Why No Bubble Tea At Tim Hortons Or Starbucks ?

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Apr 25th, 2019 11:03 am

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Feb 21st, 2018 10:09 pm

MonctonMan [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 25, 2009; 4329 posts; 1343 upvotes; Moncton

Feb 21st, 2018 10:09 pm

Why No Bubble Tea At Tim Hortons Or Starbucks ?

A new Bubble Tea shop just opened in Moncton (a franchise of the Chatime chain). My first impression was it will be out of business within a month, but then I typed bubble tea Ottawa in Google Maps and my jaw dropped. Moncton is late to the craze.

$5 for a cup of tea is too much. And frankly, I like tapioca pudding and tea, but I’ve never had the urge to mix them. Still, Starbucks sells expensive Frappucinos, and Tim Hortons the imitation IcedCaps, so maybe there is a market for rediculous drinks, a donut in a cup so to speak, at least in terms of fat and sugar.

Adding tapioca to tea seems simple enough. So I’m curious if this is a drink that Tim Hortons or Starbucks might start offering. Although numerous, the bubble tea places seem concentrated in Chinatown in Ottawa. Moncton doesn’t have a Chinatown, so they placed it next to a place that sells cats.

Convenient for some, but not for me.

Toronto is a very small part of Canada

76 replies

Feb 21st, 2018 10:32 pm

johanscott: Deal Addict; Mar 22, 2012; 2144 posts; 380 upvotes; Toronto

Feb 21st, 2018 10:32 pm

Bubble Tea is crazy popular. I'm surprised you are not familiar. In Toronto, especially in Asian dominated areas, I have waited for friends who were in line for like 40 mins.

Feb 21st, 2018 11:00 pm

MonctonMan [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 25, 2009; 4329 posts; 1343 upvotes; Moncton

Feb 21st, 2018 11:00 pm

johanscott wrote: ↑ Bubble Tea is crazy popular. I'm surprised you are not familiar.

Heard about it for the first time this month, reading about the opening of the Chatime franchise.

Here is a 2012 article about the craze hitting London.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... te-it.html

I’m starting to think it’s more of a gimmick than anything. Perhaps Chinese people are predisposed to liking food floating around the bottom of their drinks. Even Chatime is hiding their tapioca “pearl” drinks amongst hundreds of other pricy tea drinks on the menu.

Unlike 1950’s poutine, the tapioca of 1980s bubble tea isn’t dependent on the local availability of a specific ingredient. So perhaps it will spread quicker and wider than poutine has.

Toronto is a very small part of Canada

Feb 21st, 2018 11:05 pm

Cheapo-Findo: Deal Expert; Mar 9, 2007; 15535 posts; 13096 upvotes; Think of the Childre…

Feb 21st, 2018 11:05 pm

The tapioca balls are full of chemicals, Tims / Stars don't want to be liable.

WOULD SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

+1

Feb 21st, 2018 11:14 pm

george__: Deal Expert; Jul 22, 2006; 22403 posts; 3034 upvotes

Feb 21st, 2018 11:14 pm

Not many of my white friends like tapioca balls....

It is easy to make at home..

Buy the balls
Follow instructions
Strong earl grey tea
Powdered milk
Sugar

I like to make viet coffee with tapioca balls, so good but again white folks aren't into the balls...

It is buy 2 for 5 at pacific mall ....

Feb 21st, 2018 11:24 pm

MonctonMan [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 25, 2009; 4329 posts; 1343 upvotes; Moncton

Feb 21st, 2018 11:24 pm

Cheapo-Findo wrote: ↑ The tapioca balls are full of chemicals, Tims / Stars don't want to be liable.

Lol. Chatime has a 1000 locations in 30 countries. It expanded out of Taiwan in 2006 into lawyer happy San Francisco, California.

Chatime is such a bizarre franchise. Although cudos for trying Paris, France. Tim Hortons has stayed away from France and the Starbucks there don’t even sell filtered coffee.

I don’t understand the sealer. What is it sealed with? I ripped off mine because I wasn’t about to drink hot tea from a straw, so there was a glueish substance on the rim. Hopefully it’s not actual glue.

Last edited by MonctonMan on Feb 21st, 2018 11:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Toronto is a very small part of Canada

Feb 21st, 2018 11:37 pm

playnicee1: Deal Expert; Feb 9, 2012; 21232 posts; 8326 upvotes; Toronto

Feb 21st, 2018 11:37 pm

Bubble tea is a success as a stand alone business. Starbucks just went through all the trouble of saying goodbye to tea. They want to go all out to concentrate heavy on being a coffee business now and that's it.
Tim Horton's is owned by a company that should simply buy one of the stand alone bubble tea places as a separate investment.

