Chatime
Chatime is a Taiwan-origin global bubble tea franchise brand operating 1,400+ stores across 63+ countries, serving Gen Z and millennial consumers with hand-shaken tea beverages through a franchise-led, vertically integrated model under La Kaffa International.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersNorth York, Canada
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Chatime does
Chatime (日出茶太) is a Taiwan-origin hand-shaken bubble tea franchise brand founded in 2005 and operated as part of the publicly listed La Kaffa International group (Taiwan Stock Exchange: 2732-TW). The company operates more than 1,400 stores across 63+ countries and regions on six continents, making it the world's largest Taiwanese bubble tea brand by international footprint. Its core product portfolio spans signature Taichi dual-layer beverages, classic pearl milk tea, roasted tea, coffee, fruit tea, and ice-blended series, with seasonal and limited-edition extensions (including a 2018 truffle line and a 2021 NFT digital collectible). Operations are supported by a proprietary standardized, machine-driven tea-brewing system that replaces manual preparation to ensure consistent taste across geographies, and the La Kaffa App provides mobile payment, loyalty rewards (1 point per NT$30 spent), and cross-brand membership across nine F&B brands within the parent group.
Revenue is generated primarily through a franchise-led model in which Chatime grants territorial and store-level licenses to local partners in exchange for brand authorization fees, royalties, and franchise fees, supplemented by direct retail sales at company-owned stores in Taiwan. Per-unit franchise investment is reported at USD 250,000–300,000, and the franchise network includes high-profile strategic partners such as the Philippines First Family, the Palauan President's Surangel & Sons, and Malaysia's Will Group. Vertical integration is achieved through the 2019 acquisition of Ten En Tapioca Foods, the largest Taiwanese tapioca pearl manufacturer, which supplies Halal-certified boba pearls at up to 60 metric tons of daily capacity globally. The customer base is end-consumer across Gen Z and millennial demographics (94% of consumers aged 20–29 purchased pearl milk tea in the prior three months per CLSA 2021), with the 2024 'Cups of Joy' rebrand explicitly targeting Gen Z.
Growth is supported by global market tailwinds (Forbes Business Insights projects the bubble tea category nearly doubling from USD 24.6 billion in 2023 to USD 47.8 billion by 2032), aggressive US market expansion plans, strategic IP and gaming partnerships (Pokémon GO in 2022, Demon Slayer in 2025), and the La Kaffa Group's stated 30% annual growth target. Q1 2024 Taiwan same-store sales rose 16% YoY and foot traffic rose 14% YoY following the brand relaunch, indicating renewed unit-level momentum.
Chatime firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chatime
- Legal name
- 六角國際事業股份有限公司
- Website
- https://chatime.com.tw
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Chatime is a Taiwan-origin global bubble tea franchise brand operating 1,400+ stores across 63+ countries, serving Gen Z and millennial consumers with hand-shaken tea beverages through a franchise-led, vertically integrated model under La Kaffa International.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chatime industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bubble Tea & Specialty Beverages
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops (THAFAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Beverage-Led QSR (Bubble Tea, Smoothies, Specialty Drinks) (THAFAAAL), Milk Tea & Flavored Tea Beverage Shops (Non-Boba) (THAFAKAI)
Keywords
Where Chatime is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North York
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chatime business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees, Royalties, and Brand Licensing: Chatime generates revenue by granting franchise licenses to local partners. Franchisees pay brand authorization fees, royalties, and franchise fees. The franchise model is the primary revenue driver supporting rapid global expansion across 63+ countries/regions with over 1,400 stores.
- Direct Store Sales (Company-Owned Locations): Revenue from direct retail sales of bubble tea and other beverages at company-owned stores, primarily in Taiwan, with sales facilitated through the La Kaffa App for mobile payment and loyalty points.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Taichi Strawberry Fresh Milk (street shop TWD 70 / mall TWD 75, cold and hot) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mango series pricing (street shop TWD 65-85 / mall TWD 70-90) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Franchise investment range: USD 250,000–300,000 per unit |
| Other | Monthly | Taiwan store employee starting salary: TWD 36,000 per month |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
Chatime product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chatime is a global bubble tea franchise brand that sells hand-shaken Taiwanese tea beverages including signature pearl milk tea, fruit teas, roasted teas, coffee, and seasonal specialties. It operates more than 1,400 franchised and company-owned stores across 63+ countries and supplies vertically integrated boba pearls through its Ten En subsidiary.
