Molly Tea

Molly Tea, also known by its Chinese name 茉莉奶白, is a Chinese tea and beverage chain specializing in floral milk teas, particularly jasmine milk tea. The brand was founded in Shenzhen in 2021 by Zhang Bocheng and built its identity around the combination of brewed tea, milk, floral aromas, and a traditional Chinese cultural aesthetic. Its English name is derived from the Mandarin word 茉莉, meaning jasmine, with the pronunciation adapted to resemble the personal name Molly. The brand's core proposition is broader than a conventional fruit-tea or tapioca-tea shop. Molly Tea presents jasmine and other flowers as the defining flavor and cultural element of its menu, using a restrained visual style and traditional references in store design and marketing. This culture-centric positioning differentiates it from mass-market milk-tea chains whose communications more commonly emphasize novelty toppings, highly sweetened drinks, or youth-oriented pop-culture collaborations. The company's principal products include jasmine milk teas and other floral preparations such as champaca and lychee champaca tea. After establishing its first store in Shenzhen, Molly Tea expanded throughout China and then entered overseas markets. Its first United States storefront opened in Flushing, Queens, followed by locations in Brooklyn and the San Francisco Bay Area. The chain subsequently reached additional American markets, including Bellevue, Washington, Houston, Texas, and Chicago. Its Chicago Chinatown store, reported as opening in 2025, was described as the first mainland Chinese milk-tea brand to open a branch in Chicago. The brand also expanded into Canada, with locations in Toronto and Edmonton during 2025 and a Richmond opening reported for April 18, 2026. It debuted in London in early 2025 and has also appeared in Australia, Thailand, and other markets. As of October 2024, Molly Tea was reported to have 785 locations globally and plans for more than 300 additional stores by the end of 2025. The available reference material does not identify the chain's precise corporate structure, legal parent, ownership arrangements, or a permanent official website. International expansion appears to have involved a mixture of company activity and local franchise or operating arrangements, a distinction that became important in later disputes involving New York locations. Molly Tea has also used brand collaborations to extend its cultural and lifestyle positioning. In 2024 it partnered with French cosmetics company L'Oréal on a promotional set menu. Customers purchasing champaca or lychee champaca tea could receive a L'Oréal facial mask and participate in prize opportunities, linking the beverage brand with beauty and self-care. The chain became the subject of significant legal and reputational attention in 2025 and 2026. Louis Vuitton brought a trademark action concerning a four-petal flower logo used by a Molly Tea outlet in Suzhou. The dispute culminated in a July 2026 ruling by the Suzhou Intermediate People's Court, which found infringement of seven Louis Vuitton trademarks, ordered damages of CN¥10.3 million, and required a public apology. Molly Tea changed the logo's colors to purple and gold on social media and indicated that it intended to appeal. Public discussion in China questioned whether consumers could confuse the two brands and debated the scope of trademark protection for floral motifs associated with Chinese cultural history. In May 2026, Shenzhen Molly Tea also sued Molly Tea New York over alleged contractual breaches and profit-sharing disputes involving several establishments. Following the dispute, some New York and California locations closed or operated under another name, while some New York storefronts reportedly displayed boarded-up signs and temporarily adopted the name “? Tea.” These events indicate that Molly Tea's international growth has created operational and franchise-governance challenges alongside its rapid geographic expansion.

