Why does matcha coffee quality differ by HEYTEA store type?

A customer compared the same HEYTEA drink, the Thousand-Mesh Matcha Triple Thick Matcha, at a franchise store and a directly operated store and found a large gap. Delivery from the directly operated shop took over 20 minutes yet arrived hot, rich, and full of toppings; self-pickup at a franchise store took under three minutes but tasted pale and weak with scarce toppings. Another franchise visit gave a third less volume and poor chew.

The post spread quickly, and consumers began sharing a guide to telling store types apart through business licenses. The episode points to the quality control challenge behind HEYTEA's rapid expansion, since franchise operators may follow different preparation standards. Drinks such as matcha coffee depend on consistent powder dosing, temperature, and topping amounts, so small deviations show up clearly in the cup.

Recently, a netizen posted on social media reporting a significant quality gap between the same drinks purchased from HEYTEA franchise stores and directly operated stores. Using the "Thousand-Mesh Matcha Triple Thick Matcha" as an example, the customer ordered delivery from a directly operated store; despite the delivery taking over 20 minutes, the drink arrived still hot with a rich taste and abundant toppings. In contrast, at a franchise store for self-pickup, the drink was picked up within three minutes but had a pale color, weak flavor, and scarce toppings. Later, at another franchise store for self-pickup, the volume was actually one-third less, and the chewy texture was poor. The post resonated widely, with netizens complaining about inconsistent quality at franchise stores, leading to a guide for identifying store types through business licenses. The incident highlights the challenges of quality control under HEYTEA's rapid expansion.

Recently, a netizen posted on social media claiming that they bought the same drink from a HEYTEA franchise store and a directly operated store, only to find a huge difference in quality upon receiving them.

The customer stated that when ordering the "Thousand-Mesh Matcha Triple Thick Matcha," they added the same notes such as "extra hot, extra thick matcha chewy topping, extra matcha" for both, yet upon receiving the drinks, they couldn't believe they were the same matcha product from the same brand.

At a directly operated HEYTEA store, the order was for delivery. Although due to the distance, even if the delivery person took it directly after preparation, the delivery time was no less than 20 minutes. In this case, the matcha the customer received was still hot, and the taste felt relatively rich, with chewy topping and tea jelly both detectable, and many small toppings visible in the cup.

At a HEYTEA franchise store, this time the customer ordered through the mini-program for self-pickup after arriving at the store. The time from the staff preparing the drink to the customer picking it up was no more than three minutes. However, upon receiving it, they were disappointed to see the matcha color was very pale, the taste naturally weak, and no toppings could be tasted.

Not convinced, the customer later visited another HEYTEA franchise store, again for self-pickup. Watching the staff make it fresh and bag it, they drank it within ten minutes. However, without spilling a drop, the drink's volume was actually one-third less, the chewy texture was poor, and only the tea jelly and a strong flavor remained. Overall, it was far inferior to the directly operated store's product.

To prove their claims, the netizen shared photos of drinks made at HEYTEA directly operated and franchise stores, which were completely different in appearance. In response, the netizen also tagged HEYTEA's account at the end of the post, questioning whether the brand makes no quality control requirements for franchise stores.

Once posted, the thread sparked heated discussions, with netizens sharing their experiences of ordering from HEYTEA franchise stores: "Ordered cheese tea but the cheese was missing," "The vegetable bottle tasted very weak and was oxidized," "The buffalo milk jelly in the buffalo milk dual mix turned into crispy boba," "The mango in the juicy mango pomelo sago is getting more and more sour." In short, the main point is that ordering from franchise stores requires mental preparation that the same drink will taste different every time.

Long-time HEYTEA fans are no longer surprised by this. Some say they would rather order from a distant directly operated store with high delivery fees than from a franchise store with free delivery. Consequently, a group of newcomers enthusiastically discussed online how to distinguish HEYTEA franchise stores from directly operated stores, and even a special identification guide circulated in the community.

The "guide" claimed that by checking the business license name and type on the HEYTEA mini-program, one can generally identify the store's nature: "Stores with names prefixed by titles like 'Inspiration Tea,' 'HEYTEA Created for Tea,' 'HEYTEA Network,' or 'Meixing Technology' are directly operated stores"; "If the store type is 'Limited Liability Company Branch,' it's a directly operated store; if it's 'Individual Business,' it's a franchise store." Additionally, the guide's author noted that some directly operated stores sell HEYTEA coffee and ice cream, while franchise stores do not offer these items. It should be noted that Front Street Coffee reminds that the above identification methods are only netizen summaries, and actual store attributes should be based on official information.

Under the guide, some netizens uploaded their business licenses in a chain for confirmation, prompting clear-headed individuals to sharply comment that consumers actually have to check business licenses themselves to know which store is reliable, criticizing HEYTEA's quality control management capabilities for needing improvement.

It is understood that HEYTEA opened franchising in November 2022, when it had fewer than 900 stores. By the end of 2023, HEYTEA's store count had exceeded 3,200, with over 2,300 partnership stores. In July this year, HEYTEA announced that its store count had surpassed 4,000. With the rapid increase in franchise store scale and previous price reduction strategies, some consumers even feel that HEYTEA is no longer the same palatable HEYTEA as before.

Image source: Internet

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.