Chagee opens three stores in a day, including family-friendly outlet in Pasir Ris Mall
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Children have a dedicated play area at Chagee’s Pasir Ris store.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
SINGAPORE – Chinese tea brand Chagee is targeting families with children at its new store in Pasir Ris, one of three stores launched on Aug 21.
Visitors to the store, located in Pasir Ris Mall beside the MRT station, will be greeted by a miniature barista counter where young children can role-play as Chagee baristas.
Besides a children’s play area with a slide, the store features interactive games aimed at teenagers. A 6m mural of old Pasir Ris village, hand-painted by Rebecca Liu Xibei, celebrates the coastal town’s history, from its mangrove swamps to nostalgic landmarks such as its mosaic elephant playground.
Children under 12 enjoy milk on the house when families dine in. Most drinks on Chagee’s menu are rated Nutri-Grade A or B, making them healthier choices.
Speaking at the store’s opening, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah noted the important role the food and beverage industry plays in families’ social lives.
“How can we have a whole-of-nation effort to be family-friendly? Given that families go out, they eat out, dine out and have activities outside, having a food and beverage outlet that is family-friendly makes a big difference to families with young children,” she said.
“Chagee has actually been very thoughtful and innovative in this, and I really hope that this will mark the start of more food and beverage outlets adopting a family-friendly approach,” added the minister, who chairs the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup.
The first set of measures to better support young families, stemming from the work group’s interim policy recommendations, will be announced at the upcoming National Day Rally on Aug 23.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah (centre) with (from left) Chagee APAC chief marketing officer Eugene Lee, Chagee Singapore CEO Lawrence Wen, ITE CEO Peter Lam and ITE College West principal Alice Seow at the official launch of Chagee’s store at Pasir Ris Mall on Aug 21.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Chagee’s Pasir Ris store is the Yunnan-founded Chinese milk tea chain’s second family-friendly outlet in Singapore, after the one in Suntec City.
Two other stores also opened at Punggol Coast Mall and Paya Lebar Quarter on Aug 21, bringing Chagee’s total number of stores here to 46, all opened within two years.
At the launch event, Chagee also inked a memorandum of understanding with the Institute of Technical Education to develop a recognised tea beverage qualification and career pathway for young Singaporeans.
Under the partnership, Chagee Singapore will contribute to eight core competencies, ranging from tea barista skills to operations management, which will be incorporated into the barista service module of the Higher Nitec in hospitality operations course for Year 1 students.
The partnership will also create a structured career pathway, including job opportunities and priority for progression at Chagee for students taking the course. The industry certification they receive can also be used across other areas of the hospitality industry, Chagee said.
Chagee’s Wen at the Chinese milk tea chain’s Pasir Ris Mall store on Aug 21.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Chagee, which has more than 200 employees in Singapore, plans to open more stores in the island’s heartland areas, Chagee Singapore CEO Lawrence Wen said. The company looks out for bigger spaces that can incorporate seating areas, he added.
“The Singapore market is a high-density one, and we realised that in a high-density environment, customers prefer an environment where they can sit down,” he said.
“So we want to build stores that are comfortable for our customers,” he added.
Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we said that the National Day Rally was on Aug 30. This is incorrect. It should be Aug 23.
