Auntea Jenny

Auntea Jenny, formally Auntea Jenny Shanghai Industrial Co., Ltd., is a Chinese milk-tea and fruit-tea chain founded in Shanghai in 2013 by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Shan Weijun and Zhou Rongrong. The first store opened at People's Square in Shanghai on July 18, 2013. The business initially established itself through tea-based drinks and subsequently pursued rapid network growth, with a particular emphasis on lower-tier Chinese cities and franchise development. The brand grew quickly during its first decade. It had more than 1,000 stores across China by 2018, surpassed 2,000 stores by 2020, and had more than 6,000 stores by 2023. Its expansion model positioned it among China's large mass-market beverage chains, competing for consumers seeking relatively accessible milk tea, fruit tea, and other prepared tea drinks. Auntea Jenny's growth was supported by outside capital, including a Series A financing round of nearly RMB100 million led by Jiayu Capital in 2020. Brand identity has been an important part of its development. In 2019, the company replaced its earlier logo with an illustration of a woman wearing a cheongsam and holding a milk-tea cup. In 2024, it introduced a revised orange logo featuring a smiling woman with a bob-style haircut. The imagery reflects the brand's use of Chinese cultural references while presenting them in a contemporary, highly recognizable format. Auntea Jenny attracted substantial public attention in February 2023 after an illustration printed on its tea-cup packaging showed a woman in a high-cut cheongsam with an exposed thigh at the slit. The image generated extensive discussion on Chinese social media, with critics calling it overly sexualized and other users defending it. The Jinshan Market Supervision Bureau reviewed the design and concluded that it did not violate China's advertising law. The company began international expansion in February 2024 with its first overseas store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In May 2025, it opened its first United States location in Queens, New York. It also entered the public markets through an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on May 8, 2025. The offering reportedly raised HK$273 million at a listing price of HK$113.12 per share. By 2025, the chain was reported to have 9,367 locations, making it one of the world's largest tea-franchise networks. A London location in Soho was reported to have opened in February 2026, extending the brand's overseas presence into the United Kingdom.

Auntea Jenny was established in Shanghai in 2013 by Shan Weijun and Zhou Rongrong. Its first shop opened at People's Square on July 18 of that year. The store reportedly achieved monthly profits exceeding RMB400,000, providing an early basis for the company's subsequent expansion. The chain's development strategy emphasized broad geographic coverage and growth in lower-tier Chinese cities. By 2018, it had more than 1,000 stores nationwide. In 2019, the company refreshed its visual identity with a logo showing a woman in a cheongsam holding a milk-tea cup. The logo connected the chain with recognizable Chinese cultural styling while giving the brand a distinct retail symbol. Auntea Jenny exceeded 2,000 stores by 2020 and completed a Series A financing round of nearly RMB100 million with Jiayu Capital. Its store network continued to expand, reaching more than 6,000 locations by 2023. The chain's growth placed it within China's highly competitive prepared-tea and milk-tea sector, where scale, franchising, site selection, supply-chain coordination, and brand recognition are central competitive factors. In February 2023, the brand became the subject of a packaging controversy. A cup illustration showed a woman wearing a high-cut cheongsam with part of her thigh visible through the slit. The design led to a large debate on Weibo and other Chinese social-media channels. Some commentators characterized the image as inappropriate or sexualized, whereas others viewed the criticism as excessive. The Jinshan Market Supervision Bureau investigated the image and concluded that it did not contravene applicable Chinese advertising law. Internationalization began in February 2024, when Auntea Jenny opened its first overseas store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During the same year, it adopted a new logo showing an orange smiling woman with a bob-shaped haircut. The redesigned mark represented a more contemporary expression of the brand's visual identity. The company entered the public markets on May 8, 2025, through a Hong Kong Stock Exchange initial public offering. The offering was reported to have raised HK$273 million, with a stated listing price of HK$113.12 per share. By 2025, the brand was reported to operate 9,367 locations. It also opened its first American store in Queens, New York, during May 2025. A Soho store in London was reported in February 2026, indicating continued expansion beyond Greater China and Southeast Asia.

1. 2026London expansion

   The company opened a reported store in Soho, London.

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2. 2025Hong Kong listing and United States entry

   Auntea Jenny listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and opened its first United States store in Queens, New York.

