The Starbucks Moment for Bubble Tea: San Francisco's Bubble Tea Time Replaces Coffee Break
In the San Francisco Bay Area, bubble tea (zhen nai) is experiencing its "Starbucks moment," replacing the traditional coffee break. Originating from Taiwan, the bubble tea market is seeing intensified competition with the entry of Chinese brands, and the "soul" of a brand is considered key to success.
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- 📰 Published: May 11, 2026 at 10:53
- 🔍 Collected: May 11, 2026 at 11:01 (8 min after Published)
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Central News Agency correspondent Chang Hsin-yu in San Francisco
2026/5/11 09:53
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"A Starbucks on every corner" used to describe the coffee culture in American cities. Today, in the San Francisco Bay Area, this phrase can almost be applied verbatim to bubble tea shops.
In San Francisco's Sunset District, which has a large Asian population, bubble tea shops are not just "a beverage shop" on the street, but have grown into a "bubble tea street," with over 5 shops within a few blocks. Crossing the Bay Bridge to Berkeley, the Telegraph Avenue area near the campus has nearly 20 shops selling bubble tea.
This boom has led some Americans, who originally only drank coffee, to consider "opening a bubble tea shop" as a startup option.
At a night market event, Richard, nearly 60, observed a bubble tea stall, contemplating whether to start a small business in the second half of his life. He chatted with reporters, saying, "I see it (bubble tea shops) like Starbucks in the 1990s; starting from supermarkets and gas station stalls, and then becoming ubiquitous."
Interestingly, Richard had only tried bubble tea once. He said that many Americans' more concrete impression of bubble tea comes from comedian Jo Koy's performances, and they might not know that its origin is "Taiwan."
Asian residents in the Bay Area, however, nine out of ten know that bubble tea is a Taiwanese drink, stemming from a shared urban memory.
"About 20 years ago, my mom would take me to Quickly," said Elijah, a 30-year-old second-generation Filipino American, and Jonathan, a second-generation Vietnamese American, whom reporters met at a new-style tea shop. They recalled how rare it was to drink a bubble tea when they were young, often having to go specifically to a Chinese business district to buy one.
Elijah, who works in the tech industry, said, "Before, in the office, everyone would say 'let's take a Coffee Break'; now, we're starting to have 'Boba Break.' To some extent, tea beverages have replaced coffee, and they still have caffeine."
Initially, brands like Quickly and Fantasia introduced "Taiwanese bubble tea" to the Bay Area consumer market. After 2010, a new wave of brands like Boba Guys and Gong Cha emerged and expanded, making hand-shaken drinks a part of mainstream urban culture, while still continuing the lineage of Taiwanese bubble tea.
Recently, the tea beverage landscape on Bay Area streets has changed again. Walking out the door, new signs are popping up one after another; this time, Chinese brands, promoting the so-called "Guochao style" that spans tradition and modernity, are joining the battle in a big way.
In an already mature market, Chinese brands are not creating demand from scratch but entering existing consumption scenarios, vying for the attention of young consumers with visual packaging, distinctive drinks, and rapid store expansion. This model is not unfamiliar.
"Bubble tea is so popular now, I like to try different shops, as long as it tastes good," said software engineer Caio, expressing the mindset of many young consumers in the Bay Area facing a street full of tea shops.
"The market is more saturated, and we face greater competition," said Andrew, co-founder of Boba Guys, whom reporters met on International Bubble Tea Day. His mother is from Taiwan, and he co-founded the brand with Bin, whose parents are also from Taiwan.
Among the founders of various tea beverage brands, Andrew's image is particularly distinct. He often appears in public, discussing brand, culture, and Asian identity. This gives him an added quality of Bay Area startup thinking: a face and a story.
"We are no longer the new kids on the block in the market; we also have to innovate ourselves," Andrew said. After several market cycles, he understood more clearly that brands come and go; truly good brands must be able to constantly evolve.
As for who can truly survive in this increasingly crowded bubble tea battleground, Richard, who considered opening a shop and contacted bubble tea shops, said that from the perspective of American consumers, he would want to know who the founder is and where his money is going, but observing some Chinese brands, it feels a bit like a black box.
Richard said, "Besides good quality, I think the brand's personality will be one of the keys to winning."
