Frequently Asked Questions

Cha Xiaoleng supplies 15 categories of bubble-tea ingredients — tea leaves, fruit jams, tapioca pearls, non-dairy creamer, syrups, taro balls, frozen NFC juices, canned fruits & vegetables, canned grains, coffee drinks, chocolate drinks, powdered mixes, frozen snacks and bakery ingredients — everything a store needs from one source.

We source directly from 50+ premium origin suppliers to cut out middlemen. The company is ISO 22000, HACCP and HALAL certified, and batch inspection reports are available — consistent quality, ready to use.

Milk-tea ingredients fall into five categories by function. 1. Tea base: black tea (Ceylon, Assam), green tea (jasmine), oolong, four-seasons spring tea — the aroma core of milk tea. 2. Milk base: non-dairy creamer, fresh milk, thick cream / cheese-foam powder — decides mouthfeel and cost. 3. Flavor ingredients: fruit jams, syrups (sucrose / fructose), flavored powders (matcha, cocoa) — create differentiated flavors. 4. Toppings: boba pearls, nata de coco, taro balls, sago, pudding, popping boba — the hidden driver of repeat purchases. 5. Packaging: cups, lids, straws, carry bags, seal film — roughly 10-15% of procurement cost. Sourcing channels by reliability: direct from factory > first-tier distributor > online wholesale platform > local wholesale market. Direct factory supply gives the lowest price (skips 1-2 tiers of markup) but usually requires a minimum order; new stores can start with "direct factory for core ingredients + distributor for toppings and packaging". Before choosing any channel, verify the supplier's business license, food production license (SC) and food-safety certification (ISO22000/HACCP), and request samples to trial.

A starter purchasing list has four modules. Equipment (one-time investment, 40-50% of initial outlay): cup sealer, ice maker, water purifier, fructose dispenser, shaker, insulated container, refrigerated cabinet, worktable — the sealer and ice maker are must-haves; do not cut corners on them. Ingredients (recurring, 60-70% of monthly material cost): tea base — 2-3 basic teas (black/green/oolong) plus 1 signature tea; milk base — creamer/fresh milk/thick cream, pick 2 by your product line; flavors — start with 5-8 jams and syrups, iterate with your menu; toppings — start with 4 basics: boba, nata de coco, taro balls, pudding. Packaging (10-15% of monthly cost): cups (500ml/700ml sizes), lids, straws, bags, seal film, cup holders — stock 7-10 days of usage for the first order. Consumables & tools: digital scale, thermometer, measuring cups, strainer, cleaning supplies. Budget reference: first stocking of ingredients plus packaging for a single store runs about RMB 10,000-20,000 (menu size depending). Start with a small trial order to vet suppliers, then reorder on a rolling 7-10 days-of-sales basis to avoid dead stock and expiry.

Wholesale channels ranked by legitimacy: direct from factory > brand first-tier distributor > online wholesale platform (flagship stores) > local wholesale market. Direct factory supply has the clearest qualifications (verify the plant directly) and the lowest price — suitable for stores that meet MOQs. Brand first-tier distributors hold factory authorization letters — suitable for small and medium stores; always ask for the authorization proof. Online platforms: 1688 "flagship stores / strength suppliers" are relatively reliable — check that the business license and SC license are displayed. Local wholesale markets are convenient for emergencies, but individual stalls vary in qualification — use them only for temporary restocking. Three certificates you must verify: ① business license (scope includes food sales/production); ② food production license (SC number — verify its authenticity on the SAMR official website); ③ food-safety certification (ISO22000 or HACCP; HALAL/organic certification is a bonus). Also request the batch inspection report for the latest batch (factory release inspection suffices). Quick check: if the licenses are verifiable online + the sample tests well + a small trial order goes through — the supplier is basically reliable.

Yes. You can request batch inspection reports, product specifications and company certificates before placing an order.

Verifying a supplier's food-safety qualifications is a must before opening a store. There are four levels. Level 1 — License & certificate check (can be done in 30 minutes): ① business license whose scope covers food production/sales/operation, verified against the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn) for registration status and abnormality records; ② Food Production License (SC, format "SC + 14 digits"), verified on the official SAMR or local market-regulation query system — the licensed food categories must match the ingredients supplied (e.g. beverages, seasonings, canned goods); ③ system certifications such as ISO 22000 and HACCP — ask for photos of the original certificates and check their validity period and issuing body. Level 2 — Inspection reports (requestable on every purchase): batch release reports for each batch, and third-party type-inspection reports annually or semi-annually. Key indicators: total plate count, coliforms, heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury) and additive usage. Level 3 — Traceability system: ask the supplier to demonstrate batch-number management — can they locate a specific batch and trace ingredient sources when a problem occurs? One-code-one-item / queryable batch numbers mark a mature supplier. Level 4 — On-site factory audit (at least once before partnering): check ① workshop hygiene (changing-and-disinfection procedures, pest and rodent control); ② storage (temperature & humidity, 10 cm away from walls and floor, FIFO); ③ production-date labeling (truthfulness); ④ testing lab (in-house release-test capability); ⑤ staff health management (health certificates posted). For remote suppliers, a video factory audit can be arranged. Conclusion criteria: pass all four levels — long-term partnership; abnormal inspection reports or a missing traceability system — eliminate immediately; failed audit — require corrective action and one re-audit.