Molly Tea was established in Shenzhen in 2021 by Zhang Bocheng. From its beginning, the chain focused on floral milk teas rather than treating flowers merely as occasional flavor accents. Jasmine became the central ingredient and identity marker, reflected in the Chinese name 茉莉奶白, which can be translated as “jasmine milk white.” The English brand name Molly is a phonetic adaptation of the Mandarin word for jasmine. The chain developed a distinctive image based on traditional Chinese cultural references, restrained branding, and the sensory association between tea, milk, and flowers. Its menu included jasmine milk tea and other floral combinations, including champaca and lychee champaca preparations. This approach positioned Molly Tea within the rapidly expanding Chinese tea-shop sector while giving it a more heritage-oriented identity than brands built primarily around toppings, fruit combinations, or limited-edition youth marketing. Following its domestic development, Molly Tea began international expansion. In the United States, its first reported store opened in Flushing, Queens, New York. The brand later opened in Brooklyn and in the San Francisco Bay Area, before reaching markets including Bellevue, Houston, and Chicago. A Chicago Chinatown branch opened in 2025 and was described as the first mainland Chinese milk-tea brand to establish a location there. During 2024 and 2025, the network was also reported to have expanded into other American cities. Molly Tea entered Canada with stores in Toronto and Edmonton during 2025, with a Richmond opening reported for April 18, 2026. The chain debuted in London in early 2025 and also opened or announced locations in Australia, Thailand, and other countries. By October 2024, reports placed its global store count at 785, alongside an expansion target of more than 300 additional stores by the end of 2025. The source material does not establish whether every location was company-operated, franchised, or run through a separate local entity. Brand-building included collaborations outside the beverage category. In 2024, Molly Tea worked with L'Oréal on a set-menu promotion. Purchasers of champaca or lychee champaca tea could receive a L'Oréal mask and access prize opportunities, connecting floral tea consumption with beauty and lifestyle marketing. The brand's expansion was followed by trademark and operating disputes. Louis Vuitton sued a Molly Tea outlet in Suzhou in 2025 over the use of a four-petal flower logo. Molly Tea had submitted several applications for that logo to China's National Intellectual Property Administration in 2024, but most were rejected according to the reference material. On July 2, 2026, the Suzhou Intermediate People's Court ruled that the logo infringed seven Louis Vuitton trademarks and ordered CN¥10.3 million in damages and a public apology on Molly Tea's social-media homepages. Molly Tea changed the logo's presentation to purple and gold and said it planned to appeal. Online debate focused on whether the marks were genuinely confusingly similar and on the treatment of traditional floral imagery in trademark law. A separate dispute emerged in the United States in 2026. Shenzhen Molly Tea filed suit against Molly Tea New York on May 15, alleging contractual breaches and disagreements over profit sharing. The conflict affected stores in New York and California: some closed, while others operated under different names. Several New York sites reportedly used boarded-up notices and the temporary name “? Tea.” These disputes made governance of overseas operations a prominent issue in the brand's international story. Molly Tea nevertheless remained an active tea chain in the supplied reference material, with continued international openings reported into 2026.

• 2026

  Suzhou trademark judgment

  [1]Molly Teaen.wikipedia.org

  The Suzhou Intermediate People's Court ruled that Molly Tea's flower logo infringed seven Louis Vuitton trademarks and ordered damages and a public apology.

• 2026

  New York operating dispute

  [1]Molly Teaen.wikipedia.org

  Shenzhen Molly Tea sued Molly Tea New York over alleged contract and profit-sharing breaches, affecting stores in New York and California.

• 2025

  Expansion into Chicago and additional overseas markets

  [1]Molly Teaen.wikipedia.org

  Molly Tea opened in Chicago and expanded in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other international markets.

• 2024

  International network reaches reported scale of 785 stores

  [1]Molly Teaen.wikipedia.org

  By October, Molly Tea was reported to have 785 locations globally and to be planning more than 300 additional stores by the end of 2025.

• 2024

  Flower-logo trademark applications submitted

  [1]Molly Teaen.wikipedia.org

  Molly Tea filed multiple trademark applications in China for its four-petal flower logo; most were reportedly rejected.

• 2024

  L'Oréal collaboration

  [1]Molly Teaen.wikipedia.org

  The brand launched a promotional set-menu collaboration with L'Oréal involving champaca and lychee champaca tea.

• 2021

  First store opens in Shenzhen

  [1]Molly Teaen.wikipedia.org

  Zhang Bocheng founded Molly Tea and opened its first store in Shenzhen, establishing a focus on jasmine and floral milk teas.

A culture-oriented Chinese tea chain built around floral aromas, especially jasmine, and a traditional Chinese visual and storytelling style.