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3. 2024International expansion begins

   The first overseas store opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the company introduced a new orange logo.

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4. 2023Store network exceeds 6,000

   The company grew its network to more than 6,000 locations.

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5. 2020Store network exceeds 2,000 and Series A financing is completed

   Auntea Jenny exceeded 2,000 stores and completed a Series A financing round of nearly RMB100 million with Jiayu Capital.

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6. 2019First major logo redesign

   The brand adopted a logo depicting a woman in a cheongsam holding a milk-tea cup.

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7. 2018Store network exceeds 1,000 locations

   The chain surpassed 1,000 stores across China as it expanded through lower-tier cities.

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8. 2013Auntea Jenny is founded and opens its first store

   Shan Weijun and Zhou Rongrong founded the company, and its first store opened at People's Square in Shanghai on July 18.

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A mass-market Chinese tea and milk-tea chain built around rapid franchise expansion, accessible pricing, high store density, and visual branding rooted partly in contemporary interpretations of Chinese cultural imagery.

• Milk teaTea beverages2013

  Milk tea is the chain's core product category. These prepared drinks combine brewed or tea-based flavors with milk or dairy-style ingredients and are designed for high-volume takeaway retail. The category forms the basis of Auntea Jenny's identity as a Chinese milk-tea chain.

• Fruit teaTea beverages

  Fruit tea represents the chain's broader specialty-tea offering beyond milk-based drinks. These beverages use tea as a base and incorporate fruit-oriented flavors, supporting the brand's appeal to customers seeking lighter or more refreshing alternatives within the prepared-tea category.

• Specialty tea beveragesNon-alcoholic beverages

  Auntea Jenny also sells a wider range of prepared tea drinks and seasonal or specialty combinations. Specific product names and recipes are not established in the supplied reference material, but the broader category supports the chain's mass-market beverage format and franchise-store model.

• 2025Complete Hong Kong initial public offeringOther

  Auntea Jenny had become a large tea-franchise operator with thousands of locations.

  What changed. The company began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on May 8, 2025.

  Aftermath. The listing provided a public-market milestone during the company's continued international expansion.

  IPO proceeds. HK$273 million raised (May 2025)

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• 2024Begin overseas expansion and refresh visual identityStrategy

  After building a large domestic store network, the company began testing international markets.

  What changed. Auntea Jenny opened its first overseas store in Kuala Lumpur and introduced an orange logo featuring a smiling woman with a bob-style haircut.

  Aftermath. The brand subsequently entered the United States and the United Kingdom.

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• 2020Complete Series A financing to support expansionStrategy

  The company was scaling its store network and had surpassed 2,000 locations.

  What changed. Auntea Jenny completed a Series A financing round of nearly RMB100 million with Jiayu Capital.

  Aftermath. The chain continued expanding and exceeded 6,000 stores by 2023.

  Series A financing. Nearly RMB100 million raised (2020)

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• 2019Adopt a cheongsam-based brand logoStrategy

  The growing chain needed a distinctive and culturally recognizable visual identity.

  What changed. Auntea Jenny changed its logo to show a woman wearing a cheongsam and holding a milk-tea cup.

  Aftermath. The logo became a prominent part of the brand's retail identity before a later redesign in 2024.

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• 2023Controversy over cheongsam packaging illustrationControversy

  An illustration used on Auntea Jenny tea-cup packaging depicted a woman in a high-cut cheongsam with an exposed thigh. The design generated extensive social-media debate, including criticism that it sexualized the character. The Jinshan Market Supervision Bureau reviewed the matter and found no violation of Chinese advertising law.

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• 2026Auntea Jenny opens Soho location in London

  The company was reported to have opened a store in London's Soho district, extending its international expansion into the United Kingdom.

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• 2025Auntea Jenny opens first United States location

  The brand entered the United States with a store in Queens, New York.

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• 2025Auntea Jenny lists on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange

  The company completed an initial public offering on May 8, 2025, reportedly raising HK$273 million at a stated listing price of HK$113.12 per share.

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• 2025Auntea Jenny reported to have 9,367 locations

  The chain was reported to have reached 9,367 locations, placing it among the largest tea-franchise networks globally.

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• 2024Auntea Jenny opens first overseas store in Kuala Lumpur

  The company began its overseas retail expansion by opening its first store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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1. Auntea Jenny