If it is a good idea to merge TH with a bubble tea place, watch it happen sooner with Coffee time, as they've done with their sub business...

Last edited by playnicee1 on Feb 21st, 2018 11:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Feb 21st, 2018 11:53 pm

lennyandcarl: Deal Addict; Jan 18, 2013; 3010 posts; 1658 upvotes; B.C.

Feb 21st, 2018 11:53 pm

Cheapo-Findo wrote: ↑ The tapioca balls are full of chemicals, Tims / Stars don't want to be liable.

Not any worse than anything else Tim Hortons sells!

+1

Feb 22nd, 2018 12:18 am

MonctonMan [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 25, 2009; 4329 posts; 1343 upvotes; Moncton

Feb 22nd, 2018 12:18 am

16 Chatime in Cambodia. Sadly none in Siem Reap.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/f ... -franchise

I assume they don’t charge $4.20 for a cup of tea at Cambodia Chatime.

If Chatime does well in Moncton (I highly doubt it will), I can just imagine the owner of the 20 or so Moncton Tim Hortons franchises looking wishfully at their inflated menu price. A medium seaped tea at Tim Hortons in Moncton is $1.69.

Toronto is a very small part of Canada

Feb 22nd, 2018 12:28 am

MonctonMan [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 25, 2009; 4329 posts; 1343 upvotes; Moncton

Feb 22nd, 2018 12:28 am

playnicee1 wrote: ↑ Starbucks just went through all the trouble of saying goodbye to tea.

Starbucks said goodbye to Teavana, a tea store, but they still sell tea at Starbucks.

If people in Toronto and Halifax (and at least 5 people in Moncton) are actually willing to pay $4.20 or more for a cup tea, I can’t be the only one with $ signs spinning around my head.

Toronto is a very small part of Canada

Feb 22nd, 2018 1:17 am

playnicee1: Deal Expert; Feb 9, 2012; 21232 posts; 8326 upvotes; Toronto

Feb 22nd, 2018 1:17 am

MonctonMan wrote: ↑ Starbucks said goodbye to Teavana, a tea store, but they still sell tea at Starbucks.

If people in Toronto and Halifax (and at least 5 people in Moncton) are actually willing to pay $4.20 or more for a cup tea, I can’t be the only one with $ signs spinning around my head.

A small selection of tea bags is hardly a Teavana store.
Same goes for bubble tea. It's a success as a stand alone, not as an add on to an existing business.
Otherwise, when Starbucks bought teavana originally, they never would have had Teavanna stores. They would have dumped a wall of tins inside the Starbucks stores.
I do agree though that a split store Starbucks on the right and Teavanna on the left with separate staff would have worked to keep rent down though.
Therefore I do also agree that a split store Starbucks and some famous bubble tea name would do good with shared seating and separate staff for each place, but not as a same staff store.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Feb 22nd, 2018 2:17 am

MonctonMan [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 25, 2009; 4329 posts; 1343 upvotes; Moncton

Feb 22nd, 2018 2:17 am

I finally clued in that ordering from Chatime is fairly simple. Tea choice, topping choice (which generally sinks to the bottom). Done. Neither of those products take up much room. You could easily reduce the amount teas or toppings (not that Chatime offers that many).

After all, Chatime also offers "Americano, Cappuccino, Cappuccino, Mochaccino, Hazelnut/Caramel/Vanilla Latte".

Both Starbucks and Tim Hortons sells tea. It would be dead simple to offer sugar coated potato paste balls (or whatever the "pearls" are made of) as an option to add to the tea (and milk and a tone of sugar, if that's what you want).

Granted there is arguably no need for stand alone coffee places either. Every diner in North America offered coffee (and often donuts) before Dunkin' Donuts was created. Tim Hortons and Starbucks can't offer every product under the sun. But seems to me tea being a less caffeine alternative to coffee, it would allow them to optimize existing infrastructure and target late afternoon and evening customers. Tellingly, Chatime is generally open 11:00 am to 9PM.

Toronto is a very small part of Canada

Feb 22nd, 2018 2:39 am

Ducky: Deal Fanatic; Jan 18, 2003; 6377 posts; 2280 upvotes; Mississauga

Feb 22nd, 2018 2:39 am

MonctonMan wrote: ↑ I finally clued in that ordering from Chatime is fairly simple. Tea choice, topping choice (which generally sinks to the bottom). Done. Neither of those products take up much room. You could easily reduce the amount teas or toppings (not that Chatime offers that many).

After all, Chatime also offers "Americano, Cappuccino, Cappuccino, Mochaccino, Hazelnut/Caramel/Vanilla Latte".

