MILK+T

What MILK+T does

MILK+T (legal entity: MILK + T INC) is a U.S.-based boba milk tea brand founded in December 2015 by co-founders Beyah and Stacey (Stacey Kwong, CEO) as the world's first self-serve boba truck in Los Angeles. The company sells boba-making kits, loose-leaf teas imported from Taiwan, uncooked tapioca boba balls, reusable glass boba straws and jars, branded apparel and merchandise (the 'bobawasted' line), and a published cookbook, all priced in the $2.50-$80 range. Its core technology is a proprietary system for at-home boba preparation — including a DIY kit that teaches consumers to make tapioca balls from scratch using tapioca starch — supported by instructional video content and proprietary lactose-free milk tea formulations.

Name

MILK+T

Legal name

MILK + T INC

Website

https://milkandt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MILK+T is a bootstrapped U.S. boba milk tea brand (founded 2015) selling at-home boba kits, loose-leaf teas, reusable accessories, and merchandise via e-commerce, three CA/OR retail locations, catering, and virtual corporate team-building classes (The Boba Class) for individual consumers, corporate groups, and event planners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Beverages / Bubble Tea

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFAKAC

Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Beverage Shops (Juice, Smoothie, Tea, Non-Alcoholic Specialty)

Keywords

• Bubble tea kits
• Loose leaf tea
• Boba ingredients
• Catering services
• Team building classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Direct online sales of boba kits, ingredients, supplies, and merchandise through their e-commerce website. Products include The Boba Kit ($30), various tea varieties, boba supplies, apparel, and accessories. One-time purchase model with free shipping on orders $100+.
2. Physical Retail Locations: In-store sales of made-to-order boba milk tea drinks at physical locations in Los Angeles and Portland. Customers customize drinks with fresh milk, real fruit, and unlimited toppings served in free glass jars.
3. Corporate Team Building Classes: Virtual and in-person boba making classes for corporate events and groups. Revenue generated through kit sales with minimum order requirements ($500 for Pre-made Class, $700 for DIY Class). Classes are complimentary with kit purchase.
4. Event Catering Services: In-person catering and delivery services for weddings, parties, and corporate events within Los Angeles and Portland. Pricing starts at $8 per person with minimum order requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

MILK+T sells at-home boba-making kits (The Boba Kit pre-made and DIY versions at $30 each), loose-leaf teas and tapioca boba ball ingredients, reusable borosilicate glass straws/jars/infusers, branded merchandise, and cookbooks via direct e-commerce. It also operates physical made-to-order boba retail shops in California and Oregon, provides event catering for weddings, parties, and corporate events starting at $8 per person, and runs The Boba Class — virtual and in-person boba-making team-building classes delivered over Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet with kit minimums of 20 (pre-made) or 27 (DIY).

Product overview

MILK+T is a boba milk tea company that began as the world's first self-serve boba truck in December 2015 and has grown into a multi-channel business. The core product is The Boba Kit (standard and DIY versions at $30 each), a home boba-making kit with ingredients and instructions. These kits are complemented by add-on bundles: Tea Infuser Bundle ($30), Spill the tea bundle ($45), Sustainability bundle ($50), and Bobawasted bundle ($80). The product portfolio spans boba ingredients (loose leaf teas and tapioca boba balls at $10-$12), boba supplies (glass straws, tea infusers, glass jars, and cookbook at $6-$20), and merchandise (t-shirts, pins, stickers, air fresheners, tote bags, and mystery boxes from $2.50-$50). Services include The Boba Class virtual online experience and in-person catering. Physical locations include Little Tokyo DTLA (closed), Portland Food Hall Mini location, and Beaverton OR. The company operates in California and Oregon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• bobawasted: The company's signature collection featuring apparel, pins, stickers, and merchandise celebrating the MILK+T brand culture and community.
• MILK+T Mini

