What’s buzzing? If you do not see any more Gong Cha outlets in the new few months, don’t be too alarmed. Move over Gong Cha, hello LiHO, the new brand which will be replacing all of the popular Gong Cha outlets in the next month in what we think is a revolutionary move in the bubble tea market. There will be over 80 LiHO stores island-wide by June next month.

Image Credit: LiHO’s Facebook page

Why the brand change? LiHO, which literally means “How are you” in local Hokkien dialect, is a step by RTG Holdings to create a wholly local tea brand. The group owns the franchise rights to Gong Cha, but has decided to discontinue the partnership. Interestingly, the Taiwanese company which used to own Gong Cha is now indirectly owned by a Japanese Private Equity firm.

The highlights With LiHO, its signature drink is Cheese Tea where you can pretty much expect cheese toppings on your drink. This sounds like an interesting breakthrough in the bubble tea market. In addition, there are different ways to enjoy the LiHO drink – Gulp It!, Slurp It!, Mix It!, or a combination of any.

Image Credit: LiHO