The international Taiwanese tea fast casual chain, Happy Lemon, will soon be opening a location within The Linc outdoor shopping center at 6406 I-35 (Suite 1301) in Austin, according to a recent filing with the State of Texas. The store will be located near eateries such as Easy Tiger, Lima Criolla, and Pluckers Wing Bar.
Franchisee Hong Ly tells What Now Austin “We decided to franchise with this brand because of the jasmine green tea with salted cheese. On top of that, the company is very organized.”
And what could the “salted cheese” in a tea possibly be?
“Salted cheese is basically a kind of foam—It’s a little bit salty and kind of sweet. We are actually the first brand to ever start the salted cheese trend,” Ly says. “At first it sounds off-putting, but it’s actually very good.”
After being asked if there were any other reasons why Mrs. Ly chose Happy Lemon, she proudly says, “Happy Lemon is not just a bubble tea shop, it’s a lifestyle that incorporates generations of tea culture. We freshly brew and hand make every drink onsite. Striving to serve high premium quality and fresh teas to our customers all around the world.“
Founded in 2006 in Taiwan under the parent company Yummy Town Group, the first Happy Lemon store opened in Shanghai, China then moving to the Philippines, Taiwan, and eventually to the United States in 2014. Since then, the brand has exploded to 80 US-area stores and over 1000 around the world.
Happy Lemon predominantly sells tea-based drinks such as boba milk tea, iced teas, matcha smoothies, and matcha lattes.
While no concrete dates have yet been established, Ly anticipates a grand opening in early 2023.
