Teaspoon
Teaspoon is a franchise-based boba tea and specialty beverage brand founded in 2015 in Los Altos, CA, operating company-owned and franchised stores across the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast with catering, a Tapmango-powered loyalty app, and PE sponsorship from Next Bite Ventures.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Jose, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Teaspoon does
Teaspoon Company LLC is a franchise-based boba tea and specialty beverage brand founded in 2015 in Los Altos, California, now headquartered at 2290 Ringwood Ave. STE E, San Jose, CA. The company operates a distributed retail model combining company-owned and franchised brick-and-mortar stores — currently spanning the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast — supplemented by online ordering, a mobile rewards app, catering services, and gift-card distribution through Costco in Northern California. Its menu centers on handcrafted drinks organized into a Chai Signature Series, Classic Tea Collection, Signature Drinks, seasonal SKUs rotated every 3-4 months, and a Coffee Collection, with pastries and branded merchandise as add-ons.
The technology stack is standard for the segment and entirely third-party: Tapmango powers the Teaspoon Rewards loyalty app (iOS/Android), StoreRocket handles store locator, Netmasons runs gift card commerce (teaspoon.securetree.com), and EZ Cater supports full-service catering. There is no proprietary AI, no public API, and no disclosed SDK, and the company highlights technology enablement, supply chain innovation, and operational excellence as CEO Ahmed Farag's stated priorities rather than any customer-facing AI feature.
The business model is multi-stream and franchise-led. Direct revenue is generated through retail boba tea sales (in-store and online), catering events (Tea Traveler, Pre-Sealed, On-Site Catering, Party Pour), and one-time franchise fees of $45,000 per unit against an estimated total operator investment of $290,000. Recurring engagement is driven by the Teaspoon Rewards loyalty program (2 Golden Spoons per dollar, 120 spoons = $6 reward) and ancillary gift card sales via Costco, while brand-building partnerships with Disney Branded Television, Red Bull, Costco, and athlete/esports creators (Maya Doms / Bay FC, MTeam) drive marketing reach. Customer segments span individual consumers for everyday beverage occasions, event and catering customers (corporate events, weddings, school events, fundraisers), and franchise partners as a B2B buyer tier. The company was acquired by Next Bite Ventures, a private equity fund focused on the Food & Beverage market, with operator-founders Ahmed Farag (CEO) and Hady Abou El Kheir (CVP of Strategy & Partnerships) leading it as of 2025.
Teaspoon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Teaspoon
- Legal name
- Teaspoon Company LLC
- Website
- https://teaspoonlife.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Teaspoon is a franchise-based boba tea and specialty beverage brand founded in 2015 in Los Altos, CA, operating company-owned and franchised stores across the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast with catering, a Tapmango-powered loyalty app, and PE sponsorship from Next Bite Ventures.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Teaspoon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Boba Tea Retail
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops (THAFAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes (THAFADAF)
Keywords
Where Teaspoon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Jose
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Teaspoon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Boba Tea Sales: In-store and online sales of handcrafted boba tea and beverages through company-owned and franchise locations.
- Catering Services: Catering offerings including Tea Traveler, Pre-Sealed drinks, and On-Site Catering services for events.
- Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $45,000 with total estimated investment of $290,000. Franchise partners receive operational support, marketing support, and development support.
- Gift Card Sales: Gift cards sold at participating stores and online. Gift card bundles sold through Costco warehouses in Northern California.
- Loyalty Program: Teaspoon Rewards program with Golden Spoons earned on purchases (2 per dollar), redeemable for $6 drink rewards at 120 spoons.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Franchise Initial Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time/ perpetual license | Costco Gift Card Bundle |
| Subscription | Monthly | Rewards Program - Golden Spoons |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Teaspoon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Teaspoon sells handcrafted boba tea beverages organized into a Chai Signature Series, Classic Tea Collection, Signature Drinks, Coffee Collection, and rotating Seasonal Drinks through company-owned and franchise retail locations. The brand also offers event catering (Tea Traveler, Pre-Sealed, On-Site Catering, Party Pour), branded merchandise, pastries, and a franchise program with a $45,000 initial fee and an estimated total investment of $290,000.