• Milk tea · 2021

  Jasmine milk tea

  Jasmine milk tea is Molly Tea's defining product category and the clearest expression of its brand name. The drink combines jasmine tea's floral aroma with a milk-tea base and serves as the foundation of the chain's culture-centered positioning.

• Floral tea beverage

  Champaca tea

  Champaca tea is one of the floral beverages specifically referenced in Molly Tea's promotional activity. It was included in the 2024 L'Oréal set-menu campaign and represents the chain's effort to extend its menu beyond jasmine while retaining a flower-led identity.

• Fruit and floral tea beverage

  Lychee champaca tea

  Lychee champaca tea combines a fruit note with champaca's floral profile. The beverage was highlighted alongside champaca tea in Molly Tea's L'Oréal promotion, illustrating the brand's use of floral ingredients in both straightforward tea and more layered flavor combinations.

• 2026

  Suzhou logo infringement ruling

  On July 2, the Suzhou Intermediate People's Court found infringement of seven Louis Vuitton trademarks, ordered CN¥10.3 million in damages, and required a public apology. Molly Tea changed the logo's colors and said it would appeal. The judgment prompted public criticism and debate over trademark protection and traditional floral imagery.

  Source

• 2026

  Dispute with Molly Tea New York

  Shenzhen Molly Tea sued Molly Tea New York on May 15 over alleged contractual breaches and profit-sharing disagreements. Several New York and California locations reportedly closed or changed names during the dispute.

  Source

• 2026

  Molly Tea Addresses Halloween Collaboration Glass Cup Issue

  Molly Tea stated that after receiving consumer feedback about its Halloween collaboration glass cup, it removed the item from all sales channels and isolated and sealed inventory from the same batch. The brand also announced uniform refunds for all orders that included the glass cup set, arranged for a third-party reinspection, and followed up on injury reports circulating online.

  Source

• 2025

  Louis Vuitton trademark lawsuit

  Louis Vuitton challenged the similarity between its protected marks and a four-petal flower logo used by a Molly Tea location in Suzhou. The dispute later proceeded to a court ruling against Molly Tea.

  Source

Read more

• 2024Molly Tea x L'Oréal set menu

  China

  Molly Tea partnered with L'Oréal on a promotion in which customers buying champaca or lychee champaca tea could receive a L'Oréal mask and participate in prize opportunities.

  Outcome. The campaign linked Molly Tea's floral beverage identity with cosmetics and lifestyle marketing. No verified sales or reach figures are available.

  Source

• 2026

  Logo redesign and appeal after trademark judgmentOther

  Background

  The Suzhou Intermediate People's Court found that Molly Tea's four-petal flower logo infringed seven Louis Vuitton trademarks.

  Action taken

  Molly Tea changed the logo's black-and-white presentation to purple and gold on social media and confirmed plans to appeal.

  Aftermath

  The decision generated public debate over alleged consumer confusion and the scope of trademark protection for traditional floral symbols.

  Court-ordered damages. CN¥10.3 million (July 2, 2026 judgment)

  Source

• 2025

  Accelerated international expansionStrategy

  Background

  After building a domestic Chinese store base, Molly Tea pursued overseas growth in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

  Action taken

  The chain opened or announced stores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand, and other markets.

  Aftermath

  The expansion broadened the brand's international footprint but was followed by disputes involving overseas operating arrangements.

  Source

• 2026.10.30

  Reported2026.10.30

  Molly Tea Addresses Halloween Collaboration Glass Cup Issue[2]Molly Tea Addresses Halloween Collaboration Glass Cup Issuefinance.sina.com.cn

  Molly Tea stated that after receiving consumer feedback about its Halloween collaboration glass cup, it had removed the item from all sales channels and isolated and sealed the inventory from the same batch; it also announced uniform refunds for all orders that included the glass cup set, arranged for a third-party reinspection, and followed up on injury reports circulating online.

Read more

1. 1Molly Teaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Molly Tea Addresses Halloween Collaboration Glass Cup Issuefinance.sina.com.cn