📍Shanghai - People’s Square Station

When it comes to popular tea drink brands in China, Heytea is definitely among the top contenders. When I worked in Shanghai in 2018, Heytea had already become the darling of China’s chain tea brands. Thanks to its successful marketing strategy, there was always a long queue every time I visited.

Environment 🏠
This visit was to the Heytea store near People’s Square Station, which continues the brand’s consistent minimalist and trendy style. The combination of white and wooden elements creates a fresh and modern atmosphere. Inside the store, there are some comfortable seating areas, perfect for relaxing with friends or enjoying a quiet moment over a cup of tea.
Although it was very crowded, Heytea offers an online ordering service called Heytea GO, allowing you to order ahead and pick up your drinks at the location you choose. It also shows the current number of cups waiting, making it easy to estimate wait time. The design is very thoughtful.

Menu 🥘

• Duck Shih-Xiang Lime Tea / 13 RMB / Slightly Sweet / Slightly Iced:
  This drink is based on Duck Shih-Xiang tea and paired with refreshing lime juice. The first sip instantly brings the unique aroma of Duck Shih-Xiang to your nose, along with a hint of bitterness. The lime adds a touch of sweet and sour freshness to the overall taste, making it very rich and suitable for cooling off in the summer. However, I ordered it slightly sweet and found it still a bit too sweet, making the sourness not enough. Next time, I might consider ordering it with less sweetness or no sugar.

• Seasonal Specialty Melon Drink / 19 RMB / Slightly Sweet / Slightly Iced / Slushy Version:
  This is a seasonal limited edition drink, with a base of green tea and coconut milk. You can choose between slushy or regular versions, with the default including honeydew fruit pieces and crunchy pearls. Heytea’s fruit teas have always been my top pick, but this time I was slightly disappointed. The green tea perfectly blended with the coconut milk, and the honeydew's fragrance was noticeable, but there was a bit too little fruit and it was mainly made up of pieces near the rind, which was a bit regrettable.

In summary, Heytea holds a place in my memory as a store that balances innovation and flavor. I remember their milk foam, pure teas, and milk teas being very good, but for the items I tried this time, I can only give it 3.5 stars. I recommend friends who haven’t tried it to start with their milk foam drinks.