Product overview
Teaspoon is a boba tea brand offering a unified product portfolio centered on handcrafted beverages. The core offerings include Chai Signature Series (Brown Sugar, Royal Chai, Cookie Butter, Lavender, Hot Royal Chai Latte), Classic Tea Collection (House Milk Tea, Liquid Gold, Classic Thai Tea, Creamy Jasmine, Taro Lover, Black Sugar Assam, Golden Assam), Signature Drinks (Grasshopper, Ladybug, Caramel Cream, Lychee on Lychee, Pineapple Shine, Strawberry Colada, Silky Mango, Silky Strawberry, Matcha Royale, Strawberry Matcha Royale, Mango Funtime, Mango on Fire, Guava Sunset, Custom-Made Lemonade), Seasonal Drinks that rotate every 3-4 months, Coffee Collection (Coconut Coffee, Vietnamese Coffee, Crème Brulée Coffee, Ube Vietnamese Coffee, Vietnamese Frappé, Double Matcha Coffee), Party Pour (59 oz take-home bottles), and Pastries and Merchandise as add-on offerings. The brand operates catering services including Tea Traveler, Pre-Sealed, and On-Site Catering, supported by a loyalty program called Teaspoon Rewards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chai Signature Series Handcrafted chai-based drinks including Brown Sugar Chai, Royal Chai, Cookie Butter, Lavender, and Hot Royal Chai Latte, served at company-owned and franchise Teaspoon locations.
- Seasonal Drinks Limited-time in-season beverages that rotate every 3-4 months, such as Lychee Zest and Peachy Twist.
- Classic Tea Collection Familiar and beloved tea flavors including House Milk Tea, Liquid Gold, Classic Thai Tea, Creamy Jasmine, Taro Lover, Black Sugar Assam, and Golden Assam.
- Signature Drinks Meticulously crafted signature beverages including Grasshopper, Ladybug, Caramel Cream, Lychee on Lychee, Pineapple Shine, Strawberry Colada, Silky Mango, Silky Strawberry, Matcha Royale, Strawberry Matcha Royale, Mango Funtime, Mango on Fire, Guava Sunset, and Custom-Made Lemonade.
- Coffee Collection Handcrafted coffee drinks including Coconut Coffee, Crème Brûlée Coffee, Vietnamese Coffee, Ube Vietnamese Coffee, Vietnamese Frappé, and Double Matcha Coffee.
- Tea Traveler Catering Catering option containing 2.5L of tea with cups and ice, serving 8-10 guests. Ideal for last-minute events, small gatherings, and office meetings. Available in House Milk Tea, Classic Thai Tea, Creamy Jasmine, Taro Lover, and Custom-Made Lemonade.
- Pre-Sealed Catering Pre-sealed individual drinks for easy serving at fundraisers, school events, and parties. Minimum order of 20 drinks available for pick-up or delivery.
- On-Site Catering Full Teaspoon experience with barista(s) to prepare and serve drinks on-site. Recommended 3 tea options and 3 toppings. Includes 1 hour of setup, service, and clean-up. Ideal for weddings, corporate events, and large meetings.
- Party Pour A 59 oz bottle (5 servings) of favorite Teaspoon drinks for take-home consumption. Perfect for picnics, game nights, or home enjoyment.
- Teaspoon Rewards Program Loyalty program where customers earn 2 Golden Spoons per dollar spent. 120 Golden Spoons convert to a $6 drink reward. Includes birthday drinks, sign-up surprises ($3 voucher for first and second in-app purchases), and exclusive offers via the mobile app.
- Pastries Pastries for pairing with teas including Vanilla Macaron, Strawberry Macaron, Salted Caramel Macaron, Rose Lychee Macaron, Chocolate Macaron, Matcha Macaron, Red Velvet, Coffee Cake, Lemon Bar, Marshmallow Bar, and Peruvian Chocolate Brownie.
- Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including Metal Straw Set, Glass Bottle, Titanium Glass Bottle, Corgi Keychain, and Unicorn Keychain.
- Teaspoon Franchise Program Franchise opportunity for opening Teaspoon boba tea locations. Initial franchise fee of $45,000 with minimum estimated total cost of $290,000. Includes operational, marketing, and development support from discovery day through grand opening.
Quantifiable outcome
- Served over 7 million unique beverages
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Teaspoon
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Teaspoon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Teaspoon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Disney Branded TelevisioncoreTeaspoon partnered with Disney Branded Television to promote Goosebumps: The Vanishing on Disney+ and Hulu. Created Goosebumps branded limited time drink (Goosebumps Vanishing Matcha Latte), served in branded reusable souvenir cup. Cup sleeve event on premiere day where every drink included Goosebumps branded sleeve.
