Mixue to open first store in LA as more Chinese food, beverage brands tap into US market

An increasing number of Chinese catering brands from tea cafes to food stores are putting down roots in the US market, with Chinese beverage company Mixue becoming a fresh example, as it announced plans on Thursday to open its first store in Los Angeles.

According to its Sina Weibo account, Mixue said that it will open the first US store on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. As of June 30 this year, the global number of its stores surpassed 53,000.

A user of Xiaohongshu with the account name Vs' Diary of Life in America, who now lives in Irvine, California told the Global Times on Thursday that the store started trial operations, and she has made a pre-order and tried its products.

According to a video post by the user, after entering the store, one can hear Mixue's classic theme song in an English version. She and her family tried four drinks plus ice cream, and her favorite was the lemon water.

"It's both delicious and affordable, and the key thing is that it tastes exactly the same as in China," another Xiaohongshu user named kaleyouka based in California told the Global Times on Thursday.

The opening of Mixue's first US store serves as a microcosm of the growing success of Chinese food and beverage brands in the American market.

On October 3, Naisnow's first store in the US officially launched. The company told the Global Times that in the first three days of operation, its first American store achieved nearly $87,000 in revenue and sold close to 13,000 products, setting a new opening-day sales record for Naisnow stores worldwide. On October 24, the company's second store in the US opened in Long Island City, New York, where long queues formed in front of the new location.

In addition to Naisnow, Chinese tea brand Chagee entered the American consumer market in May. HeyTea, another tea chain, has opened more than 30 stores in the US since 2023, covering economic hubs such as New York, Silicon Valley and Boston, according to media reports. Luckin Coffee, which owns more than 20,000 stores across China, also has five self-operated stores in the US.

Haidilao, a popular hot pot brand in China, has several restaurants in major metropolitan areas including California, New York, and others, the company told the Global Times via e-mail.

Zhang Yi, CEO of the iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times on Thursday that Chinese catering brands going global not only demonstrates the confidence of Chinese enterprises, but also brings overseas consumers richer, more diverse choices and innovative consumption experiences.

"More importantly, these brands introduce China's high-efficiency operational philosophy and management practices to foreign markets, helping raise the standard of the local service industry," Zhang noted.

When any brand goes global, it should carry out genuine localization, and even personalized adaptation, based on the target market's consumer habits, cultural context, and price sensitivity. Only by understanding consumers' needs, can brands truly win over local consumers, the expert said.

"Introducing hot pot to customers who may be less familiar with this dining format naturally comes with a learning curve. To help guests better understand how to enjoy hot pot, where raw ingredients are cooked directly in the simmering broth at the table, we present clear English-language guides and in-store explanations tailored to local reading habits. We also made thoughtful menu adjustments, such as refining the spice levels of certain broths and expanding our selections of beef cuts to reflect local preferences," Haidilao told the Global Times.

Recently, some foreign media outlets have noticed the trend. In an article headlined "Tidal wave of Chinese tea brands place bets on winning over American tastebuds," Reuters on Thursday cited Chinese beverage chain Ningji Lemon Tea, saying that despite the challenges, companies ranging from Chagee Tea House and Chahalo to Molly Tea and Auntea Jenny have within the past year opened US stores or announced expansions.

They have been buoyed by their success in China's modern tea-drink market and propelled by flavor innovations, fresh brands and rapid store rollouts, the report said.

On December 1, the New York Times reported that "The economic relationship between the US and China is as fraught as it has been in recent memory, but that has not stopped a wave of Chinese food and beverage chains from moving aggressively into the US for the first time."

Zhang said that more foreign media outlets have reported on Chinese catering enterprises' entry into the US market, which reflected the expansion of the influence of Chinese culinary culture.

In addition, their overseas expansion has transcended mere dining consumption and evolved into a comprehensive vehicle for spreading China's culinary culture and lifestyle. The fact that consumers are willing to queue for hours and return frequently reflects not only their love for the flavors, but more importantly, a genuine curiosity about and growing acceptance of the Chinese culture these brands represent, the expert said.

Despite facing cultural differences and potential geopolitical factors, the interaction of the food and beverage sector between China and the US also represents a positive component of the current exchanges between the two countries and open more possibilities for China and the US to explore broader space for cooperation, Zhang said.