Taiwanese bubble tea brand Xing Fu Tang says it plans to launch its own network in Hong Kong after a rift with its previous distributor.
One of the three Xing Fu Tang Hong Kong stores closed abruptly on Wednesday after legal threats from the brand’s owner.
Xing Fu Tang, known for its brown sugar bubble milk tea made with stir-fried black tapioca pearls, operates from more than 60 outlets throughout Taiwan and other locations within Asia and Canada. The parent brand is suing its Hong Kong distributor Tenpence for breach of copyright after Tenpence complained about Xing Fu Tang’s moves to open its own competing stores in the territory.
The closure was revealed via a surprise Facebook announcement on Wednesday that read “Thank you everyone for your unfailing support. Tenpence International Limited’s Causeway Bay store will officially cease to operate from January 2, 2019”.
Tenpence opened its Causeway Bay outlet in August, followed by two franchised stores in Yuen Long and Tsim Sha Tsui.