Each-a-Cup, Singapore

What Each-a-Cup, Singapore does

Each-a-Cup is a Singapore-based bubble tea retail brand founded in 1999 by Michael Chua (Chua Keem Long), making it one of the pioneer bubble tea operators in the country. The company operates 53 outlets across Singapore under a hybrid model of approximately half company-owned stores and half franchised stores. Its product portfolio spans more than 100 proprietary drink recipes across milk tea, fresh fruit tea, coffee, ice blends, and exclusive 1000CC sizes, with 18 menu items approved by Singapore's Health Promotion Board (HPB) as healthier alternatives. Pricing is structured around unit pricing with three size tiers — Medium, Large, and Extra Large — ranging from SGD 3.30 to SGD 9.20 per drink depending on variant and size.

The company's technology stack is conventional for a retail F&B operator: an official website with menu and store-locator functionality, a Facebook presence for consumer engagement, and an in-house online ordering system supporting delivery and pickup. Distribution is concentrated in Singapore, with delivery currently covering western districts including Jurong East, Jurong West, Boon Lay, Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang, and Choa Chu Kang, at a S$3-S$8 delivery fee. Revenue is generated through direct retail beverage sales at company-owned outlets, franchise fees and royalties from franchised outlets, and online transaction fees from delivery and pickup orders.

The business has demonstrated resilience across multiple industry cycles, most notably surviving the 2003 Singapore bubble tea market collapse when it lost S$400,000 and contracted from 50 outlets to 15. It subsequently recovered and expanded to 33 outlets by 2016 and 53 outlets by 2023. The company remains privately held by the Chua family — founder Michael Chua (age 73) oversees operations, while son Ivan Chua (age 37) leads branding, marketing, and R&D as part of a planned generational succession. There is no disclosed external institutional investment, and the corporate team consists of approximately 12 employees.

Name

Each-a-Cup, Singapore

Legal name

Each-A-Cup

Website

https://each-a-cup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Each-a-Cup is a Singapore-founded bubble tea retailer operating 53 outlets across Singapore through a hybrid company-owned and franchised model, offering 100+ proprietary drink recipes to general and health-conscious consumers since 1999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bubble Tea / Specialty Beverages

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops (THAFAKAC)

Keywords

• Bubble tea retail
• Beverage franchise
• Milk tea drinks
• Fresh fruit tea
• Iced beverages

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Beverage Sales: Direct sales of bubble tea and other beverages through company-owned retail outlets and online ordering
2. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchised outlets that pay franchise fees and royalties to use the Each-a-Cup brand
3. Delivery and Pickup Orders: Online orders with delivery fees ranging from S$3-S$5 for standard areas and S$8 for extended areas

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Each-a-Cup is a Singapore-based bubble tea retail and franchise brand that sells over 100 varieties of beverages including milk tea, fresh fruit tea, coffee, premium ice blends, and specialty drinks across 53 outlets in Singapore (a mix of company-owned stores and franchised locations). The brand operates dine-in, takeaway, and online delivery channels, with menu offerings such as Pearl Milk Tea, Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea, Azuki Brown Rice Pearl Milk Tea, Blue Lagoon, Korean Citron Juice, and Caramel/Hazelnut Coffee.

Product overview

Each-A-Cup is a bubble tea (boba tea) beverage company established in Singapore in 1999, offering a diverse portfolio of drinks across multiple categories: Milk Tea (including classic Pearl Milk Tea, Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea, and specialty varieties like Azuki Brown Rice Pearl Milk Tea), Flavoured Milk Tea (Chocolate, Taro, Honeydew, Mango, Earl Grey, Jasmine, Roasted, Oolong, and Caramel/Hazelnut), Fresh Fruit Tea & Juices (Blue Lagoon, Winter Melon Bliss, Taiwan Fresh Fruit Sling, Korean Citron Juice), Coffee (Caramel/Hazelnut, Mocha, Peppermint), Premium Ice Blends (Blue Coral, Mango, Lychee, Honeydew, Green Apple, Strawberry, Passion Fruit, Peach, Peppermint), Exclusive 1000CC offerings, and Daily Dose drinks (Avocado Fresh Milk, Azuki Bean Extreme). The company operates as both a direct retail chain and a franchised business model, offering drinks for dine-in, takeaway, and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Milk Tea Beverages

Quantifiable outcome

• Recovered from S$400K loss during 2003 industry collapse to running 53 outlets by 2023
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Enaq Prata ShopminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2020Each-a-Cup partnered with Enaq prata shop at Jurong East during Singapore's circuit breaker period (COVID-19). Customers purchasing food from Enaq received bubble tea by presenting the receipt at an Each-a-Cup store. This partnership extended Each-a-Cup's reach to customers in Singapore's western region during store closures.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KOI Thé: Singapore-founded bubble tea chain operating in similar mass-market retail locations with a comparable milk-tea and fruit-tea menu. Closest direct competitor in geography, scale, and positioning.
• Tiger Sugar: Taiwan-origin specialty bubble tea brand known for brown sugar boba. Competes in Singapore on premium positioning and product novelty that overlaps with Each-a-Cup's Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea offering.
• CoCo Bubble Tea: Taiwan-origin global bubble tea chain with extensive Singapore presence. Competes on price point, menu breadth, and franchise-led expansion similar to Each-a-Cup's operating model.
• The Alley: Taiwan-origin premium bubble tea chain active in Singapore, specializing in brown sugar and signature milk teas. Comparable in menu positioning and target demographic to Each-a-Cup's premium offerings.
• Gong Cha: Taiwan-origin global bubble tea chain with strong Singapore presence. Competes head-to-head on milk tea, fruit tea, and customizable drinks with similar franchise and corporate store models.
• PlayMade: Singapore-founded premium bubble tea brand specializing in pearl toppings. Comparable Singapore-only origin and specialty positioning to Each-a-Cup's Azuki Brown Rice Pearl Milk Tea and other pearl-driven SKUs.
• CHAGEE: Fast-growing premium tea chain with significant Singapore retail footprint. Competes in the fresh-brewed tea and milk tea categories overlapping with Each-a-Cup's menu and price range.
• Share Tea: Taiwan-origin bubble tea brand with Singapore stores. Directly comparable product mix (milk teas, fruit teas, fresh toppings) and target consumer segment to Each-a-Cup.

Broad incumbents

• HEYTEA: China-founded premium tea brand expanding across Asia including Singapore. Competes in the upper end of the bubble tea/fresh cheese tea market with significantly larger scale and brand recognition.

Regional players

• Toast Box: Singapore-headquartered traditional coffee and tea chain with similar mass-market retail presence. Comparable in geographic focus and neighborhood retail strategy, though emphasizing coffee/kaya toast rather than bubble tea.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/each-a-cup-singapore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Each-a-Cup, Singapore