Home-grown bubble tea franchise The Little Cha has unveiled its first outlet in Victoria. The Little Cha Mill Park store opening demonstrates the growing western interest for Taiwanese bubble tea in Melbourne.

Located at Westfield Plenty Valley, north-east of city, the lively shopping centre houses over 180 specialty stores.

While bubble tea brands have traditionally targeted areas with a high Asian population, The Little Cha’s methodology is different. The brand was developed with a Caucasian consumer in mind.

Catering to the tastes of a western audience has allowed The Little Cha to expand quickly. The franchise now has 10 stores across New South Wales and Western Australia. The Mills Park outlet helps the chain break into the developing market for bubble tea in Melbourne.

Bubble tea in Melbourne

“We’re delighted to see that The Little Cha franchise is continuing to grow,” The Little Cha founder said.

“Westfield Plenty Valley is the perfect location for a Bubble Tea store and busy shoppers will be able to relax and enjoy the refreshing drinks either seated or on the go.”

The founder revealed that the latest opening was driven by a growing demand for bubble tea in Melbourne.

“The bubble tea industry has extreme growth potential,” The Little Cha founder said.

“If you look back to five years ago bubble tea was a concept very fresh and unknown to Australians, compared to now where the product is a known and loved staple in Australian’s diets. Whilst there is still a focus on the Asian demographic, we know and believe that there is room for growth for the Western demographic also.”

The Little Cha expansion

While growing its reputation as a premium provider of bubble tea in Melbourne is a major goal, The Little Cha is looking to expand its reach nationwide.

The brand aims to triple its franchise network over the next three years, targeting 30 stores across Australia.

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