Elijah, a tech industry professional, highlighted the Bay Area's view on brands: beyond the product, the founder's story and vision also become part of trust. "Whoever can give a brand 'soul' may dominate the market," said Andrew, who has been in business for 15 years. Regardless of the brand, without soul, there can be no connection; and without connection, there will be no loyal fans. (Edited by: Chen Yen-chun) 1150511
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2026/5/11 09:53
Recommended reading
"A Starbucks on every corner" used to describe the coffee culture in American cities. Today, in the San Francisco Bay Area, this phrase can almost be applied verbatim to bubble tea shops.
In San Francisco's Sunset District, which has a large Asian population, bubble tea shops are not just "a beverage shop" on the street, but have grown into a "bubble tea street," with over 5 shops within a few blocks. Crossing the Bay Bridge to Berkeley, the Telegraph Avenue area near the campus has nearly 20 shops selling bubble tea.
This boom has led some Americans, who originally only drank coffee, to consider "opening a bubble tea shop" as a startup option.
At a night market event, Richard, nearly 60, observed a bubble tea stall, contemplating whether to start a small business in the second half of his life. He chatted with reporters, saying, "I see it (bubble tea shops) like Starbucks in the 1990s; starting from supermarkets and gas station stalls, and then becoming ubiquitous."
Interestingly, Richard had only tried bubble tea once. He said that many Americans' more concrete impression of bubble tea comes from comedian Jo Koy's performances, and they might not know that its origin is "Taiwan."
Asian residents in the Bay Area, however, nine out of ten know that bubble tea is a Taiwanese drink, stemming from a shared urban memory.
"About 20 years ago, my mom would take me to Quickly," said Elijah, a 30-year-old second-generation Filipino American, and Jonathan, a second-generation Vietnamese American, whom reporters met at a new-style tea shop. They recalled how rare it was to drink a bubble tea when they were young, often having to go specifically to a Chinese business district to buy one.
Elijah, who works in the tech industry, said, "Before, in the office, everyone would say 'let's take a Coffee Break'; now, we're starting to have 'Boba Break.' To some extent, tea beverages have replaced coffee, and they still have caffeine."
Initially, brands like Quickly and Fantasia introduced "Taiwanese bubble tea" to the Bay Area consumer market. After 2010, a new wave of brands like Boba Guys and Gong Cha emerged and expanded, making hand-shaken drinks a part of mainstream urban culture, while still continuing the lineage of Taiwanese bubble tea.
Recently, the tea beverage landscape on Bay Area streets has changed again. Walking out the door, new signs are popping up one after another; this time, Chinese brands, promoting the so-called "Guochao style" that spans tradition and modernity, are joining the battle in a big way.
In an already mature market, Chinese brands are not creating demand from scratch but entering existing consumption scenarios, vying for the attention of young consumers with visual packaging, distinctive drinks, and rapid store expansion. This model is not unfamiliar.
"Bubble tea is so popular now, I like to try different shops, as long as it tastes good," said software engineer Caio, expressing the mindset of many young consumers in the Bay Area facing a street full of tea shops.
"The market is more saturated, and we face greater competition," said Andrew, co-founder of Boba Guys, whom reporters met on International Bubble Tea Day. His mother is from Taiwan, and he co-founded the brand with Bin, whose parents are also from Taiwan.
Among the founders of various tea beverage brands, Andrew's image is particularly distinct. He often appears in public, discussing brand, culture, and Asian identity. This gives him an added quality of Bay Area startup thinking: a face and a story.
"We are no longer the new kids on the block in the market; we also have to innovate ourselves," Andrew said. After several market cycles, he understood more clearly that brands come and go; truly good brands must be able to constantly evolve.
As for who can truly survive in this increasingly crowded bubble tea battleground, Richard, who considered opening a shop and contacted bubble tea shops, said that from the perspective of American consumers, he would want to know who the founder is and where his money is going, but observing some Chinese brands, it feels a bit like a black box.
Richard said, "Besides good quality, I think the brand's personality will be one of the keys to winning."
Elijah, a tech industry professional, highlighted the Bay Area's view on brands: beyond the product, the founder's story and vision also become part of trust. "Whoever can give a brand 'soul' may dominate the market," said Andrew, who has been in business for 15 years. Regardless of the brand, without soul, there can be no connection; and without connection, there will be no loyal fans. (Edited by: Chen Yen-chun) 1150511
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.