The demand for MACU Tea clearly did not go anywhere, because the brand taking over its old spot just drew a massive line on day one.
Alfa Tea Concept, the independent fruit tea brand replacing all three former MACU Tea locations in Metro Vancouver, has officially soft opened its Burnaby location on April 11th.
Lines snaked out the door with wait times stretching past 30 minutes, proving that Burnaby’s thirst for fresh mango fruit tea is alive and well.
We first reported on Alfa Tea earlier this month when signage went up at all three former MACU Tea units across Metro Vancouver.
At the time, the brand confirmed they are launching with four locations in total, covering Burnaby, Richmond, Lougheed, and a flagship on Robson Street Downtown that will feature a “Day Tea, Night Bar” concept.
Burnaby was always going to be the first to open, and the team wasted no time getting the doors open.
For the soft opening, Alfa Tea is giving away a limited edition mini glass mug to the first 300 customers who share a photo of their drink on Instagram.
Doors opened at noon today, and based on the crowds, those mugs are probably long gone.
The interior is stocked with crates of fresh fruit on full display, including mangos and strawberries, which gives you a sense of how seriously the brand is leaning into the fresh fruit angle.
The menu is split into a few categories.
Fresho teas make up the core lineup and include options like Orange Passionfruit Fresho, Lemon Jasmine Fresho, Kiwi Jasmine Fresho, and parfum versions of each.
There is also a Fresho Zero line for anyone looking for lower sugar options, plus a Cheefoam series with Mountain Oolong and Mountain Black Tea, and a Pure Tea section with Golden Ti Oolong.
Alfa Tea previously told Noms Magazine that their menu rotates seasonally, with a Mango Series running from March to September, a Strawberry Series from February to December, and other rotating lineups including Avocado, Kyoho Grape, and Shine Muscat Grape.
Their tea includes ceremonial Japanese matcha sourced from Shizuoka, Japan.
The soft opening hype is a strong signal that this location is going to be busy for a while, especially given how emotional the MACU Tea closure was for a lot of people in the city.
Alfa Tea Burnaby now joins other recently opened food spots in the area like Tiramisu Republic, Oakberry Metrotown, and Fortune Katsu.
No word yet on when the Richmond, Lougheed, or Downtown locations will follow, but we will keep you posted.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 1-6429 Kingsway #1, Burnaby, BC V5H 2A1