Cha Community

What Cha Community does

Cha Community is a privately held, family-, immigrant-, and woman-owned fast-casual boba tea cafe company founded in 2018 in Waco, Texas, originally as Waco Cha. Co-owned by Devin Li (CEO) and Jaja Chen (Chief of Strategic Initiatives & Business Partnerships), the company operates three physical cafe locations in Central Texas (Downtown Waco at 1001 Franklin Ave, 8th Street Waco at 1205 S 8th Street co-located with Norma's Florals, and Downtown Temple at 7 N Main Street) plus a mobile food truck that serves the Waco Downtown Farmers Market and community events. Its core product is premium boba tea made with loose-leaf tea, real milk, and in-house organic syrups, paired with handcrafted pan-fried dumplings based on a family recipe and a broader Taiwanese/Chinese menu (pork belly rice, cold noodles, steamed buns, scallion pancakes, chickpea curry). The company also offers catering services, in-person and virtual dumpling workshops, at-home dumpling kits, frozen dumplings, and profit-share fundraising events for non-profits.

The business makes money through six primary revenue streams: in-store beverage and food sales across three cafes; catering and on-site event services (boba bars, dumpling bars, food truck) for corporate, campus, wedding, and non-profit clients; mobile food truck sales at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market and cultural festivals; Dumpling Night Workshops for groups of 15-40; online ordering via Square (for pick-up, with Doordash delivery) plus third-party delivery through Uber Eats and physical/e-gift cards; and profit-share fundraising events. Customer segments span general walk-in consumers (notably Baylor University students), corporate and campus event buyers, weddings and quinceañeras, and non-profit/community organizations. The company does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its core competencies are direct-trade sourcing (Taiwanese family farms via Us Two Tea and a third-generation farm visited in 2023, plus Nepal Tea Collective and Nguyen Coffee Supply), proprietary recipes, and community programming through the co-founded Asian Leaders Network (ALN) 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Cha Community is bootstrapped with no institutional funding rounds and operates with a headcount band of 11-50 employees across locations. It has accumulated notable third-party validation including Forbes Next 1000 (2021), James Beard Foundation WEL Program (2022), U.S. Chamber of Commerce Minority-Owned Business Achievement Award (2022), Square 50 Sustainability (2024), and a 2024 Tory Burch Foundation Fellowship for co-owner Jaja Chen. Distribution is concentrated in Central Texas (Waco, Temple, Belton, and Austin for catering), with no global footprint claim. Pricing is positioned at premium boba tea benchmarks, with starting team-member hourly pay of $10.50 plus shared tips, PTO/health/401(k) for full-time staff.

Name

Cha Community

Legal name

Cha Community

Website

https://chacommunity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cha Community is a family-, immigrant-, and woman-owned fast-casual boba tea cafe operator founded in 2018, running three cafes and a food truck in Central Texas. It serves walk-in consumers, university students, and event clients with premium loose-leaf boba tea, pan-fried dumplings, and Taiwanese/Chinese-inspired cuisine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bubble Tea Cafe

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Mobile Food Services (72233), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Bubble Tea (Boba) Shops (THAFAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Asian QSR (Chinese/Thai/Japanese/Korean) (THAFAAAF), Pop-Up Food Vendors (Temporary Stands/Markets) (THAFAHAE), Mobile / On-Site Catering (Food Trucks for Events, Pop-Ups) (THAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Bubble tea cafe
• Taiwanese restaurant
• Pan-fried dumplings
• Event catering services
• Specialty beverages

