Move aside oolong tea, the cheese tea is here for good.
Bubble tea has since grown to be a staple drink for every Singaporean – it’s perfect for dessert, a thirst-quencher or even as a mid-day boost. Whilst there are plenty of options for us out there, we each have our own favourites.
For those loyal fans of Gong Cha, you might have already noticed that many of the Gong Cha outlets have been replaced by a new bubble tea brand, LiHo.
The Huge Change
The man behind the Gong Cha franchise in Singapore, Mr Rodney Tang, is also behind this bold move of replacing one of the most sought-after bubble tea establishments in Singapore with his own brand.
Whilst Singapore can add one more homegrown brand to its name, this would also mean losing our favourite Gong Cha drinks as it would be replaced with LiHo’s own made-in-Singapore creations.
Unsurprisingly, shutting down one of our beloved bubble tea franchise would leave Singaporeans questioning the very intent behind the shocking news.
RTG Holdings, the company who brought in Gong Cha, reassured us that this move did not come easy. It marked a major shift in their business strategy, from franchising brands like Nene Chicken, Borgna and Paik’s Coffee, to creating and managing their own.
They also revealed that it was due to certain miscommunications that left Mr Tang to feel betrayed. Basically, the company was finally ready to extend their Gong Cha operations in Singapore when they found out that the parent company in Taiwan had already sold it off to a Japanese private equity firm.
Drama aside, according to Mr Tang, the new terms were also more restrictive and would have affected their effective management of other franchises – which is why a homegrown brand sounded more compelling.
Throwing the $30 million revenue Gong Cha makes annually is no easy feat, considering how LiHo still has to win over the hearts of Singaporeans and carve out an edge against the local competitors like Koi, Each A Cup and ShareTea.
A Welcomed Change?
By June 5th, LiHo will be made available across 80 outlets islandwide. Here are a few popular cheese drinks from LiHo that you can look forward to.
Cheese Guan Yin Tea ($4.10/$5.10)
Before you cringe at the thought of this drink, the cheese only makes up the froth on top of the drink and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well this combination works.
Cheese-Ovaltine Smoothie ($6.90)
They also have interesting combinations like this one with ovaltine, for those adventurous enough to try.
Cheese n Choc Smoothie ($6.90)
Chocolate and cheese sounds like something that will give you a tummy ache, but with the recent cheese tea hype – perhaps it’s worth a try.
Not Forgetting, Singaporean’s Reaction To This News
Of course, there’s bound to be the few of us still feeling sore that we won’t be able to get our favourite Oolong and Honey Lemon Teas anymore.
Others just seemed to have a problem with LiHo – because no one ever welcomes change, especially since we were perfectly in love with Gong Cha.
So whether you’re a bubble tea enthusiast, or an open-minded foodie, remember to keep your options open and pay LiHo a visit to try their cheese tea, instead of simply shunning it without giving them a shot.
