Is Chatime Taiwanese? Founded in Hsinchu by Henry Wang, the Tea Brand Now in 63 Markets

Quick Answer

Chatime is a tea drink brand founded in 2005 by Henry Wang in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Its parent company is La Kaffa International, headquartered in Zhubei, Hsinchu County. It opened its first overseas store in California in 2006. According to Business Next and Liberty Times, Chatime has about 1,400 stores across 63 countries and regions; Indonesia, with about 420 stores, is its largest market, followed by the Philippines with about 180, Taiwan with about 26 and the US with about 20. In January 2025, La Kaffa announced its acquisition of Tainan’s Hanlin Tea House.

What Is Chatime?

Item	Details
Founded	2005, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Founder	Henry Wang
Parent company	La Kaffa International
Stores worldwide	About 1,400 in 63 countries and regions
Largest market	Indonesia (about 420 stores)

Chatime Timeline

Year	Milestone
2005	Founded in Hsinchu
2006	First overseas store opens in California
2012	Parent company La Kaffa lists on Taiwan’s emerging stock board
2025	La Kaffa acquires 100% of Hanlin Tea House

Overseas Footprint

Market	Stores (approx.)
Indonesia	420
Philippines	180
Taiwan	26
United States	20

Most Chatime stores are overseas, with Taiwan only a small share, making it a classic case of “international first, home market second”. For an overview of Southeast Asia, see Bubble Tea in Southeast Asia.

3 Lessons for Bubble Tea Businesses

You don’t have to start at home: Chatime has few stores in Taiwan but built scale in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Find the right overseas partners: overseas expansion usually runs through regional master franchisees; see How to Become a Bubble Tea Ingredient Distributor.
Halal markets: in markets with large Muslim populations such as Indonesia, ingredients often need halal certification; see What Is Halal Certification?

How Tang Sugar Helps Bubble Tea Brands

Tang Sugar’s products are halal certified, and we supply teas, syrups, tapioca pearls and powders with a single quote for your whole menu and consolidated container shipping to Southeast Asia and other markets. If you’re taking a brand overseas, see our distributor partnerships and international procurement agency services, or contact us.

Note: This article summarizes public information about the brand’s development. Tang Sugar has no partnership or affiliation with the brands mentioned; brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.