Heytea Opens Its First U.S. Gelato Lab+ in New York

From cup to scoop, the originator of new-style tea continues exploring what tea can become with eight made-in-store gelato and sorbet flavors

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Heytea (www.heytea.com), the originator of new-style tea and the brand that reinvented tea for a new era, opens its first U.S. Gelato Lab+ today at 863 Broadway in Union Square. Serving eight made-in-store gelato and sorbet flavors alongside heytea's classic drinks, the Union Square location is heytea's fourth lab-format store outside China, following locations in New York's Times Square, Toronto and Bangkok.

Part of heytea lab, the brand's most elevated store format globally, Gelato Lab+ takes a product-development approach it has refined over the years: translating its signature tea bases and beloved drinks into other forms—this time, as gelato and sorbet. Seven core gelato and sorbet flavors, plus one limited-edition flavor, are made fresh in store daily using real fruit, fresh milk, and unexpected ingredients such as sticky rice and black sesame.

Mango Coconut Sticky Rice Gelato turns heytea's namesake drink into a pairing of jasmine tea–mango gelato and coconut sticky rice gelato, with chewy grains of sticky rice folded throughout. Inspired by heytea's classic Crisp Grape Boom drink, Grape Basque Cheesecake Gelato balances bright, tangy grape with rich, creamy Basque cheesecake flavor gelato. The dairy-free Jasmine Yuzu Sorbet layers Green Jasmine tea with yuzu, fresh-pressed apple and lime, then finishes with fresh lime zest. "Cement" Black Sesame Gelato blends milk, cream and roasted black sesame paste for a smooth texture and deep sesame flavor.

What "Lab" Means at Heytea

At heytea, "lab" is not a back room; it is a playground for exploring what tea can become next. Each laboratory module expresses tea in a different form—drinks, gelato, cakes or baked goods. When an experiment is ready to stand on its own, a module can graduate into a dedicated store format, such as Gelato Lab+. A heytea lab is, therefore, a store format that brings one or more of these experimental modules together with the brand's classic drink menu.

The gelato experiment began in 2019, when gelato joined the menu as a lab module at heytea's OCT Harbour store in Shenzhen. In February 2025, the lab model traveled to the U.S. for the first time in Times Square, where the store debuted 10 globally exclusive tea lab drinks and sold more than 3,500 cups on opening day.

The same curiosity shapes the space. Inspired by an "unfinished" concept, the interior keeps original brick, exposed structure and selected mechanical systems in view. The result is an open space where old and new, structure and creativity, and process and outcome find a shared rhythm.

"We're excited to bring another lab to the city. New York has always rewarded curiosity, and it continues to be where we try new ideas," said Jelynn Jiang, Senior Brand Manager for International Markets at heytea. "We hope the Gelato Lab+ becomes the kind of neighborhood spot people return to for a favorite, while still checking the menu to see what we're releasing next."

Made with New York

From October 26 to 30, heytea will collaborate with New York-based artist Jon Burgerman, bringing his playful doodle characters to limited-edition stickers, mini canvas totes and color-in cup sleeves that invite guests to finish the artwork themselves.

From November 2 to 8, heytea teams up with Tompkins Square Bagels for Everything Gelato, its most New York scoop yet. Think of an everything bagel with cream cheese—only the cream cheese is gelato. Heytea will fold New Yorkers' familiar everything seasoning into a rich cream cheese gelato and serve it with a fresh bagel from the 15-year-old East Village neighbor. The bagel-and-gelato pairing will be limited to 30 servings each day.

The store will offer buy one, get one free on all menu items from October 16 to 18.

Experimentation, Not Repetition

Heytea created the first cup of cheese tea in 2012 and, with it, a new category of made-to-order drinks: new-style tea. Since then, heytea has continued to expand what tea can become through fruit tea, Teamix, tea-centered desserts and specialized store concepts such as teabar and heytea labs.

That same experimental instinct can be found in how heytea grows. Consistent operations support thousands of stores behind the scenes, while special formats, location-specific design, local collaborations and exclusive products give each store room to feel different. The result is a brand that scales through experimentation, not repetition.

The Union Square Gelato Lab+ is the latest expression of that model. As heytea continues to grow across the U.S. and other markets, it will keep pairing global scale with local ideas through products, store concepts and partnerships that explore new possibilities for tea in each place it enters.

For more information, visit www.heytea.com or follow @heytea.usa on Instagram.

About heytea

Founded in 2012 in Jiangmen, Guangdong, China, heytea is the originator of new-style tea and the creator of the first cup of cheese tea. The brand reimagines tea for a new era through tea-centered products, experimental store concepts, and brand experiences rooted in sharing everyday inspiration through a cup of tea. Today, heytea operates more than 3,500 stores across more than 330 cities worldwide, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, and Seoul, with 150 million registered members globally. In the U.S., heytea operates more than 45 stores across New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Houston, Seattle, Boston, and other markets.

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SOURCE Heytea USA INC