Taiwanese bubble tea chain Milksha opened its Westwood Village location on Wednesday, May 7, drawing a line that stretched down the block well before the 11 a.m. grand opening.
Milksha, founded in Taiwan in 2007, has grown to over 450 stores worldwide since then. The brand takes pride in their use of fresh milk, brewed tea and house-made syrups instead of powdered mixes.
Young Lee, Milksha’s Global Chief Product Officer, summed up Milksha’s philosophy with the acronym TEA: “T” for trust, “E” for experience and “A” for authenticity. He pointed to their matcha as an example.
“I stayed in Japan for over a year just to study how to grow matcha,” Lee said. “Our matcha is directly from farm to your cup.”
When asked why Milksha chose Westwood for their new location, Lee said the choice was personal.
“Twenty years ago, I actually studied at UCLA for the summer program,” Lee said. “I really liked the Westwood Village vibe.”
To celebrate the Westwood grand opening, Milksha gave the first 100 customers each day from May 7-9 a tote bag, sticker set and tumbler.
Milksha also launched a Westwood-exclusive mango and cotton candy flavored drink called “Campus Crush,” colored bright blue and yellow to match UCLA’s colors.
The promotions and authentic bubble tea brought many customers to the opening, with students waiting two to three hours in line.
Despite the long line, the wait was not dull. There was a DJ playing lively music throughout the day and a photo booth for customers to take photos with Milksha-themed signs and a backdrop.
Jessica Nguyen, a first-year nursing student, attended the opening ceremony. Although she had to wait for three hours, Nguyen said it was “very eventful and engaging.”
Kylie Huang, a first-year student studying psychology, waited two and a half hours for a Thai tea with honey boba said, “It was worth it because I was with my friends.”
The Westwood location gives students an authentic, fresh-ingredient bubble tea option within walking distance of campus.
“Milksha is not a traditional bubble tea brand. We want to resonate with the locals,” Lee said.
