Franchise watch: The booming bubble tea industry

While on a holiday in Los Angeles in 2009, one of MEITO’s founders stumbled across the uniquely refreshing treat of bubble tea. A relatively new creation at the time, they immediately knew that bubble tea needed to be introduced to the masses back in Germany. The sociable side of the drink lent itself to a casual cafe atmosphere, and the calorie-conscious ingredients were perfectly suited to the trend toward healthy eating.

One year later, the first MEITO store opened in Munich, Germany, and the brand has been reaping the benefits of bubble tea franchising ever since.

Franchise models

Now operating for over a decade, MEITO has honed its bubble tea franchising models to a fine edge; allowing the brand to remain popular and competitive as the bubble tea phenomenon has grown. All of this experience has led MEITO to design four franchise models to suit a variety of markets:

• MEITO’s Mobile is a food truck option that brings the brand’s signature bubble teas to thirsty customers on the road, traveling around cities and countries to serve up bubble tea, coffee specialties, burgers, and sandwiches

• MEITO’s EATERY provide fun-infused drink experiences to share with friends and family, and locations are designed to be sociable and sustainable

• MEITO’s EXPRESS is the perfect grab-and-go option for college campuses, airports, shopping malls, downtown and suburban locations, and hotels. These locations still serve the brand’s popular bubble tea and drinks collection, as well as a wide range of ready-made sandwiches, salads, sweets, and smoothie bowls

• MEITO’s DOUBLE DECKER takes the brand’s European food truck icon and extends it, combining eating out with a roving spirit

Menu and sustainability

Across all of its models, MEITO offers more than 6.6 million different combinations, flavors, and tastes of bubble tea, all in accordance with ‘The German Perfection’. The brand has managed to reinvent bubble tea from a single treat to a way of life, and a seriously cool social experience.

MEITO’s locations are all committed to sustainability, through the use of natural, repurposed materials and locally sourced ingredients. Fresh ingredients such as chicken, meat, vegetables, soft drinks, and water are all sourced locally from approved vendors, and proprietary products such as the raw bubble tea materials are purchased directly from MEITO’s nominated suppliers.

> “The brand has managed to reinvent bubble tea from a single treat to a way of life, and a seriously cool social experience”

Customization can also be incorporated into the MEITO menu offered by each location to suit a franchisee’s country or area, and the brand will assist in the production and presentation of new food items, as well as supporting the supply chain systems needed for new items. The average bubble tea on offer by the brand is also only 40Kcal per 100ml, so they’re tasty while also being good for you!

MEITO is currently interested in speaking with master and multi-unit franchisees to expand the brand worldwide, and single-unit locations are also available throughout the GCC.

Number of franchise locations: 7

Location of units: Lebanon, Oman

Investment range: $80,000 – $280,000 (depending on model)

Minimum required capital: $100,000

Contact: franchise@meito.me