MANILA, Philippines - Chatime inaugurated its first Philippine outlet of the famous Taiwanese pop milk tea chain in early February, just in time for the start of the hoppy Chinese Year of the Rabbit.
Located in Quezon City near the corner of Banawe and Nicanor Roxas (formerly Laong Laan Street), Chatime offers about 70 variations of mellow milk teas, smoothies, special mixes, fresh Oriental pop teas, mousses, and special blends, along with an assortment of toppings.
Servings come in regular and large sizes, and the prices are very reasonable — the base cost of most regular-size drinks is well below P100. Among the customer favorites are Chatime grass jelly roasted milk tea, taro pudding milk tea, and TieGuanyin tea latte, to name a few.
The choice of toppings ranges from sago pearls and grass jelly, to pudding, nata de coco, rainbow jelly, red beans, and aloe vera.
Customers can have the degree of sweetness in their orders customized: From non-sugar (0%) to slight, to half, less, normal or extra (110%). The same goes for the ice options.
Tea-based drinks are fast becoming popular in the country, and the demand for good quality and distinctive taste is increasing.
“We chose Chatime milk teas because of the brand’s strong differentiation: quality, taste, consistency,” discloses Tiffany Chang, a Nutrition graduate from the University of Santo Tomas who runs the place with her siblings Howie and Harold.
“We believe at this time that no local product comes close in terms of value and price point,” adds Howie, who has a business management degree from the De La Salle University. “Chatime operates a franchise system and business plan that are rock solid.”
“More and more people nowadays consider tea to be so much healthier than coffee or other high-calorie drinks,” says Harold, who finished Information Management at Chiang Kai Shek College, “so milk tea is easy to introduce and promote, especially to the growing market of health- and fitness-conscious people.”