BRYAN LOO DID IT AGAIN! MORE THAN 850 OUTLETS, TEALIVE IS LARGEST BUBBLE TEA CHAIN IN S.E.ASIA

It is great when a Malaysian bubble tea (BT) brand that began its trajectory in 2017 grew to become the largest BT brand in Southeast Asia. Tealive has over 850 outlets now principally in Malaysia but with a presence in the UK, Australia, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Mauritius. 

Across the Asia Pacific region BT shops are burgeoning unabated in malls, shops, street corners and offices. China, with a cultural heritage of tea, is joining the BT fray to provide the best Yunnan teas (the fragrant Pu'er tea for e.g) with tapioca pearls etc. 

Is Bryan Loo fazed about the fierce competition? He is not taking it light and easy. "The competition is always there, that's business. All the BT brands are fighting in the same turf. Our team has to continue to push the envelope with innovative and new offerings and expand our marketing reach while we still have the advantage," he said. A successful initiative was an app-in-app platform integrated with Malaysia’s largest e-wallet player Touch ‘n Go (TNG). Bryan Loo does many collabs (collaborations or partnerships) that make social media headlines to place Tealive brand's positioning in the forefront of consumers' minds. "You simply can't let up." 

Bryan Loo, CEO of Loob Holding Sdn Bhd, has also launched the Bask Bear Coffee chain in early 2020. Bask Bear grew out of the Loob strategy to bring affordable good coffee (Arabica) to the masses. There are now over 100 Bask Bear Coffee stores in the country. 

Bryan Loo has also equity interest in WonderBrew kombucha (fermented tea infused with organic natural flavours) when the brand's founders, Joseph Poh Wen Xian and  Loke Boon Eng approached him to invest 35% in WonderBrew to build a new factory. Kombucha is the lifestyle beverage today for health conscious millennials and Gen-Z. The drink is believed to enhance energy levels and improve the overall immune system. 
needed additional funds for its new factory. Bryan Loo was impressed with the revenue growth of WonderBrew and its network of 700 touchpoints that included convenience stores, cafes, restaurants, Petrol stations and hotels. Most of all it is a good fit for his F&B lifestyle group. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (also for Tealive ePublication June 2023)

1. F&B Report. 2 May 2019. Anri Ichimura. https://fnbreport.ph/10464/filipinos-rank-second-highest-bubble-tea-drinkers-in-southeast-asia/
2. Celcom. 7 December 2020. https://www.celcom.com.my/blog/lifestyle-food/2020/bubble-tea-malaysia-most-popular-boba-milk-tea-franchises-2021
3. Fortune Business Insights. Bubble tea market. Regional Forecast 2023-2030. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/bubble-tea-market-101564
4. The Economist. 23 April 2023. Banten. https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/04/13/chinese-bubble-tea-chains-go-viral-in-south-east-asia
5. The AseanPost. 27 December 2019. https://theaseanpost.com/article/southeast-asias-bubble-tea-craze
6. The Nation Thailand. 17 August 2022. The Straits Times. https://www.nationthailand.com/international/ann/40019010
7. The Smart Local. 14 July 2020. https://thesmartlocal.co.th/best-bubble-tea-thailand/
8. KKDay.14 September 2021. Celia Nachura. https://www.kkday.com/en/blog/39013/asia-must-try-bubble-tea-places-in-thailand
9. Bangkok Post. 6 May 2019. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/1672620/awash-in-bubble-milk-tea
10. DanielFoodDiary.com. 23 October 2019. https://danielfooddiary.com/2019/10/23/thewhaletea/
11. Grand View Research. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/bubble-tea-market
12. The Beau Life. https://thebeaulife.co/food-drinks-guides/bubble-tea-brands-singapore
13. South China Morning Post. 21 November 2021. Cheryl Arcibal. https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3156684/jollibee-drinks-taiwanese-bubble-tea-shop-milkshop-it-ramps
14. Grab. 9 May 2019. Lara PuReum Yim and MingXuan Lee. https://www.grab.com/ph/blog/bubble-tea-craze-on-grabfood/
15. Asia Media International.1 December 2020. Gaby Rusli. https://asiamedia.lmu.edu/2020/12/01/indonesia-boba-tea-drinks-make-my-heart-bubble-with-joy/
16. The Jakarta Post. 8 September 2017. Ni Nyoman Wira. https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2017/09/08/jakpost-taste-test-bubble-drinks.html
17. Anakjajan.com. 26 June 2020. https://anakjajan.com/2020/06/26/fire-tiger-indonesia-jakarta/
18. Indonesia Investments. 12 December 2018. https://www.indonesia-investments.com/news/todays-headlines/bubble-tea-ayam-geprek-most-popular-orders-through-grabfood-in-indonesia/item9054
19. The Malaysian Reserve. 15 June 2022. Aufa Mardhiah. https://themalaysianreserve.com/2022/06/15/tealive-voted-malaysias-most-trusted-bubble-tea-brand/
20. Trusted Brands Asia 2023. https://www.trustedbrands.asia/brand-showcase/tealive/