Now a global phenomenon with thousands of locations, HeyTea began as a small shop in a small alley in a small town in China in 2012. It was initially called Royal Tea. In 2021, it added a milk tea concept and two years later opened its first of dozens of U.S. outposts in New York.

HeyTea’s popular new spot at Harvard Place Shopping Center presents its now-signature cheese tea – made with New Zealand Anchor cheese, milk, cream and salt – plus milk teas and fruit teas. The space feels modern and Zen, exemplified by a single leafless bonsai set in a rectangular bed of white rocks just inside the entrance.

The comprehensive menu, online at heyteamenu.org, includes nutritional information and guidelines for every item, with sections devoted to classics, matcha drinks and fruit teas. Highlights include the original Cheese Cloud and staff pick Cloud Coconut Blue; new Pop Mart/Twinkle Twinkle collab Tiramisu Rich Chocolate, with 10 grams of protein; Kale Boost Tea with chia seeds and fruits; zero-calorie jasmine tea; and Supreme Brown Sugar Bobo Milk Tea.

“Bobo” is HeyTea’s phonetic translation of the Chinese word for tapioca pearls, used to differentiate itself from traditional boba destinations.