Maryland’s first Hey Tea is celebrating its grand opening at 891-F Rockville Pike in Wintergreen Plaza. The new Rockville location occupies the former space of Sweetfrog, situated between Wingstop and Paisano’s Pizza. Much like the Tysons Corner store, where lines stretched around the corner in its first month or two, today’s launch saw a line that extended down the shopping center and around the corner (video below).
The Grand Opening will offer specials from June 20 to 22, including a Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer (one free drink per order) and a City-exclusive fridge magnet available while supplies last. The store will be open Monday through Sunday from 11am to 9pm. Hundreds were lined up in the morning (thousands throughout the day), something that has continued into the afternoon, with a similar scene expected the rest of the weekend and possibly longer.
We asked a few people waiting in line today what makes Hey Tea stand out and here’s what they had to say:
• “It was the most popular brand in China a few years ago when I last visited, so I had to have it here.”
• It is like fruit tea which is so much better and more healthy than the sugary teas you see.”
• …they created cheese foam and peel the grapes for their drinks.”
• They don’t rely on syrups and sugar and powders so it’s a good company.”
• “I went to Tysons when it opened and I am hooked. Now I’m glad it’s close to me and I don’t have to go to Virginia anymore.”
Hey Tea is a global tea chain founded in 2012 in Guangdong, China, by 19-year-old entrepreneur Neo Nie. It has been rapidly expanding its U.S. presence and is known as the original of cheese foam. The first U.S. location opened last summer on Broadway in New York City, followed by stores in California and the inaugural DC area location in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
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According to a previous Hey Tea press release, the shop will feature three product categories: Refreshing Real Fruit Teas, Real Dairy Milk Teas, and Refreshing Finest Teas. The menu will include offerings such as Very Grape Cheese (Original), Very Grape HEYTEA (Original), Mango Grapefruit Sago, Roasted Brown Bobo Milk (Original), and Regal Aqua Green Jasmine Cheese (Original).
