(MIT owner Luke Menor and SM City Telabastagan assistant mall manager Bernadette Antonio)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Another milk tea giant has taken Pampanga by storm.
Macao Imperial Tea (MIT) is now open at SM City Telabastagan here as hundreds of customers waited patiently outside the mall for more than an hour on its grand opening day over-the-weekend.
A mix between Taiwanese tea, Japanese matcha and the westernized way of adding cream cheese, MIT is whipping up the bubble milk tea business in the Philippines and has now invaded Pampanga by highlighting the Macanese culture and personalized experience.
MIT, which originated in Macau, is known as one of the fastest growing milk tea cafes having more than 350 branches all over the world – Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Canada, the US and now with 45 branches in the Philippines.
It has since set its “regal” footprint through its “imperial royal highness” offering a different feel and flavor than the usual bubble tea.
MIT franchise owner Luke Menor has already three branches in Manila until he decided to open the first provincial branch here at SM City Telabastagan.
“We are not just the to-go milk tea. We want to build relationships with our customers. We want them to use our cafe as a meet-up place, to catch up with each other. We are more than just a milk tea,” said Menor.
Equally excited were his Pampanga co-owners – Koreans Judy and her sister Jinie Kim and husband Paul John Romeral.
Cream cheese milk tea, cheese uji matcha and black pearl milk tea are some of the must-try best sellers.
The chestnut cream selections are catching up on everybody’s interest for a different kick, away from the usual.
MIT also offers various coffee beverages with their Mpresso coffee lineup and a unique selection of colorful soda drinks from cherry blossom to midsummer soda, over the rainbow, and more.
Chocolate drinks come in a number of triple chocolate varieties, berry cheesy, strawberries and cream, red velvet, and black forest.
Check out their wide range of interesting selection of beverages at MIT SM City Telabastagan following mall hour operations.
Meanwhile, Menor said he will open his fifth franchise soon at SM City Olongapo Central coinciding with the mall’s opening day on September 13.