Product overview
Chatime is a global bubble tea (hand-shaken tea) franchise brand offering a diverse portfolio of beverages organized into product lines: Taichi Series (signature dual-layer drinks), classic Pearl Milk Tea and Milk Tea, Roasted Tea Series, Coffee Series, Fruit Tea Series, and Ice Blended Series. The company operates primarily as a franchised retail chain with over 1,400 stores across 63+ countries. Supporting infrastructure includes the La Kaffa App for mobile payment and loyalty rewards, Chatime Tea Lab for tea education and quality assurance, and digital innovations like NFT collectibles. Product offerings span from traditional bubble tea to premium truffle-infused drinks, seasonal fruit series, and coffee beverages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Chatime Tea Lab: Curated by tea experts with vision of redefining benchmark for global tea drinks
- Tea-Rista Competition
Products and services
- Chatime Pearl Milk Tea (日不落珍珠奶茶)
Quantifiable outcome
- Taiwan store foot traffic grew 14% YoY and same-store sales grew 16% YoY in Q1 2024 following brand redesign and menu optimization.
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Chatime
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chatime technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Chatime partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Demon Slayer (鬼滅の刃)coreChatime launched a global collaboration with the anime franchise Demon Slayer in September 2025, creating IP-driven merchandise, themed packaging, and experiential in-store moments. The collaboration targets the anime's massive global fanbase — a key Gen Z demographic — turning fandom into joyful moments.
- Niantic (Pokémon GO)coreChatime entered a global partnership with Niantic's Pokémon GO to transform Chatime stores into PokéStops and Gyms worldwide. Launched in UK and Taiwan (August 2022), expanded to Canada (September 2022), Malaysia (November 2022), Australia (January 2023). The partnership drives foot traffic and engages the gaming community through location-based AR experiences.
- ABC-Mart TaiwanminorChatime partnered with Japanese fashion sneaker retailer ABC-Mart Taiwan for a cross-promotional campaign centered on the theme of 'thick' (厚). The collaboration featured limited-edition drinks themed around ABC-Mart's thick-sole shoes, with discounts for LINE members and ABC-Mart members at both brands' stores.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF)minorChatime partnered with WWF (World Wildlife Fund) for its 2021 Chatime International Service Day, launching a global fundraising campaign targeting USD 6,600 across Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada, Cambodia, UK and other markets to support environmental conservation — forests, oceans, clean water, and wildlife.
- Surangel & Sons Co. Group (Palau)coreChatime partnered with Surangel & Sons Co. Group — the company of Palau's President family — to open two stores in Palau's largest city Koror in Q3 2021. This strategic partnership marks Chatime's entry into the Palauan market, leveraging the President's family influence for tourism-driven beverage sales as Taiwan-Palau travel bubbles opened.
- Ten En Tapioca Foods Co., Ltd (TEN EN)coreChatime acquired TEN EN TAPIOCA FOODS CO., LTD — the largest Taiwanese pearl (tapioca) manufacturer — in 2019. The acquisition provides Chatime with full vertical integration of its supply chain for boba pearls (the top-selling bubble tea ingredient), with Halal certification and up to 60 metric tons of daily production capacity.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Chatime competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chatime social profiles
Digital presenceChatime financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chatime leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Chatime subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Chatime funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chatime 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 Chatime
What does Chatime do?
Chatime is a global bubble tea franchise brand that sells hand-shaken Taiwanese tea beverages including signature pearl milk tea, fruit teas, roasted teas, coffee, and seasonal specialties. It operates more than 1,400 franchised and company-owned stores across 63+ countries and supplies vertically integrated boba pearls through its Ten En subsidiary.
Is Chatime a public or private company?
Chatime is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Chatime founded?
Chatime was founded in 2005. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Chatime based?
Chatime is headquartered in North York, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Chatime make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees, Royalties, and Brand Licensing is the primary driver. The others are direct Store Sales (Company-Owned Locations).
Does Chatime have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chatime.
What industry is Chatime in?
Chatime's product category is Bubble Tea & Specialty Beverages. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAKAC, Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops, with a secondary code of THAFAAAL, Beverage-Led QSR (Bubble Tea, Smoothies, Specialty Drinks). Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 2080.