Find out about Chatime's brand relaunch and how it aims to grow to 200 stores in five years
QSR Media sat down with Carlos Antonius, General Manager at Chatime, to talk about the brand's repositioning in the bubble tea market, and their plans for the future.
Founded in 2005, the first Chatime in the Taiwanese city of Hsinchu brought a unique combination of fresh flavours and toppings to iced tea, and the brand grew within the next seven years to over 1,000 locations. Chatime offers freshly brewed ice teas using a range of high quality teas that are brewed every 4 hours.
QSR Media: What's new at Chatime?
Carlos Antonius: We have recently relaunched our Chatime brand; which includes new positioning, creative, media, social platforms, and a new menu. We have also streamlined our customer ordering processes and rolling out new t-breweries (store) designs, in sites and renovations.
QSR Media: What do you hope to accomplish for 2016?
Carlos Antonius: This year we look forward to building and reinforcing our new positioning of Chatime as the “Home of Freshly Brewed Iced Tea”. We have plans to open ten new t-breweries (stores) and renovate a further twelve. We are also investing in many other areas of the business; including new on line training platforms, staff engagement/recognition programs, supply chain management to name a few.
QSR Media: What are the current trends you observe in the market and your customers now?
Carlos Antonius: Current trends; there is a demand for freshness from our customers, and new, exciting flavours. Made to order drinks are very popular, as well as customisation options and customer rewards and treats.
QSR Media: What do you think are the challenges in the beverage sector? Opportunities?
Carlos Antonius: Within the competitive bubble tea category we must differentiate our Chatime brand and highlight our USP, and continually reinforce this through all aspects of our business internally and externally. We are focused on innovation through all aspects of business, team, product, t-brewery design, marketing, driving down costs in our COG’s and franchise entry level costs.
QSR Media: What would you like to tell the market about where your brand is strategically headed?
Carlos Antonius: Our goal is to grow to 200 t-breweries within the Australian market, over the next 5 years. From a brand POV we want to become the market leader in our category and we are confident that with our strategy, franchise partners, suppliers and central support team that we will achieve our business objectives.
