ALTHOUGH the Philippines is a coffee-drinking culture, Chinese milk tea brand Chagee is hoping to kickstart Filipinos’ newfound appreciation for tea. Its executives recently told the press that it will be bringing “the premium tea bar experience” to the Philippines.
“Tea has a global influence across history. Coffee is cool now, but tea actually predates coffee,” said Katrina Khoe, Chagee APAC head of public relations, at the media preview on Aug. 22 in Taguig City. “We want people to discover that they can be comfortable and create connections over a good cup of tea.”
Chagee was first brewed in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, in 2017, and opened stores in Southeast Asia in 2019, in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The brand now has over 6,000 branches worldwide.
In the Philippines, its first three branches will open on Aug. 29 in the following locations: SM North EDSA and Robinsons Galleria in Quezon City, and Venice Grand Canal Mall in Taguig.
What sets it apart from other competitors in the market is that its offerings are actually made from whole tea leaves, according to Ms. Khoe.
“Chagee is not a bubble tea brand. There is no artificial flavoring tea base and no artificial sweeteners in our drinks,” she explained.
ADDING MILK TO TEAChagee let the press try some of its bestsellers at the preview. They highlighted their signature drink, BO·YA Jasmine Green Milk Tea, or BO-YA for short, which has sold 600 million cups to date.
Milk tea fans will enjoy the light taste of the beverage, which comes across as only slightly milky and not as sweet as other brands with a similar offering. Using premium green tea leaves native to Yunnan’s high mountains, it does come across that the drink is freshly brewed, from the floral aroma to the gentle taste itself.
A novelty for Filipinos will be the straws that come with the Chagee cups — basically three mini, almost-flat straws attached together — designed so that you take small and slow sips to better appreciate the tea flavors.
Ryan David, Chagee senior tea industry researcher, told BusinessWorld that adding milk to tea is ultimately a matter of preference, but that Chagee does its best to find the right balance.
“We tailor every recipe so that not all have the same amount of milk. We go through many processes to determine how much of the tea flavor comes through,” Mr. David explained.
“For the darker ones, like roasted oolong and black tea, we can put more, while the green teas just require a lighter splash.”
Since it boils down to preference, this also explains why the Da Hong Pao Milk Tea, Chagee’s second bestseller and made of rich, intense roasted oolong, was more impressive to some. The tea flavors blended much better with the milk compared to the BO-YA, which more or less concludes with a similar aftertaste to what other milk tea competitor brands offer.
Even smoother brews were also showcased, like the Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea, the fragrant Lapsang Souchong Black Milk Tea, and the distinctly sweet Glutinous Green Milk Tea. These five make up Chagee’s first menu items in the Philippines.
Ms. Khoe told BusinessWorld that Arla is the milk brand of choice here simply because it is locally accessible. The question of alternatives also gave them something to think about.
“There are no milk alternatives in the Philippines yet, but in Singapore we have already launched oat milk,” she said.
THE TEA BAR EXPERIENCENatasha Besquillo, Chagee Philippines’ brand and marketing lead, shared the aesthetic visions for the first three branches in the country.
“The first store, in SM North EDSA, is a concept store with two levels that can accommodate 45 people. The second store, in Robinsons Galleria, has a larger seating capacity of 60 people,” she explained. Finally, the third branch in Venice Grand Canal Mall will differ from the two with its al fresco dining.
As for what ties them all together, Ms. Besquillo said that milk tea lovers can expect natural wood exteriors, clean design, and a color palette based on tea colors. They will have the minimalist style, with the goal of being a refuge from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
Ms. Khoe promised that these first three branches will display the premium quality that made Chagee popular in its initial markets. “Similar to espresso, tea leaves are put under high pressures for lattes and frappes. Our machines will make sure the tea leaves will be brewed perfectly,” she explained.
As for tailoring drinks to local preferences, Chagee is still considering whether it will come up with Philippines-exclusive flavors, such as the orchid-flavored drink that was recently launched in Singapore.
“In the market study we did in the Philippines, one of the challenges we found was that Filipinos have such a strong coffee-drinking culture. That’s one thing we will be taking as a challenge,” Ms. Besquillo said.
LAUNCH PROMOSAlong with the opening of the three stores, Chagee is launching its “Tear and Win” promo, available from Aug. 29 to 31.
By purchasing a large fresh milk tea, customers can peel open a special perforated section of their Tear and Win cup to look for instant prizes, including iPhones, Jo Malone perfumes, limited-edition merchandise, and even a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag.
Chagee is also offering special bundle deals, where customers can enjoy two large BO·YA Jasmine Green Milk Teas for P165 or one large BO·YA Jasmine Green Milk Tea and one large Da Hong Pao Milk Tea for P169. Both bundles are eligible for the “Tear and Win” promo. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