Both Starbucks and Tim Hortons sells tea. It would be dead simple to offer sugar coated potato paste balls (or whatever the "pearls" are made of) as an option to add to the tea (and milk and a tone of sugar, if that's what you want).

Granted there is arguably no need for stand alone coffee places either. Every diner in North America offered coffee (and often donuts) before Dunkin' Donuts was created. Tim Hortons and Starbucks can't offer every product under the sun. But seems to me tea being a less caffeine alternative to coffee, it would allow them to optimize existing infrastructure and target late afternoon and evening customers. Tellingly, Chatime is generally open 11:00 am to 9PM.

you can also choose your ice level as well as sugar level.... at chatime

bbt has been in Toronto for over 20 years....tapioca pearls are so 1990s.... try the other toppings... they are way better...

Heatware: Ducky

Feb 22nd, 2018 2:46 am

MonctonMan [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 25, 2009; 4329 posts; 1343 upvotes; Moncton

Feb 22nd, 2018 2:46 am

McDonald's has sold bubble tea in Germany since 2012. If they have haven't exported the idea by now, I guess we can accept bubble tea is a bit of a niche.

Toronto is a very small part of Canada

Feb 22nd, 2018 3:29 am

playnicee1: Deal Expert; Feb 9, 2012; 21232 posts; 8326 upvotes; Toronto

Feb 22nd, 2018 3:29 am

MonctonMan wrote: ↑ McDonald's has sold bubble tea in Germany since 2012. If they have haven't exported the idea by now, I guess we can accept bubble tea is a bit of a niche.

So you've been to Germany? Is this in a regular McDonald's there? Or restricted to a location similar to the Union station type McCafe?
I'm guessing the Union station McDonald's could dive into the Bubble tea concept, since they LOVE to offer new ideas that regular McDonald's locations don't already have...

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Feb 22nd, 2018 3:46 am

MonctonMan [OP]: Deal Addict; Oct 25, 2009; 4329 posts; 1343 upvotes; Moncton

Feb 22nd, 2018 3:46 am

playnicee1 wrote: ↑ So you've been to Germany? Is this in a regular McDonald's there? Or restricted to a location similar to the Union station type McCafe?
I'm guessing the Union station McDonald's could dive into the Bubble tea concept, since they LOVE to offer new ideas that regular McDonald's locations don't already have...

I’d never even heard of tapioca tea until Chatime came to Moncton a couple of weeks ago. If they have commercials, I assume they have the bubble tea at all German McDonald’s.

Toronto is a very small part of Canada

Feb 22nd, 2018 3:57 am

playnicee1: Deal Expert; Feb 9, 2012; 21232 posts; 8326 upvotes; Toronto

Feb 22nd, 2018 3:57 am

MonctonMan wrote: ↑ I’d never even heard of tapioca tea until Chatime came to Moncton a couple of weeks ago. If they have commercials, I assume they have the bubble tea at all German McDonald’s.

Never assume. Especially since the ad seems to be very strict on being an ad for McCafe with no McDonald's reference included.
(There is an "M" in the bottom left corner, but not much more)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Feb 22nd, 2018 7:41 am

blarg: Deal Addict; Oct 24, 2005; 1118 posts; 454 upvotes

Feb 22nd, 2018 7:41 am

Bubble tea isn’t comparable to a steeped tea from Tim Hortons. People view it more like a treat and not an everyday drink. A better comparison would be to something like Frappuccinos from Starbucks. The prices between that and a bubble tea are not so different.

2006 - Pepsi/Frito Lay Win Every Hour Contest - 1279 Entries - Loser!

+2

Feb 22nd, 2018 9:00 am

johanscott: Deal Addict; Mar 22, 2012; 2144 posts; 380 upvotes; Toronto

Feb 22nd, 2018 9:00 am

MonctonMan wrote: ↑ Heard about it for the first time this month, reading about the opening of the Chatime franchise.

Here is a 2012 article about the craze hitting London.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... te-it.html

I’m starting to think it’s more of a gimmick than anything. Perhaps Chinese people are predisposed to liking food floating around the bottom of their drinks. Even Chatime is hiding their tapioca “pearl” drinks amongst hundreds of other pricy tea drinks on the menu.

Unlike 1950’s poutine, the tapioca of 1980s bubble tea isn’t dependent on the local availability of a specific ingredient. So perhaps it will spread quicker and wider than poutine has.

You can get bubble tea withoit tapioca.

But its more of a niche than a gimmick. SB and TH may have most of the ingredients but doesnt mean they should serve it.

+1

Feb 22nd, 2018 10:27 am

Smiley22: Deal Addict; Mar 14, 2006; 2214 posts; 2242 upvotes; Toronto

Feb 22nd, 2018 10:27 am

It is an Asian type of beverage... Not sure if they will be popular at Starbuck...

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