A B O U T U S

Strong in Tea & Rich in Heritage

In 2023, we met and shared a mutual passion for Vietnamese milk tea's rich flavours and cultural heritage. Determined to introduce this beloved beverage to New Zealand, we decided to bring a popular Vietnamese milk tea line renowned for its "đậm vị" (strong tea flavour).

Our milk tea is distinguished by its natural mild bitterness that lingers at the end of each sip, crafted through a meticulous brewing process. Our milk tea and coffee are made with premium ingredients from Vietnam and lots of pride. Our slogan reflects our commitment to quality and authenticity.

Teadee mong muốn mang lại dòng trà sữa, trà trái cây, và cà phê đậm vị từ Việt Nam. Dòng trà của Teadee sẽ có hương trà đặc trưng, với một hậu vị chát nhè nhẹ của trà Việt.

Throwing back to 2023...

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Where did I start?

I received a call from a friend whose wife wanted to open a Vietnamese bubble tea shop in Auckland. The three-hour call happened on 6 August, 2023, and I gave my verbal nod the next day.

So, we formed a team of a corporate gal & a mom of one.

In January 2024, we visited a milk tea and coffee ex-R&D (Research & Development) specialist who is now an owner of multiple shops in Ho Chi Minh City. He walked us through the flavours and brewing processes of different types of Vietnamese tea leaves and coffee beans. We started building our fundamental menu together with only 10 drinks.

"I'm in." Ten months later, in June 2024, I found myself packing everything and driving from Wellington to Auckland. The decision was made in a heartbeat, but we took a whole year to plan.

Took us 5 months to secure a place...

During the time of settling in Auckland, my friend and I started the business online, with the main goal of testing the demands and adjusting our recipes where needed.

Surprisingly, we got loads of support from our Viet community, with some criticism besides that as our products were not fully developed. We only had 10 drinks on the menu back then, and the recipe probably served the Vietnamese market in Vietnam better than the Vietnamese market in Auckland, New Zealand.

It took us a couple of months "testing out the water", then coming up with better ratios of ingredients and a range of new flavours.

It also took us months viewing different places. Early November 2024, I finally signed our lease at 5/270 Broadway, Newmarket - marking a whole new chapter for Teadee.

Why the name Teadee?

We put together a list of potential names with input from even our friends and acquaintances. The criteria were: (1) Relevant to bubble tea, (2) Viet-related, (3) easy-to-remember, and (bonus) humourous.

Teadee came out randomly and we just loved the sound of it. And "dee" is pronouced like "Đi" in Vietnamese, which can mean Let's.....

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