This Friday (June 26), Select by Kung Fu Tea is set to debut two New York City locations at once: a street-level shop at 73 Chrystie Street in Manhattan's Chinatown and a stall inside Flushing's New World Mall at 136‑20 Roosevelt Avenue. The company says launch weekend will feature limited gift bags for early visitors and a buy-one-get-one-free drink promotion, as the team rolls out Select, a new, more tightly curated concept spun out of Kung Fu Tea.
In a press release via PR Newswire, the brand describes Select as "born from the world of Kung Fu Tea" and positions it as an elevated, tea-forward experience. Kung Fu Tea COO Steve Luw is quoted in the release saying, "Select is something we've been building toward for a long time."
Roots and reach
On its website, Kung Fu Tea notes it was founded in Flushing in 2010 and has since grown to more than 350 locations across the U.S. That hometown origin story is central to how Select is being framed: the brand says it aims to translate traditional Asian tea rituals into a contemporary, sensory-focused experience.
Menu, gifts and opening deals
As reported by StreetInsider, Select's menu will spotlight rarer tea bases such as Da Hong Pao, Long Jing and Camellia Oolong, alongside an Italian-style espresso program built around tea-forward flavors. Early guests are slated to receive branded gift bags, which the release says will include Levain Bakery treats, a Phlur Matcha Milk Mist, a SELECT x Emme candle, tea-inspired incense and mini flower bouquets, and the buy-one-get-one-free drink offer is expected to run through the weekend.
Why Chinatown and Flushing
Both neighborhoods are already power players for Asian food and drink: New World Mall's basement food court has long been a magnet for Flushing diners, per New World Mall, and the Chrystie Street storefront lands squarely in the middle of Manhattan's Chinatown. The openings add a more curated option to already packed boba corridors, where novelty and brand reputation often determine which line stretches the longest.
The company also invited customers to follow @selectbykungfutea on Instagram and to visit kungfuteaselect.com for menus and hours, according to StreetInsider. Expect a weekend of heavy sampling and sidewalk queues as Select tests whether a more curated boba concept can hold its own in two of the city's busiest Asian-food hubs.