Our in-stock items start from just 1 carton per SKU, so the barrier is low. We help small stores and first-time owners build a first-order list matched to their menu — our advisor will quote accordingly.

If your order volume is too small to qualify for wholesale prices, there are four ways to break through. Option 1 — Tiered pricing negotiation: agree a "cumulative tiered price" with the supplier — once your monthly cumulative purchase reaches a threshold, the whole month settles at the next price tier, turning "small per order" into "not small per month". Option 2 — Joint purchasing (group buying): form a buying alliance with 2-3 nearby shops with similar product lines, place orders and receive goods together, and negotiate wholesale pricing on the alliance's combined volume (split the savings by share). Option 3 — Small-lot direct supply / trial-order pricing: ask origin factories about "new-store trial-order pricing" — most origin factories have policies to support new stores (near-wholesale pricing on small trial orders in exchange for potential long-term cooperation). Option 4 — Platform group buying: use the "bargain/group-buy" channels on platforms like 1688, or the small-lot wholesale tiers on wholesale platforms (many manufacturers offer 3-5 bag minimum tiers priced between retail and wholesale). A reminder: the core tension in small-volume buying is "unit price vs inventory" — don't stock up heavily just to hit a wholesale tier (ingredients have shelf lives, and holding costs can eat up the savings). The right goal is to minimize per-order cost within a reasonable inventory cycle. Rule of thumb: keep each order to 7-10 days of sales while locking in the best discount tier you can negotiate.

Ingredient cost control has five levers, ordered by how fast they work. Lever 1 — Procurement (fastest results): direct supply from factories for core ingredients, consolidated orders to negotiate tiered pricing, and rolling purchases based on 7-10 days of sales (no stockpiling). Target: 5-10% lower purchase prices. Lever 2 — Usage: a standardized operating procedure (SOP) — fix the per-cup weight, sugar and ice amounts in writing and train staff to follow them; replace eyeballing with a fructose dispenser and measuring spoons. Target: usage variance tightened from ±15% to ±5%. Lever 3 — Waste: first-in-first-out (FIFO) management, date labels on opened ingredients, and cooking toppings to estimated peak demand (overcooked pearls/taro balls get thrown away). Target: waste rate under 5%. Lever 4 — Recipe: test same-price ingredient swaps (e.g. a lower-tier creamer that doesn't affect taste) and optimize syrup ratios to cut per-cup cost by 0.1-0.3 yuan. Lever 5 — Supply chain: build a primary-plus-backup dual-supplier setup to keep prices in check, and compare quotes quarterly. Cost accounting: ingredient cost ratio = monthly ingredient spend ÷ monthly revenue. The healthy range for tea shops is 25-35%; above 35%, check waste and usage first. Take inventory on the 1st of every month — if the ratio rises for three consecutive months, act on the procurement side.

Yes. Our Training Academy takes complete beginners from zero to their first cup — on-site or online — with new hit recipes every month from our R&D team.

Our non-dairy creamer is zero trans fat across the line (below 0.3g/100g per GB 28050), verifiable with inspection reports.

Yes. Our products already ship to Southeast Asia, Europe, America and Africa, with export documentation support.

In-stock items ship in as fast as 3 days. Domestic and export logistics are available; transit time and cost are quoted by your advisor per destination.

Shenzhen Cha Xiaoleng Food Co., Ltd., founded in 2016 in Longgang, Shenzhen — a beverage chain management company integrating franchising, R&D, training, distribution and sales, trusted by 1000+ brands.

Suitable for milk-tea shops, fruit-tea stores, coffee-tea combos and bakeries — from single stores to chains.

Consistent batch quality plus application recipes and operating standards from our R&D team keep your drinks stable.

In-stock items ship in as fast as 3 days. Both domestic and export logistics can be arranged; transit time and cost are quoted by your advisor per destination.

Yes. We support OEM branding and custom packaging. Please contact our advisor for MOQ and design requirements.