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-Store Beverage and Food Sales: Revenue from three cafe locations (Downtown Waco, 8th Street Waco, Downtown Temple) selling premium boba tea, matcha lattes, coffee, housemade drinks, and Taiwanese/Chinese food including pan-fried dumplings, pork belly rice boxes, cold noodles, and steamed pork buns. Tapioca boba service begins at 11am daily.
2. Catering and Events: Catering services including boba tea bar experiences, dumpling bars, dumpling lunchboxes, and mobile food truck services for corporate, campus, non-profit, and wedding/quinceañera events. Drop-off catering, on-site food truck, and full boba tea bar setups available. Events range from groups of 20 to thousands.
3. Food Truck and Pop-Up Events: Mobile boba tea and food truck serves the Waco Downtown Farmers Market every Saturday (9am-1pm, summer hours 9am-noon) and community/cultural festivals including Asian Leaders Network Lunar New Year Market and Diwali Festival. Also serves at ALN cultural festivals and pop-up events.
4. Dumpling Night Workshops: In-person and virtual dumpling workshops hosted at both Waco and Temple cafes for groups of ideally 15-40 individuals. Private team-building workshops booked by organizations. At-home dumpling kits and frozen grab-and-go dumplings sold online.
5. Online Ordering and Delivery: Online ordering via Square for in-store pick-up, Doordash delivery, and third-party delivery through Doordash and Uber Eats. Physical and e-gift cards sold in-store and online.
6. Profit Share Fundraising Events: Profit Share events where $1 per boba drink and $2 per food box sale is donated to participating community organizations and non-profits during designated event days at cafes or via food truck at events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cha Community runs a bubble tea cafe concept serving premium boba tea, Taiwanese and Chinese small plates, and signature pan-fried dumplings from locations in Waco and Temple, Texas. In addition to in-cafe dining and online ordering, the company generates ancillary revenue through event catering, off-premise food truck service, and paid dumpling-making workshops for community groups. The offering is positioned as authentic Taiwanese comfort food and specialty beverages for Central Texas consumers and event clients.

Product overview

Cha Community is a family, immigrant, and woman-owned boba tea cafe offering a unified product portfolio centered on premium boba tea drinks, pan-fried dumplings, and fast-casual Taiwanese and Chinese food. The company operates three physical cafe locations in Central Texas (Downtown Waco, 8th Street Waco near Baylor University, and Downtown Temple) plus a mobile food truck. Core offerings include signature boba tea drinks (using loose leaf tea, real milk, and organic syrups), handcrafted dumplings (using a generational family recipe), and Taiwanese/Chinese cuisine. Ancillary products include at-home dumpling kits, frozen grab-and-go dumplings, catering services (boba bar, dumpling bar, food truck), dumpling workshops (in-person and virtual), and profit share fundraising events for community organizations. The company was founded in 2018 as Waco Cha and rebranded to Cha Community in Fall 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Bubble (Boba) Tea

