Lollicup Coffee & Tea

Lollicup Coffee & Tea, rebranded as Lollicup fresh, is a Taiwanese American chain of tea shops founded by Lollicup USA, Inc., with headquarters in Chino, California.[1] Founded in 2000 by Alan Yu and Marvin Cheng, the company now has dozens of locations and franchises in the United States and China. Formerly known as Lollicup Tea Zone, the fast food chain specializes in bubble tea and coffee.

The company manufactures and distributes edible products including "tea leves, drink powders, jellies, syrups, sweeteners, [and] frozen yogurt toppings".[2] As of 2015, the Los Angeles Times reported that Lollicup was distributing 70% of all boba in the United States.[2] Its subsidiary Karat also produces disposable branded plastic and paper cups it sells to other businesses.[2]

History

Following the boba milk tea craze in Taiwan in the 1990s, Chinese American entrepreneur Alan Yu decided to try to popularize the drink in North America.[3] The first Lollicup shop was opened in San Gabriel, California, in 2000.[2] At the time, it was one of the only boba tea shops in the United States,[2] and quickly became popular by word of mouth.[4] Within three months, five more locations opened.[4] In 2015, the company reported opening more than 70 franchise stores within a three-year period.[3]

For a period, Lollicup offered a trademark licensing program, which allowed the licensees (operators) to maintain complete control over the store without having to pay a royalty fee.

Locations

As of 8 November 2013, a total of 38 branches operate in US and China. With three branches operated by corporate in Alhambra, CA, Los Angeles, and Riverside, CA, corporate opened its first international location in Chengdu, China in 2012. Newer locations have a modern and updated design, featuring digital menu boards and digital promotional screens.

• United States 36 stores
• China 2 stores (Chengdu)

External links

• Official website