Some of the beverages from TP Tea, which opened yesterday.

Craving a late-night bubble tea fix?

Fans of the ubiquitous drink now have a reason to travel to Changi Airport - where the first 24-hour bubble tea shop in Singapore is located.

The Terminal 2 Departure Hall now houses leading Taiwanese bubble tea brand TP Tea. The outlet officially opened yesterday.

It was brought in by local food and beverage company Manna 360, which also handles US doughnut chain Krispy Kreme and is a sub-franchisee of Spanish frozen yogurt brand Llaollao, which are located beside TP Tea.

Mr Kevin Khoo, general manager of Manna 360, said TP Tea's products fill a gap in the market. "Bubble tea is a staple in Singapore. There are many other players here but TP Tea is bringing in something more premium," he told The New Paper at a media presentation on Monday.

He added that opening shop at Changi Airport would "allow both tourists and locals to enjoy TP Tea".

The chain was created in 2005 by Taiwanese parent teahouse brand Chun Shui Tang, which is believed to be the first teahouse to incorporate flour balls into their teas, leading to the first pearl milk tea.

Of the 40 items on TP Tea's menu, the star product is the Tie Guan Yin Tea Latte ($4.60), made with a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea and fresh milk.

Other offerings include Honey Lemon with Aloe ($4.30), Pearl Black Tea Latte with Red Beans ($5.30) and Pearl Milk Tea Soft Serve Ice Cream ($3.60).

This is TP Tea's first venture into South-east Asia. It has 260 outlets in Taiwan and several in the United States.

According to Mr Daniel Tay, assistant general manager of Manna 360, bringing it to Singapore was no easy feat.

The team had to travel to Taiwan earlier this year to undergo a rigorous 25-day training course and three tests to certify themselves fit to run the business here.

"This is a product that stands on its own, so we're sure that Singaporeans will be able to taste the difference in TP Tea," Mr Tay said.

Manna 360 has plans to expand the number of stores for both TP Tea and Llaollao within the next six months.

COMEBACK

The latter made a comeback on June 16, after earlier franchisee D+1 Holding converted the original Llaollao stores to Yole, another frozen yogurt brand.

Llaollao will be opening its second outlet at Tampines 1 next week.

Mr Khoo said: "For a brand that is so well known, it is of upmost importance that we stay true to the quality of yogurt and toppings that made it famous in the first place."