Introducing the Modern Teahouse to Southern California
When a new brand enters Los Angeles, it doesn’t just compete for attention, it competes for meaning. In a region where culture, commerce, and community constantly remix, the brands that endure aren’t simply “new.” They become an integral part of the community: a place to meet, to pause, to celebrate, to build routines.
That’s the opportunity CHAGEE sees as it brings its Modern Teahouse concept- rooted in centuries of Yunnan tea tradition- into Southern California communities. CHAGEE opened its rst U.S. teahouse at West eld Century City in May, 2025. Today, CHAGEE is expanding its local footprint across the region, with stores in Culver City, Torrance, Mission Viejo, Del Amo, Brea, and Long Beach.
For Emily Chang, CHAGEE’s chief commercial of cer for North America, the goal isn’t to “import” a brand, but to translate an experience.
“Tea is already part of how the world gathers,” Chang said. “Our work in Southern California is to honor the heritage, then build a modern ritual that ts the pace, the creativity, and the openness of this community. This is tea, reimagined.”
A THIRD PLACE FOR THE THIRD WAVE OF TEA DRINKERS
Throughout history, teahouses were never just about the beverage. Historically, they were a social anchor- a place for conversation, re ection, and connection. In a post-remote-work economy where people are recalibrating how they spend their time, Chang believes the modern teahouse can re-emerge as an essential “third place”, somewhere between home and work.
“People are craving spaces that feel intentional,” Chang said. “CHAGEE is an invitation to everyone who enters our doors to pause, connect with friends, and enjoy our premium tea beverages in a peaceful environment.”
CHAGEE’s design re ects that point of view: a sensory-forward environment intended to help guests “relax, revitalize and reconnect,” blending modern aesthetics with tea-inspired elements. It’s a strategy that aligns with a broader shift in retail and hospitality: physical spaces are no longer just endpoints for transactions, they’re enablers of immersive brand experiences.
TRADITION, UPGRADED: CRAFT MEETS CONSISTENCY
CHAGEE’s approach combines hand crafted care and technology. The company emphasizes traditional tea craftsmanship while using automated brewing and extraction technology designed to deliver consistency at scale. It’s the kind of operational discipline that matters in Southern California, where customer expectations are high and word-of-mouth travels at the speed of social.
“In L.A., you don’t get a long runway to gure it out,” Chang said. “Your product and your experience have to be excellent every day because people here have great taste and endless options.”
That consistency also enables CHAGEE to do what many beverage brands struggle to do: elevate a product category beyond a single time of-day occasion.
BEYOND THE AFTERNOON: BUILDING AN EVENING TEA CULTURE
Early this year, CHAGEE launched an evening tea service – a guided tasting experience with a tea sommelier and a ight of three teas – inviting US consumers to experience a new category of tea. Chang likens the ambition to Starbucks’ early role in popularizing coffee culture in tea-drinking China.
“Coffee kickstarts the day, but tea shapes it,” Chang said. “It’s a modern ritual perfect for afternoon refreshment and endures into the later hours. CHAGEE is becoming an evening social ritual- a modern, elevated experience that delivers clarity, connection, and calm.”
For business communities, that’s not just a menu expansion, it’s a new format for convening. Think client meetings that feel less transactional, team celebrations that don’t revolve around alcohol, and networking that feels calmer but still culturally relevant.
A GLOBAL BRAND LEARNING LOCALLY
While CHAGEE is new on the Southern California business scene, it’s not a small company. CHAGEE has more than 7300 modern teahouses open across China and the Asia-Pacific region. Its founder is clear that he wants to be a long standing brand serving customers across at least 100 countries. But Chang is clear that scale doesn’t guarantee resonance.
“Global doesn’t mean generic,” she said. “Our desire is for every teahouse to feel like it belongs in the neighborhood because that’s how trust is built.”
That local mindset is especially important in Southern California, where communities are both diverse and deeply proud of their distinct identities. The Modern Teahouse, Chang argues, can be a bridge: a place where heritage is shared in a way that’s welcoming, contemporary, and participatory.
“Tea is one of the oldest social technologies in the world,” Chang said. “When you offer someone a cup, you’re offering care. In today’s business and social world, that kind of human connection is the point.”
Learn more about CHAGEE at chagee.us.