- CostcocoreTeaspoon gift card bundles were available for purchase in Costco warehouses throughout Northern California. Customers received $100 worth of Teaspoon gift cards for $79.99.
- Maya DomsminorTeaspoon partnered with professional soccer player Maya Doms (during her time at Bay FC) to create social media content showcasing her love of boba. Content included both produced and UGC content in video and photo formats.
- MTeamminorTeaspoon partnered with internationally known taekwondo team MTeam to create social media content showcasing the sport and boba.
- Red BullcoreTeaspoon partnered with Red Bull to showcase original Red Bull and Coconut Berry Red Bull products with two limited time drinks: Red Bull Sunset (guava lemon marmalade) and Red Bull Cocolada (pineapple marmalade and Coconut Berry Red Bull). Teaspoon also showcased these drinks at the Red Bull Campus Clutch esports event featuring streamer iiTzTimmy.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Teaspoon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Boba Guys: San Francisco-based boba tea chain founded in 2011, operating company-owned and franchise locations across the US with a modern, premium positioning. Direct competitor to Teaspoon in the California boba segment with a comparable handcrafted menu and DTC/storefront model.
- Kung Fu Tea: One of the largest boba tea franchise chains in North America with hundreds of US locations and a similar franchise fee/investment structure. Competes directly with Teaspoon for franchisees, customers, and shopping-center real estate.
- Tiger Sugar: Taiwanese-origin boba tea chain known for signature brown sugar boba with cream, expanding rapidly across US metros through company stores and franchise partners. Comparable menu positioning (signature handcrafted drinks, seasonal offerings) to Teaspoon.
- Share Tea: Global boba tea franchise with significant US presence offering handcrafted milk teas, fruit teas, and seasonal specialties. Directly comparable franchise economics, customer demographic, and beverage menu to Teaspoon.
- CoCo Bubble Tea: Large global boba tea chain with hundreds of US locations operating a franchise and company-store hybrid model. Overlaps with Teaspoon on milk tea, fruit tea, and coffee-adjacent beverages in shared shopping-center trade areas.
- The Alley: Premium boba tea chain with strong social-media-led brand identity, focusing on brown sugar and signature drinks. Comparable premium positioning, Instagram-driven marketing, and franchise expansion strategy to Teaspoon.
- Happy Lemon: International boba tea franchise with US locations offering milk teas, fruit teas, and signature drinks. Direct franchise-model competitor to Teaspoon targeting similar young, urban consumer segments.
- Gong Cha: Global Taiwanese boba tea chain with large US franchise footprint. Comparable menu (milk teas, signature drinks, seasonal offerings) and franchise economics, competing with Teaspoon for both franchisees and end customers.
- Lollicup Fresh: US boba tea and coffee chain (spun out of Lollicup coffee/boba supplies) operating stores with a handcrafted menu. Directly comparable beverage retail concept and customer experience to Teaspoon.
- Boba Time: US boba tea franchise chain with multiple West Coast locations offering milk teas, fruit teas, and coffee drinks. Comparable California-focused expansion and franchise positioning to Teaspoon.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Teaspoon social profiles
Digital presenceTeaspoon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Teaspoon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Teaspoon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Teaspoon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Teaspoon
What does Teaspoon do?
Teaspoon sells handcrafted boba tea beverages organized into a Chai Signature Series, Classic Tea Collection, Signature Drinks, Coffee Collection, and rotating Seasonal Drinks through company-owned and franchise retail locations. The brand also offers event catering (Tea Traveler, Pre-Sealed, On-Site Catering, Party Pour), branded merchandise, pastries, and a franchise program with a $45,000 initial fee and an estimated total investment of $290,000.
Is Teaspoon a public or private company?
Teaspoon is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Teaspoon founded?
Teaspoon was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Teaspoon based?
Teaspoon is headquartered in San Jose, United States, in the North America region.
How does Teaspoon make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Boba Tea Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, franchise Fees, gift Card Sales and loyalty Program.
Who are Teaspoon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boba Guys, Kung Fu Tea, Tiger Sugar, Share Tea, CoCo Bubble Tea, The Alley, Happy Lemon, Gong Cha, Lollicup Fresh and Boba Time.
Does Teaspoon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Teaspoon.
What industry is Teaspoon in?
Teaspoon's product category is Boba Tea Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAKAC, Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops, with a secondary code of THAFADAF, Tea Rooms & Tea Cafes. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.