A Robson Street storefront that just lost its tenant is already being claimed by a viral UK bubble tea name, with vinyl signage going up almost overnight.
Chayan, the Chinese-style tea brand out of London that opened its first BC location in Richmond late last year, is taking over the recently closed Lattea unit on Robson Street.
This will be Chayan’s second outpost in BC and its first downtown Vancouver location.
The handover came together fast.
Lattea quietly shut down its Robson location after roughly 18 months of operation, and within days, Chayan’s Coming Soon vinyls went up across the storefront windows.
The window wraps show off the brand’s matcha and fruit drink lineup, with a callout to follow Chayan on social for opening updates.
No official opening date has been announced yet.
Chayan launched in London in 2023 and quickly built a reputation around Chinese-style tea drinks done in the same lane as fast-rising names like Chagee and Molly Tea.
The brand is best known for its Black Tea Frappe, made with Jinjunmei black tea, fresh milk, light whipped cream, and pecan chips.
It also runs a Chappucino line that blends cappuccino concepts with teas like Jasmine Green Tea, and pulls drinks through a teapresso machine for speed and consistency.
In the UK, Chayan picked up titles like Best Frappe in the UK and Best Milk Tea in the UK before crossing the Atlantic.
The Richmond debut at Union Square Shopping Centre last November pulled lines stretching down the block on opening day.
The Richmond store has continued to draw steady foot traffic since, with seasonal drinks and limited runs keeping regulars coming back.
Downtown Vancouver has been waiting on a more tea-focused Chinese drink shop for a while now.
Chayan’s arrival fills that gap, and the Lattea handoff means the brand slots straight into one of the highest-traffic blocks in the city.
Chayan joins a busy run of upcoming Vancouver food spots, with OIDE LABO, Linh Noodle Bar, and Emeri Matcha all in the pipeline this season.
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: 1175 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1B5