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There are two things most Filipinos agree on: we drink coffee, and we like it sweet. So, when a global tea brand that prides itself on not using artificial sweeteners enters a market where tea often plays second fiddle to coffee — usually sweetend to the brim — it was only natural to ask the CHAGEE team how they plan to win Filipino palates.
I asked CHAGEE APAC Head of Public Relations Katrian Khoe how the brand planned to balance the Filipino preference for sweeter milk tea with its global standards. She said CHAGEE would be introducing local flavors tailored for the Philippine market, while still holding on to the same benchmarks of quality followed in its other stores worldwide.
That confidence carried through the entire press event held last Friday at Grand Hyatt Manila. The team spoke with certainty and made it clear that CHAGEE is not part of the bubble milk tea craze that Filipinos have grown used to. There are no sinkers or sugar-loaded gimmicks on display. Every cup feels deliberate, with the tea itself leading the experience rather than being buried under sugar.
The point landed even more when CHAGEE’s Senior Tea Researcher Ryan David took the floor. He walked us through the different kinds of tea leaves and even demonstrated proper preparation. For a moment, it stopped feeling like a store launch and more like a tea appreciation class and an attempt to reframe milk tea not as a fad but as part of a wider tea culture.
Grand launch
CHAGEE will officially open its first three branches in the Philippines on August 29, launching simultaneously at SM North EDSA, Robinsons Galleria, and Venice Grand Canal. On the menu are its globally acclaimed drinks, including the best-selling BO·YA Jasmine Green Milk Tea, along with Da Hong Pao Milk Tea, Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea, Lapsang Souchong Black Milk Tea, and Glutinous Green Milk Tea.
To mark the occasion, CHAGEE is rolling out a “Tear and Win” promo from August 29 to 31. Every purchase of a large fresh milk tea comes with a Tear & Win cup that could reveal prizes ranging from iPhones and Jo Malone perfumes to limited-edition merchandise and even a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag.
Bundle deals will also be offered, such as two large BO·YA Jasmine Green Milk Teas for P165 (down from P330), or a pairing of BO·YA Jasmine Green Milk Tea and Da Hong Pao Milk Tea for P169 (down from P334). Both are eligible for the promo. Vouchers given out during earlier pop-up events can also be redeemed starting opening day.
For those who want to explore further, the CHAGEE app is now available on the Play Store and App Store, with exclusive vouchers and the full menu.
But beyond the promos, the event suggested that CHAGEE is betting Filipinos are ready for a different kind of milk tea, one that doesn’t hide behind sweetness but lets the tea speak for itself.