When Henry Wang, chairman of Chatime, entered the bubble tea industry in 2005, he had a bold vision to turn a popular Taiwanese drink into a global phenomenon. Today, Chatime, under Wang’s leadership, has grown into one of the most successful freshly brewed beverage brands, with over 1,400 stores in 63 countries and regions. However, it wasn’t just about creating great beverages but building an international brand founded on strong principles and innovative strategies.
Wang approached the bubble tea industry with the mindset that it could thrive on a global scale if three core elements were prioritized: zero compromises on food safety and hygiene, standardization and internationalization, and innovation in taste. These principles allowed Chatime to build trust and sustainability with consumers and franchisees.
Unlike many food and beverage entrepreneurs, Wang didn’t come from a culinary background. Instead, he brought experience in business management and the technology industry.
“When I started Chatime, we had quite a few bubble tea brands competing in Taiwan,” Wang says. “I didn’t just want to be a local presence. I knew from the start that I wanted Chatime to be the number-one freshly brewed beverage brand in the world. The ability to systemize, standardize, and replicate the bubble tea business would make our brand successful. This required modernizing traditional tea culture without compromising quality.”
Most industry players still make tea by hand, which can lead to inconsistent quality. Wang saw the need to streamline and enhance production, leading to his development of an automatic tea brewing machine.
“We were the first to use automatic tea brewing technology at scale,” Wang says. “This allowed us to serve multiple orders at once and maintain quality. Other brands were still brewing by hand, but we could offer faster service at a competitive price, all while serving fresh, high-quality beverages.”
Chatime was expanding the business globally even before introducing the automatic tea brewing machine. The machine upgrades operational efficiency, reduces manpower costs, and ensures product quality. “What we want to do is fully support franchisees, from the foundation of opening a store, CI (corporate identity), education and training, and operation management,” Wang says. “This is the power of brand engagement.”
Chatime provides a comprehensive franchise community to ensure brand consistency overseas. This includes corporate training teams, marketing assets, product innovations, a global annual conference, and regular communication with franchisees to keep everyone aligned with the company’s goals.
“We don’t just provide these resources and then become hands off,” Wang says. “Franchisees need visible, meaningful support so they trust you really want to develop the brand, and most importantly will want to grow and develop with you.”
Wang’s goal is clear: to make Chatime the world’s largest freshly brewed beverage chain while continuing to embrace change and innovation. “It’s in the DNA of our success to embrace change,” Wang says. With confidence in the industry’s future, he predicts vigorous growth for the bubble tea sector over the next 30 years, aiming to make these beverages an even more significant part of consumers’ lives.
– By Olivia Schuster
