heytea (East Village 2nd Ave)
Tea house · East Village ·
Cheese tea chain known for salted foam and fruit slushies
Cheese tea chain known for salted foam and fruit slushies
"As one of the international chains expanding to New York, Hey Tea is famous for its cheese tea." - Luke Fortney
"At the end of the year I noted that the Chinese cheese tea chain Hey Tea opened its first U.S. location in Midtown at 1407 Broadway (between West 38th and 39th streets), and the company is bringing another storefront to downtown Flushing at 36-56 Main Street near 37th Avenue on April 26; the chain is known for tea topped with salty foam." - Luke Fortney
"Opening its first U.S. tea shop in Midtown at 1407 Broadway (between West 38th and 39th streets) on December 8, Hey Tea is the Chinese chain that turned cheese tea into an international sensation. It has thousands of locations across Asia and, at peak popularity, customers would line up for hours. The company helped redefine the drink in 2012 by using cream cheese instead of powdered cheese and mixing it with fresh milk to create a more premium version; more generally, the cheese-tea foam is made with cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, and a little salt." - Luke Fortney
"A popular bubble-tea chain famous for long lines that has reworked its customer flow with digital tools: a QR code at the door launches an illustrated safety guide, allows customers to place orders, and notifies them when to return to pick up drinks at the doorway, minimizing crowding and contact." - Aaron Fox-Lerner
"A chain that helped popularize cheese tea in New York, bringing salted whipped-cream–topped iced teas that feel like a hybrid of bubble tea, slushie, and Frappuccino. The first local location opened just over a year ago and there are now around 15 in the city; lines can stretch up to an hour, though ordering ahead via the app is common. The menu leans into a “new Asian tea” approach—colorful, juice-forward drinks and slushies in which tea often plays a supporting role; an example is the Cloud Crisp Grape, a purple green-tea slush topped with a layer of cheese foam that combines dairy with medium-sweet fruit." - Tammie Teclemariam
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