Molly Tea: Crafting Unique Tea Spaces with Modern Eastern Design

1. The Five-Sense Experience: Modern Oriental Aesthetics

In today’s crowded tea market, Molly Tea stands out with its "Modern Oriental Aesthetics." The brand offers more than just a drink; it creates an experience for all five senses.

Unlike traditional Chinese tea shops that use many classic symbols, Molly Tea takes a modern approach. It uses minimalist lines, soft colors, and artistic jasmine flower designs. This creates a store that feels both urban and Eastern. For example, stores are decorated with abstract shapes of jasmine petals. A special scent system fills the air with a light jasmine fragrance, and the brand plays its own calm, original music. This creates a special atmosphere, allowing customers to experience the brand before they even taste the tea.

This strategy extends to the products. Their signature drink, "A Jasmine Blossom," has a cream topping shaped like a jasmine bud. When it's served, the staff gently reminds customers to "take a picture before you sip." This works very well. Data shows that 35% of Molly Tea customers post photos of their visit online—a rate far above the industry average.

2. A Balance of Business and Art: Small Stores, Big Culture

Molly Tea rethinks the idea of the "third space" (a place outside of home and work). Instead of large, standardized shops, the brand focuses on small, beautifully designed stores, usually 30-50 square meters. The design is easy to copy, but each store tells its own unique cultural story.

A store in Shanghai has the theme "A Jasmine Garden in a Historic Lane."

A store in Shenzhen uses a “Futuristic Tea Room” concept with steel and glass.

In a fast-paced city, a Molly Tea store is not just a place to grab a drink. It is also a peaceful escape for a quick break. The store is designed to be more than a shop; it’s a cultural space. For instance, customers can try jasmine-scented products at a "scent-tasting area." Interactive screens play short films from the brand's partnership with Barbie.

3. From Character to Community: Molly's Creative World

The brand’s original character, "Molly," gives a friendly face to its modern style. She is a little girl with a flower-bud hairstyle and curious eyes. Molly is a brand spokesperson and a key part of exciting collaborations.

Partnerships: During a collaboration with My Little Pony, Molly became a "magic tea master.” They launched a limited-edition drink that sold 100,000 cups in the first week.

Technology: The brand uses augmented reality (AR) to bring Molly to life. Customers can scan their cup sleeve to watch a 3D animation of Molly in a fantasy tea garden.

This strategy has successfully turned Molly Tea from just a tea brand into a symbol of youth culture. Merchandise now makes up 15% of the brand's total revenue. As founder Su Chen says, “Molly is more than a mascot. She is a cultural ambassador connecting tradition with modernity, and the East with the West."