Products and services

• The Boba Kit (Pre-Made) Home boba milk tea making kit containing uncooked grade A boba balls, loose leaf tea of choice, brown sugar, and plastic boba straws with instructional video. Makes 4-6 16oz drinks. Targeted at consumers who want to make restaurant-quality boba at home.
• The Boba Kit (DIY) DIY boba kit for making tapioca balls from scratch using tapioca starch. Contains 1oz loose leaf tea, 14oz tapioca starch, 2 cups brown sugar, boba straws, and QR code to video instructions. Makes 4-6 drinks. For consumers who want to learn the full boba-making process.
• Sustainability Bundle Eco-friendly bundle with The Boba Kit plus reusable MILK+T glass jar with screw-on lid, reusable cotton tea strainer, and reusable glass boba straw with brush and carrying pouch. For sustainability-focused consumers.
• Uncooked Tapioca Boba Balls (2 Pack) Vacuum-sealed uncooked tapioca boba balls in 2 half-pound bags, approximately 10 servings. Store at room temperature for up to 6 months sealed, 1 week opened. For at-home boba makers needing ingredient refill.
• Loose Leaf Thai Tea (2 Pack) Loose leaf Thai tea in 2 one-ounce bags, approximately 4-6 servings. Imported from Taiwan, packaged in heat-sealed airtight bags with brewing instructions. For tea drinkers and boba makers.
• Loose Leaf Black Tea (2 Pack) Loose leaf Assam black tea in 2 one-ounce bags for milk tea brewing. For tea drinkers and boba makers.
• Loose Leaf Jasmine Green Tea (2 Pack) Loose leaf jasmine green tea in 2 one-ounce bags, approximately 4-6 servings. For tea drinkers and boba makers.
• Glass Boba Straw Reusable 9-inch borosilicate glass boba straw that is dishwasher safe with non-pointed tip. Includes washable cloth bag and cleaning brush. Marketed as the 'last boba straw' needed. For sustainability-focused boba drinkers.
• MILK+T Glass Tea/Coffee Infuser 15 fl oz borosilicate glass tea and coffee infuser with removable strainer. Dispenses with push-button to bottom of glass pitcher. For tea and coffee drinkers.
• MILK+T Glass Jar 16oz glass jar with lid for serving and drinking boba milk tea. Clear cup recommended to display the drink. For at-home boba makers and retail customers.
• 'BOBA' a MILK+T Cookbook Cookbook by founders Beyah and Stacey featuring over 50 recipes including milk teas, fruit teas, specialty drinks, and boba-making instructions from the world's first self-serve boba truck. For home cooks and boba enthusiasts.
• The Boba Class (Virtual & In-Person Team Building) Virtual and in-person boba milk tea making classes for corporate events, team building, and groups. MILK+T sends boba kits to participants and a bobarista leads live online instruction via Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet. For corporate event organizers and team leads.
• Boba Event Catering Services In-person boba catering for events (weddings, parties, showers, corporate events) starting at $8/person. Includes 2 drink selections and 2 topping selections with bobarista staff. Available in Los Angeles, CA and Portland, OR. For event hosts and corporate event organizers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kits make 4-6 16oz drinks per purchase
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lollicup (Lollicup Coffee & Tea): Lollicup is one of the largest bubble tea retail chains and supply distributors in the US, operating both storefronts and an e-commerce channel for boba ingredients and supplies — directly comparable to MILK+T's combined retail-plus-D2C model.
• Quickly: Quickly is a US-based bubble tea chain with strong California presence and a similar specialty boba positioning to MILK+T; both target the same consumer demographic with made-to-order milk teas and toppings.
• Tiger Sugar: Tiger Sugar is a premium bubble tea brand known for brown sugar boba, with locations across the US — a directly comparable specialty boba shop peer competing for the same consumer occasions and price points.
• Boba Tea Kit: Boba Tea Kit is a D2C at-home bubble tea kit brand selling ingredients and supplies online — directly comparable to MILK+T's Boba Kit product line and e-commerce GTM motion, competing for the same at-home boba maker segment.

Regional players

• 7 Leaves Cafe: 7 Leaves Cafe is a Southern California-based boba chain with cult following and similar house-recipe positioning; primarily serves the same West Coast Asian-American demographic as MILK+T but with a larger multi-location footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Kung Fu Tea: Kung Fu Tea is one of the largest US bubble tea franchise chains with hundreds of locations; competes broadly with MILK+T in the same product category but at a much larger scale and with franchised growth.
• Gong Cha: Gong Cha is a global bubble tea franchise with significant US presence, offering customizable milk teas and toppings directly comparable to MILK+T's in-store menu but with substantially larger brand reach and capital base.
• CoCo Bubble Tea: CoCo (formerly CoCo Bubble Tea) is a global Taiwanese-origin bubble tea chain with widespread US locations — a broad incumbent offering comparable milk tea products in the same category.

Emerging players

• The Alley: The Alley is a newer US bubble tea chain specializing in brown sugar boba and premium drinks, with a similar brand-story-driven approach to MILK+T but broader geographic expansion.
• Happy Lemon: Happy Lemon is a global bubble tea brand with US franchise locations offering milk teas and specialty drinks — comparable product offering and target demographic to MILK+T but with established franchise economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MilkandT
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@milkandt
• Facebookfacebook.com/officialmilkandt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milk-t-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/milkandt
• TikToktiktok.com/@milkandt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MILK+T