/faq/

We get this question a lot from our fans. The short answer is that our creation process is more elaborate than that of a traditional bubble tea shop.

The long answer is more complicated. On average, each drink takes a minimum of 3 minutes to prepare. Here’s why:

• Some of our most popular drinks (Strawberry Peach Fusion, Osmanthus Oolong, Peach Oolong) require a minimum brewing time of 60 seconds per drink
• We want our drinks to both taste and look amazing. Most of our drinks have more than one topping, which requires our baristas to build Insta-worthy layers for the best presentation. For fruit teas, we squeeze each slice of fruit to infuse the flavor into every sip
• All our tea bases and fruits are replaced periodically throughout the day to ensure the freshest taste

All great things take time. We don’t want to sacrifice our standards of taste and presentation for speed. Believe us, you will taste and see the difference! After you place your order, we encourage you to check out our store decorations and activities, take selfies, post them on social media (+ geotag us!), read some news, or chat with a stranger! We promise your drink is worth the wait.

Our prices are higher than your traditional bubble tea shop, however, our margins are actually about 15% lower. There are 3 main reasons for this:

1. We source high quality tea leaves and brew loose leaf tea in creating our tea base, which costs more than using powder
2. We make our cake cream, cheese topping, taro paste, purple yam paste, mozzarella cheese foam, syrup etc. in–house from scratch. The cost of making them in house actually exceeds the higher price we sell them for
3. We invest in details that we believe provide a better customer experience. For example, we use reusable lids instead of sealing paper, so you have the flexibility of finishing your drink later. You can also reuse the cup after finishing the drink. These little things do cost more but your experience is our top priority

Craftsmanship and quality is appreciated in beverages such as coffee or wine. We want to redefine the perception of bubble tea, and to do that, we are willing to accept lower margins.

TRU is born in Toronto, Canada. Our founders do have Asian backgrounds but have spent most of their lives working and living in Toronto. We love this city! Our products are inspired by the great people who live here, Torontonians. Traditional bubble tea is from Asia, but at TRU, we create drinks that everyone from every culture can enjoy.  

Our staff arrives at our stores an hour before opening to make the taro and purple yam pastes by peeling, steaming and mashing them by hand. This process is done daily so we do not leave anything overnight. Due to this time-consuming process, we limit the servings to ensure freshness. So please visit us earlier rather than later for the most selection and best experience. 

Yes. When we started this journey, we always believed there would be more people to join and inspire us. We’re looking for franchisees who can contribute to this brand by bringing their unique perspectives and cultural background. We look forward to growing TRU with you.