed nine-dash line. The issue led to boycott calls and the removal of branding from a planned Ho Chi Minh City opening. The company’s overall strategy has been to scale a recognizable Chinese tea concept through franchising, standardized products, premium presentation, and local-market expansion. Its stated or reported ambition has been compared with an “Oriental Starbucks” model: a large international network centered on tea rather than coffee. Chagee therefore occupies a position between fast-service beverage retail and culturally themed lifestyle branding, with its future development dependent on execution across China, Southeast Asia, the United States, and other markets.
- 2025
United States market entry
[1]Chagee opens its first U.S. store in Los Angeles and establishes a U.S. headquarters in Irvine.
- 2024
Dual-headquarters structure and Paris Olympic pop-up
[1]Chengdu remains the general headquarters, Shanghai takes responsibility for overseas business management, and the brand operates a Paris pop-up during the Summer Olympics.
- 2022
Thailand entry
[1]Chagee opens its first Thai store.
- 2021
Headquarters move to Chengdu
[1]The company relocates its headquarters from Kunming to Chengdu.
- 2019
First overseas expansion
[1]Chagee enters Singapore and Malaysia, beginning its international store network.
- 2017
Chagee is founded in Kunming
[1]Zhang Junjie establishes the tea beverage brand in Yunnan, China.
Products and positioning
A mid-to-premium new-style tea chain combining whole-leaf tea, fresh milk, Chinese cultural references, and contemporary lifestyle-oriented store design.
Milk tea · 2017
Fresh milk tea
Chagee’s core product family combines freshly prepared milk with brewed whole-leaf tea. The format emphasizes tea aroma and the identity of the underlying tea variety, distinguishing the drinks from products built primarily around syrups, pearls, or other toppings.
Signature milk tea
Boya’s Absolute String
Known in Chinese as 伯牙绝弦, this is one of Chagee’s principal signature beverages. Its name draws on the classical story of Boya and Ziqi and reflects the brand’s practice of linking tea products with Chinese literary and cultural references.
Signature tea beverage
Osmanthus Orchid Fragrance
Known in Chinese as 桂馥兰香, this flagship offering uses a poetic name and floral imagery consistent with Chagee’s cultural positioning. It is part of the brand’s broader range of tea-led beverages served through its retail network.
Fruit tea
Fruit tea
Chagee’s fruit-tea range expands the menu beyond milk tea through tea-based drinks combined with fruit flavors. Availability and recipes can differ by country and store format.
Tea
Pure tea
Pure-tea products present brewed tea without the fresh-milk format. They support Chagee’s positioning as a tea specialist and allow customers to focus more directly on the flavor and aroma of the tea itself.
Tea experience · 2025
Evening tea service
Introduced in selected U.S. locations in 2025, the evening service includes a tea sommelier and a flight of several teas. It represents an experience-led extension of Chagee’s standard beverage-store model.
Controversies
2024
Malaysia Tear & Win promotion controversy
A viral video appeared to show an employee inspecting promotional cups to identify prize information. Chagee Malaysia initially announced legal action against the uploader for alleged defamation, then apologized after widespread criticism and changed the prize mechanism.
Nine-dash-line map controversy
A map displayed in Chagee’s mobile application was interpreted by users in Vietnam and Malaysia as depicting the disputed nine-dash line. The controversy prompted boycott calls and the removal of signage from a planned Vietnamese outlet.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Singapore sign-language store
Singapore
Chagee opened a sign-language-oriented store at the National University of Singapore as an accessibility-focused retail initiative.
Outcome. Accessibility-oriented store format launched
- 2024Paris Summer Olympics pop-up
France
Chagee operated a temporary Paris store during the 2024 Summer Olympics to present its tea concept to an international audience.
Outcome. International brand exposure
- 2024Malaysia seventh-anniversary Tear & Win
Malaysia
A lottery-style anniversary promotion used specially marked cups. After a video appeared to show a staff member checking cup tabs, the campaign generated accusations of manipulation and public criticism.
