Tapioca Express facts for kids
Tapioca Express at Millbrae, California. (currently closed)
|
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Fast food |
| Founded | Alhambra, California, United States 1999 |
| Headquarters |
,
United States
|
|
Number of locations
|
22 |
|
Areas served
|
California, Washington, Texas |
Tapioca Express (品客多; Pǐnkèduō) is a popular fast food chain from Taiwan and the United States. It is famous for its delicious bubble tea, coffee, and many kinds of fruit juices and slushes. They also offer small meals and light snacks. The very first Tapioca Express store opened in Alhambra, California in 1999. The company's main office is in South El Monte, California. Tapioca Express has stores in California, Texas, and Washington.
Tapioca Express uses a special business plan called a franchise model. This means that people can open their own Tapioca Express store, but they must follow the company's rules. They also have to buy all their supplies and ingredients from the main company. This helps make sure that every Tapioca Express store offers the same great quality.
How Tapioca Express Started
Tapioca Express began in August 1999 in Alhambra, California. This city is in Los Angeles County. The company quickly grew bigger. By 2000, two more stores had opened in Northern California. These new stores were franchises, which set the way for how the company would grow in the future.
As Tapioca Express became more popular, they added more items to their menu. By 2002, they had over 100 different drink choices. They also started selling Italian Espresso in all their stores. By the end of 2002, Tapioca Express had more than 45 franchise locations. These stores were not just in California but in other states too.
Tapioca Express had a goal to open over 100 franchises by 2009. However, a big economic problem called the Great Recession happened in 2008. This caused many stores to close down. The company faced a difficult time financially.
In 2009, the company changed how it was organized. This helped them get back on track. From 2010 to 2014, Tapioca Express grew by about 40% each year. By July 2018, Tapioca Express had 38 locations. These stores were in California, Washington, and Texas.
Popular Drinks and Foods
Tapioca Express is well-known for helping to bring boba drinks to the United States. This happened in the late 1990s. Since then, they have added over 100 drinks to their menu. These include many types of juice, tea, coffee, and of course, milk tea drinks.
Some of their special drinks are called "Snow Bubble" and "Yogurt Frost." Besides drinks, they also offer tasty food items. These include crispy chicken, crispy chicken wraps, calamari rings, and pot stickers. They also serve other popular Taiwanese snacks.
Awards and Recognition
Since it started in 1999, Tapioca Express has received several awards. They have been recognized by online publications, local magazines, and business journals. The company is a member of the International Franchise Association. They also follow its Code of Ethics, which means they have good business practices.
In 2004, the Los Angeles Business Journal gave Tapioca Express an award. They were ranked number 16 on the list of the 25 Largest Franchisers. In 2003, Tapioca Express also won the Strength of Teamwork Award. This was given at the 27th Annual Asian Business Associations (ABA) Banquet and Award Ceremony.
