Beverage News

Bubble tea shop Chatime from Taiwan opens at convenient Dallas address

Chatime drinks

Photo courtesy of Chatime

A bubble tea shop from Taiwan has debuted in Dallas: Chatime, a global bubble tea chain specializing in modern bubble tea beverages, has opened a teahouse in a very convenient centrally-located spot in the Medallion Center shopping center at 6464 E. Northwest Hwy. # 316, next to Salata and near the Target store.

Chatime was founded in Taiwan in 2005 and has helped bring bubble tea to the global stage. According to a release, they began franchising in 2006 and currently have more than 1,400 locations worldwide across Asia, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. There are now locations in Baltimore, Nashville, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Missouri, Ohio, New York, Florida, Georgia, and Kansas.

Dallas represents the third location in Texas, following Frisco at 11955 Coit Rd. which opened in 2024, and another in the Houston area, which opened in 2025.

Their success draws on decades of tea expertise with an emphasis on real ingredients, bold flavors, and contemporary tea culture. Their menu centers on customizable premium boba tea including milk tea, fruit tea, smoothies, and brown sugar pearls.

Signature drinks include:

boba tea
brown sugar boba milk (no tea)
peach green tea with strawberry popping pearls
lychee green tea with lychee jelly
mango slush with mousse
Thai with boba
taro milk tea with mousse

They also have cold brew coffee and energy drinks. You can order drinks in three sizes, ranging from 16 to 32 ounces, and you can also specify level of sweetness. Prices range from $6 to $9.

The Dallas location, part of a wave of openings for the chain in 2026, is a family operation owned by Dallas husband-and-wife duo Sanket and Ekta Gulati, two professionals who are opening their first franchise, with their sons running the day-to-day.

"Chatime felt like the right opportunity for us because it offered a strong global brand with real recognition, even though it is still growing in the United States," the couple says. "What makes it even more meaningful is that our younger son is managing the store and has become a key part of the operation, while our older one proudly calls himself the HR guy, leading the hiring and onboarding efforts. It has truly become a family affair."

On May 30-31, the store is hosting a two-day opening celebration, wherein the first 50 guests each day will receive a free 16-oz Premium Boba Milk Tea, presented in a limited‑edition Charm the World Cup. Each cup comes with a mystery plushie, adding a collectible that reflects Chatime's global fan culture. They'll also be doing a Buy‑One‑Get‑One promotion on certain flavors, on both days, all day.

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Sip and savor

La Maison Bleue brings artful matcha drinks to new Carrollton cafe

Photo courtesy Le Maison Bleue

Saying Le Maison Bleue is "beverage focused" doesn't quite do the cafe justice.

A little cafe with a formidable fandom acquired during a six-year stint in Fairview is opening in Carrollton: La Maison Bleue, known for its Japanese teas, matcha drinks, and artful presentations, is preparing to open at 2700 Old Denton Rd., Ste. 112, in a mixed-use development with The View Carrollton condominiums.

Co-owner Jay Cho says he has not set the opening date but is “aiming to start a soft opening phase” in a week or two. At the moment, he's watching contractors coming in and out of the building, he says, and they're working hard — as are he and founder Anna Cho — to prepare the place for guests.

La Maison Bleue is primarily a beverage shop, but its drinks are often more like desserts or works of art. For example, a colorful layered azuki red bean matcha zenzai, topped with toasted mochi dango, looks and tastes like a bespoke creation by Anna, made with all-natural and thoughtfully sourced ingredients.

Her concoctions are almost too lovely to drink. Another standout that looks as good as it tastes is her Kuro Mitsu Hojicha with Japanese black sugar, matcha or roasted hojicha, and Le Maison’s signature cream.

The menu also includes:

The Sakura Cream Matcha, this year’s seasonal matcha, made with real sakura from Japan and a soft pink cream finish representative of the titular Sakura, the cherry blossom.
Strawberry Latte, made with fresh strawberries, milk, and their signature cream, soft and lightly sweet and very fruity.
Raspberry Yuzu Tea, made with tart raspberry and bright yuzu, refreshing and balanced.
Biscoff Cream Latte, heavy on the store’s signature cream, Biscoff crumble, with an espresso base.

When Anna Cho came to Dallas, she saw chic, high-quality coffee and boba or matcha tea shops at every turn, she told NBC5 in an interview.

What she didn’t see, she says, was a “quiet, intentional Japanese tea experience built on real ingredients.” So that's what she made.

The concept began as a Farmers Market stand, where she and co-founder Jay worked hard and steady, next opening a spot inside the Revolving Kitchen food hall in Fairview. That closed last month so they could prepare to open the Carrollton store.

Today, they are finalizing renovations, awaiting a health inspection, and interviewing baristas and bake staff. Jay says that they will post updates about the opening on the cafe's Instagram page.

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