Outcome. Chagee apologized and replaced physical prize slips with QR-code-based prize verification.
Brand decisions
2025
Launch U.S. evening tea serviceProduct launchBackground
Chagee was developing a more experiential proposition for its first U.S. market.
Action taken
Selected Southern California stores introduced an evening service with a tea sommelier and a multi-tea flight.
Aftermath
The initiative extended Chagee’s offering beyond standard milk-tea takeaway.
2024
Create a dual-headquarters structureStrategyBackground
Chagee was increasing its overseas presence across Southeast Asia and preparing for broader international operations.
Action taken
The company retained general headquarters functions in Chengdu and established an overseas business management office in Shanghai.
Aftermath
The arrangement separated general corporate operations from management of international business.
2024
Transition Singapore from franchised to company-owned operationsStrategyBackground
Chagee had entered Singapore through a franchise partnership model but decided to change its operating approach.
Action taken
The company withdrew its earlier Singapore franchise operations and relaunched with company-owned outlets in August 2024.
Aftermath
New company-owned stores opened at Orchard Gateway, Plaza Singapura, and Raffles Place.
2024
Change the Malaysian promotion prize systemOtherBackground
The Tear & Win controversy raised concerns that physical prize tabs could be inspected before distribution.
Action taken
Chagee Malaysia moved from directly distributing physical prize items to using QR-code slips.
Aftermath
The change was intended to reduce opportunities for improper checking and restore confidence in the promotion process.
2021
Move headquarters to ChengduStrategyBackground
The company was expanding beyond its original Yunnan base and needed a larger operational center.
Action taken
Chagee relocated its headquarters from Kunming to Chengdu.
Aftermath
Chengdu became the brand’s general headquarters and remained central to its domestic and international development.
Recent events
- 2025
Chagee opens its first United States store[1]
Product launch
The company opened its first U.S. location at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles and established a U.S. headquarters in Irvine, California.
- 2025
Chagee introduces an evening tea service in Southern California[1]
Product launch
Selected U.S. stores added an evening service featuring a tea sommelier and a flight of multiple teas.
- 2025
Chagee opens a sign-language store in Singapore[1]
Campaign · Product launch
The company opened a sign-language-oriented store at the National University of Singapore.
- 2025
CHAGEE Holdings Limited files registration materials for a U.S. initial public offering[6]
Other
The company submitted regulatory materials describing its business, operations, risks, and proposed U.S. listing.
- 2025
CHAGEE begins trading on Nasdaq under the symbol CHA[7]
Other
CHAGEE Holdings Limited became a publicly traded company in the United States, marking a major capital-markets milestone for the China-founded tea chain.
- 2024
Chagee adopts a dual-headquarters arrangement[1]
Other
Chengdu remained the general headquarters while Shanghai became the management base for overseas business.
- 2024
Chagee operates a Paris pop-up during the Summer Olympics[1]
Campaign
The brand used a temporary Paris location during the 2024 Summer Olympics to build international visibility.
- 2024
CHAGEE expands its Southeast Asian store network[8]
Other
The company continued developing its international network, particularly in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, using a combination of local operations and franchising.
- 2021
Chagee relocates its headquarters from Kunming to Chengdu[1]
Other
The company moved its headquarters to Chengdu as it expanded beyond its Yunnan origins.
Sources8 sources
- 1Chagee - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- 2Chagee official websitechagee.com
- 3CHAGEE official website-front pagechagee.com
- 4CHAGEE official website-development pathchagee.com
- 5CHAGEE official website-company profilechagee.com
- 6霸王茶姬控股有限公司提交美国首次公开募股注册材料sec.gov
- 7霸王茶姬以股票代码CHA在纳斯达克开始交易nasdaq.com
- 8霸王茶姬扩大东南亚门店网络chagee.com
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