Taiwan’s “Hermès of Bubble Tea” Hit by Founder Couple’s Control Dispute

Taiwan’s premium tea brand Chicha San Chen, promoted as the “Hermès of bubble tea,” has reportedly become the scene of a dispute between its founders, Wang Kuo-liang and Lin Hui-chuan.

The brand has expanded from Taiwan to more than 100 stores across 27 countries and regions. The reported conflict involves management control, financial records, trademarks and dividend claims.

The couple founded the earlier tea business Ching Tea Shop in 1998, selling low-priced tea and promoting a tradition of offering tea to customers. They launched Chicha San Chen as a new brand in 2018.

An informed source said the couple had fallen out and that Wang had been removed from the board. The source also said Wang moved to live with his elderly mother several years ago, leading to a separation from Lin, and that Lin later changed the locks at their home. The couple were reportedly negotiating a divorce, but neither had responded by publication time.