heytea (Del Mar)

Hot San Diego Restaurant Openings You May Have Missed, July 2025 | Eater San Diego

"Carmel Valley — Hey Tea , the trendy tea chain that originated as a tiny tea shop tucked away in an alley in Guangdong Province, China, opened its first San Diego location in Del Mar Highlands Town Center in Carmel Valley on July 25. Known as the creator of cheese tea — beverages with a layer of slightly salty cheese foam — the tea chain is also popular for its fruit tea blends. The popular Crisp Grape Boom is a green jasmine tea slushie with grape-flavored jelly and hand-peeled grapes. The Coconut Mango Boom gets made with coconut milk, fresh mango, and cooked with sago for 30 minutes. Founder Neo Nie, then 19 years old, began creating drinks with cheese foam topping and fruit blends in 2012." - Helen I. Hwang