Chatime

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.

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

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

• Bubble tea franchise
• Hand-shaken tea beverages
• Pearl milk tea retail
• Tapioca pearl supply
• Specialty tea chain

Headquarters

HQ city

North York

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Demon Slayer (鬼滅の刃)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025Chatime 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)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 July 2022Chatime 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 TaiwanminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2022Chatime 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)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 June 2021Chatime 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2021Chatime 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Chatime 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

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ChatimeTaiwan
• Facebookfacebook.com/chatimeglobal
• Instagraminstagram.com/chatime
• TikToktiktok.com/@chatimeofficial
• Xx.com/ChatimeCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chatime

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Chatime