For the traditional American palate, cheese and tea might sound like an unlikely combination. But at HEYTEA, fruity drinks covered in a layer of cream cheese-based foam are the main occasion.

HEYTEA’s new location opened in late October at the heart of NYU’s campus. The shop, which is located on Waverly Place, has already drawn long lines to its chic, neutral-toned interior, decorated with sleek gray chairs and a minimalist ordering counter. Originally founded in China in 2012, the chain describes itself as the creator of cheese tea — drinks topped with a foamy blend of “cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar and a little salt,” according to Eater. 

For CAS sophomore Shawn Lan, an international student from China, HEYTEA offers him a taste of home.

“I’ve had [HEYTEA] before in China,” said Lan, who frequents the store every week. “Milk tea is really popular in China, and HEYTEA is a famous brand [there].”

HEYTEA made its American debut last December in Times Square, and launched its first West Coast location in July, selling 2,000 drinks on opening day. Now, it’s one of the world’s most popular tea chains, expanding to over 4,000 stores across eight countries.

CAS sophomore Angela Zheng, another HEYTEA regular, finds the shop’s prices more reasonable than some other shops near campus — but relatively ordinary in terms of taste.

“The price isn’t that bad compared to other places,” Zheng said. “The hype of it makes people want to come.” 

HEYTEA’s menu is deliberately simple, organized into five categories — “Matcha Zen” beverages, fruit tea, cheesy fruit tea, milk tea and pure tea. While some of the pure teas cost $6 or less, most of the fruit teas, which contain specialty flavors such as passion fruit and strawberry peach, range from $6.50 to $9 — and the cheesy fruit teas go up to $10.

HEYTEA’s $8.50 Cheese Mulberry Strawberry Boom — an alternate flavor of its fan-favorite Cheese Crisp Grape Boom — offers a unique blend of thick, creamy yogurt-like foam and a sweet smoothie with huge chunks of fruit. The thick layer of cream cheese lends a rich milkiness to the drink, complementing the bright flavors of the berries. Some customers prefer to mix the drink thoroughly with a straw to evenly distribute the “cheesiness,” while others slurp up the foam before drinking the refreshing fruit below.  

Another popular menu item is the $6.49 Coconut Mango Boom — a well-rounded drink that serves as a great after-class pick-me-up. With artfully-layered swirls of yellow and white, this drink features a combination of sweet mango, subtly floral jasmine tea, creamy coconut milk and chewy sago.

While its atmosphere is calm and minimalist, HEYTEA is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, having collaborated with a number of high profile brands, from New York Fashion Week designers to companies like Adidas and Barbie.

“Their branding and marketing is different,” CAS first-year Caroline Smatko said. “It definitely creates the idea that their tea is [of] some level of quality higher than everything else on the market.”

Contact Ivanka Sun at [email protected].