Quantifiable outcome

• Drew 2,500-3,000 festival participants per ALN cultural event (2025 Lunar New Year Market and Diwali Festival)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Norma's FloralscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2025Norma's Florals is a Latina-owned floral boutique. Cha Community opened its third shop on May 4, 2025 at 1205 S 8th Street, Waco, TX, in collaboration with Norma's Florals. The collaborative shop is a part-floral boutique and part boba tea shop located walking distance from Baylor University campus.
• Asian Leaders Network (ALN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022Cha Community co-owners Devin and Jaja co-founded Asian Leaders Network (ALN) in Summer 2022 alongside fellow Asian leaders in Waco, TX. ALN received official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization status in Summer 2023. ALN co-hosted the first-ever Year of the Dragon Lunar New Year Market with the Waco Downtown Farmers Market on February 10, 2024, and the inaugural Diwali Festival on November 6, 2024. Both events drew between 2,500 and 3,000 festival participants. ALN hosted second Lunar New Year and Diwali events in 2025. Cha Community's food truck has participated at every ALN cultural festival, and Cha Community provides financial and in-kind sponsorships to ALN events.
• Designs with JamiecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Designs with Jamie co-hosted the BIPOC Holiday Market with Cha Community at the Waco shop in 2022 and continued to co-host subsequent BIPOC markets in 2023 and beyond. The BIPOC markets platform local BIPOC-owned small businesses and artists.
• World Hunger Relief FarmminorOthersWorld Hunger Relief Farm picks up Cha Community's plant-based compost materials biweekly from their Waco food and tea productions for their composting and farm needs.
• The Un-Included ClubminorOthersThe Un-Included Club partners with Cha Community for composting at the Temple location through their Urban Farm and Urban Agriculture program. They also provide fresh pea microgreens for Cha Community's shops.
• Keep Waco BeautifulminorOthersKeep Waco Beautiful is a local non-profit organizing park and river beautification efforts. Cha Community partnered with them for a Profit Share event at the Temple shop. Cha Community also participates in the Green Business Alliance led by Keep Waco Beautiful and the Waco Sustainability Network.
• Baylor UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBaylor University invited Cha Community on campus inside the Baylor Student Union (SUB) for a Revolve pop-up shop concept rotation in Spring 2022 for 3 months. Cha Community returned on campus for subsequent spring semesters in 2023 and 2024.
• Us Two TeacoreOthersUs Two Tea is an Asian American-owned direct-trade tea supplier providing Taiwanese loose-leaf teas including Jasmine and Osmanthus Oolong Tea for Cha Community's hot tea and teapot line. Us Two Tea is committed to direct-trade, sustainable, and ethical practices with tea farmers.
• Nguyen Coffee SupplyminorOthersNguyen Coffee Supply is an Asian American-owned direct-trade coffee supplier providing coffee for Cha Community's menu. They champion Robusta coffee beans from Vietnam and are committed to sustainable and ethical farming practices.
• Nepal Tea CollectiveminorOthersNepal Tea Collective is a direct-trade tea social enterprise that works with local tea farms in Nepal. Cha Community features their products and has been inspired by their work to explore more direct-trade relationships.
• Urban Native EraminorOthersUrban Native Era is an Indigenous-owned small business that creates creative headwear and clothing with 'We Are On Native Land' messaging. Cha Community stocks merchandise from Urban Native Era at their shop to support BIPOC vendors.
• Waco Downtown Farmers MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCha Community's first boba tea pop-up was accepted into the Waco Downtown Farmers Market on June 16, 2018 (after being waitlisted for over a year). The business continues to serve at the WFM every Saturday. Cha Community and WFM co-hosted the first-ever Year of the Dragon Lunar New Year Market in February 2024.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lollicup (Lollicup Fresh): Boba tea and Asian beverage chain plus cafe concept (Lollicup Fresh). Overlaps on boba tea drinks and Asian snack/dessert offerings and operates multi-unit US locations, making it a relevant scale comparator for Cha Community.
• Kung Fu Tea: Largest US-based boba tea chain with 250+ locations nationwide. Directly comparable product category (premium boba tea, milk teas, specialty drinks) and customer demographic, but operates at far larger scale through franchising rather than independent ownership.
• Heytea: China-origin premium tea brand (known as 'the original HEYTEA') leading the new-style tea category globally. Comparable on premium loose-leaf sourcing, tea-based drinks, and brand prestige, though operates at much larger scale and is increasingly expanding into US markets.

Direct peers

• Happy Lemon: Global Asian tea brand with US franchise presence offering premium boba, milk teas, and cheese-foam drinks. Comparable on Asian tea category positioning, though operates through franchising and lacks the community/cultural mission differentiator that Cha Community emphasizes.
• Tiger Sugar: Taiwanese-origin boba tea brand known for signature brown sugar boba and premium positioning. Directly competes with Cha Community on authentic Taiwanese boba credentials and premium pricing, though operates as a chain with broader geographic reach.
• Quickly: Established US-based boba chain founded by a Taiwanese immigrant, focusing on authentic Taiwanese boba tea. Comparable on Taiwanese ownership, premium positioning, and direct-to-consumer cafe model, though operates as a franchise with broader US reach.
• Share Tea: Taiwanese boba chain with US presence, focused on authentic Taiwanese tea culture and premium loose-leaf tea. Closely matches Cha Community's Taiwanese identity and premium positioning, though Share Tea uses a franchise model across multiple states.

Emerging players

• Boba Guys: California-based premium boba chain emphasizing direct-trade tea sourcing and Asian American cultural identity. Highly comparable on premium loose-leaf sourcing, founder-driven mission, and cultural authenticity narrative that mirrors Cha Community's positioning.

Regional players

• Phoebe's Cafe & Bakery (Asian concept comparable): Independent Asian-inspired cafe in Waco, TX (other Asian-concept operators in the region). Comparable as a small, independent Asian food operator in the same Central Texas geography, illustrating direct local competitive overlap.
• Teaspoon: California-based premium boba tea chain emphasizing Asian American identity and authentic tea sourcing. Comparable on premium positioning, Asian American cultural storytelling, and founder-driven brand narrative, though primarily serves California rather than Texas markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChaCommunity1

Compliance1 record

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 Cha Community