Heytea has planted its newest New York flagship at 863 Broadway in Union Square, opening its first U.S. Gelato Lab+ — a shop that pairs its signature teas with eight made-in-store gelato and sorbet flavors. The Chinese tea chain is offering buy-one-get-one-free on drinks and gelato from Friday through Sunday, October 16–18, 2026, to mark the opening.
According to a press release from Heytea USA Inc, the Union Square location is the brand's fourth lab-format store outside China, joining existing labs in New York's Times Square, Toronto and Bangkok. The lineup includes seven core gelato and sorbet flavors plus one limited-edition option, all made fresh daily using real fruit, fresh milk and ingredients like sticky rice and black sesame.
Among the standouts is the Mango Coconut Sticky Rice gelato, which blends jasmine tea-mango gelato with coconut sticky rice gelato studded with actual sticky rice grains, per the release. The Grape Basque Cheesecake gelato draws inspiration from Heytea's classic Crisp Grape Boom drink, while the dairy-free Jasmine Yuzu Sorbet mixes green jasmine tea, yuzu, fresh-pressed apple, lime and lime zest. A Cement Black Sesame gelato rounds out the core menu, combining milk, cream and roasted black sesame paste.
A Lab Format Years in the Making
The lab concept — which blends experimental modules spanning drinks, gelato, cakes and baked goods with Heytea's classic menu — traces back to 2019, when the brand first tested gelato at its Oct Harbour store in Shenzhen, according to the release. Heytea didn't bring the lab model stateside until February 2025, when its Times Square location debuted 10 globally exclusive tea lab drinks and reportedly sold more than 3,500 cups on opening day.
Jelynn Jiang, Heytea's senior brand manager for international markets, said in the release that the company is excited to bring another lab to New York and hopes it becomes a neighborhood spot customers return to again and again. Jiang also said the brand wants guests to keep checking the menu for upcoming releases.
Doodles and Bagels on the Way
Heytea is leaning into hyper-local tie-ins to anchor the new shop in its neighborhood. From October 26 to 30, the chain will collaborate with New York-based artist Jon Burgerman, known for his playful doodle style and works held in permanent collections including London's Victoria and Albert Museum, according to his artist bio. That collaboration will include limited-edition stickers, mini canvas totes and color-in cup sleeves.
The following week, November 2 through 8, Heytea will team up with Tompkins Square Bagels for an item called Everything Gelato, pairing everything-seasoned cream cheese gelato with a fresh bagel from the shop. Tompkins Square Bagels, founded in 2011 on Avenue A, is a 15-year-old East Village neighbor known for creative cream cheese flavors and hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels, according to NYU Local News. The pairing will be limited to 30 servings a day.
From Jiangmen to Over 45 U.S. Stores
Heytea traces its roots to 2012, when it was founded in Jiangmen, Guangdong, and created what it describes as the first cup of cheese tea. The chain now operates more than 3,500 stores across over 330 cities worldwide and counts 150 million registered members globally, per the release. In the U.S., Heytea has grown to more than 45 stores spanning New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Houston, Seattle, Boston and other markets.
That expansion has been fast. Heytea went from two U.S. stores in late 2024 to 35 locations by late 2025, making it the largest U.S. operator among Chinese new-style tea brands, according to China Daily, citing research firm Hongcan. Heytea's U.S. push follows a broader pattern among Chinese tea chains — including Chagee and ChaPanda — which are accelerating overseas expansion as competition intensifies in China's domestic market, World Tea News has reported.
The brand's U.S. growth has leaned heavily on viral moments. Its global menu collaboration with K-pop star Lisa, which grew out of an organic July 2025 social media post in Beverly Hills, rolled out across more than 3,500 stores worldwide. Following Lisa’s post, some locations saw sellouts within hours of an earlier BOGO matcha promotion, according to The National Law Review. Heytea's expansion comes as the U.S. bubble tea market, valued at $531.69 million in 2025, is projected to grow to $865.87 million by 2032, per Fortune Business Insights.
Standard drink prices at Heytea's New York City locations run from $5.49 to $9.99, with popular picks including the Strawberry Cheezo and Crisp Grape Boom, according to The HeyTea Menus US directory. The chain's growing New York footprint arrives as other Chinese beverage brands compete for the same corridors — Hoodline has reported on Mixue's planned Allston and Quincy locations, while Chagee has planned stores at Stonestown and Valley Fair.
