One of China's largest tea chains is finally staking its claim in the Bay Area, with plans to open not one but two locations around the same time this winter. Chagee Modern Teahouse is slated to land at Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco and at Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, bringing the company to the Bay Area.
According to KRON4, a company representative said the San Francisco shop is expected to open sometime between January and March of 2027, while the South Bay location could arrive as early as late 2026 or as late as early 2027. No more specific opening date has been provided for either spot, per the same outlet's reporting.
A Nasdaq-Listed Giant With Global Reach
Chagee is not a scrappy startup — it's a publicly traded company with serious financial muscle behind its U.S. push. The chain completed an initial public offering on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker CHA in April 2025, raising approximately $411.2 million, according to Davis Polk. Chagee reported full-year 2025 net revenues of RMB 12.91 billion, or roughly $1.85 billion, per Chagee Investor Relations. The company had more than 7,000 stores in December 2025. KRON4's reporting puts the count at more than 6,000 locations worldwide as of now.
The brand was founded in Kunming, Yunnan, in June 2017 by entrepreneur Zhang Junjie, and it built its identity around fresh milk teas made from whole tea leaves rather than powders, with an automated tea-brewing machine part of its approach, according to Wikipedia. That tech-driven approach has earned Chagee comparisons to a kind of Oriental Starbucks, a framing that sets it apart from classic boba shops built around tapioca pearls, sweet syrups, and milk powders. Its signature drink, the BOYA Tea Latte made with jasmine green milk tea, uses high-mountain green tea from Yunnan and white-tip leaves from Fujian, per SoCalPulse, and has sold millions of cups globally.
From LA Red Carpet to Northern California Malls
Chagee made its U.S. debut in Los Angeles last year, per KRON4, opening its flagship at Westfield Century City with a grand opening event that featured celebrity guest Emily Ratajkowski, as reported by PR Newswire. The chain has also opened locations in Culver City, Torrance, and Long Beach. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie publicly welcomed the news of Chagee's planned arrival at Stonestown Galleria in a social media post this month, calling the international teahouse chain an exciting addition to the neighborhood, according to a video posted to Facebook by the mayor.
Stonestown's Boba Scene
The Stonestown slot Chagee is eyeing sits inside a mall that also has a Quickly boba location. Stonestown Galleria currently also houses HeyTea and 85C Bakery Cafe, per KRON4's reporting, and the mall is in the middle of a broader boom of new restaurant openings. Raising Cane's is also planning to open at Stonestown, replacing the McDonald's that had operated there for more than 30 years, KRON4 notes — a shift that comes as nearby Westfield San Francisco Centre closed permanently earlier this year.
Why the South Bay, Too
The second Bay Area location will land at Westfield Valley Fair, on the Santa Clara and San Jose border, which already hosts Coco Bubble Tea, Sharetea, and HeyTea, according to KRON4. The mall is a prominent regional shopping destination. Both Valley Fair and Stonestown already have Asian beverage chains, including HeyTea.
A Regional Pattern
Chagee's Bay Area plans bring a Chinese tea brand to Northern California. Mixue is a low-cost ice cream and boba chain.
For now, Bay Area boba fans will have to wait for firmer opening dates. The San Francisco shop is expected to open between January and March 2027, while the South Bay location could arrive as early as late 2026 or as late as early 2027, leaving San Francisco and South Bay tea drinkers to keep an eye on Stonestown Galleria and Westfield Valley Fair in the months ahead.
