It’s finally happening.
And of course it’s at where everyone guessed it would be…
Molly Tea has officially confirmed they’re coming to Richmond, specifically Union Square Shopping Centre (aka. Diabete’s Plaza according to the Chinese community).
After months of speculation, the China-based chain with over 700 stores worldwide announced the news on their Chinese social media on March 10th.
If you remember our post back in December 2024, we shared that the bubble tea chain was making its way to BC – but its exact whereabouts were unknown.
The big question: Where exactly in Union Square will they be setting up?
Well, all signs point to the now-empty Meet Fresh unit, which quietly closed last week for relocation.
A peek inside the space reveals that the entire interior has been gutted, signaling that renovations for Molly Tea’s Richmond outpost could already be underway.
This move is huge for the city’s growing tea-forward bubble tea scene.
While Vancouver has long been dominated by fruit-tea drinks and MACU Tea, Molly Tea stands out for its focus on high-quality jasmine tea, using mountain tea leaves scented with fresh flowers to bring authentic Chinese tea culture into modern beverages.
Their Fresh Milk Tea, Snowy Whipped, and Oat Milk Tea Series are all built around strong, aromatic jasmine tea, making them a major player in the shift toward tea-forward drinks in the Metro Vancouver market.
Timing-wise, there’s no official opening date yet, but we’d put our money on Molly Tea launching before summer.
They’ll also be joining a wave of new bubble tea chains making their way to Richmond, including Ro Tea and Chahalo.
Union Square is already one of the most competitive bubble tea battlegrounds in Richmond, with MACU Tea still the clear winner.
Will Molly Tea’s arrival shake things up?
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