After its short-lived life as Dave’s Hot Chicken in Belmont Shore, the space at 5246 E. 2nd St. is ready to become a Chagee Modern Tea House. Chagee (pronounced CHAH-jee) is one of China’s most beloved tea brands, with some 6,000 locations worldwide.
Wait—what is Chagee and is Long Beach its first SoCal location?
While Long Beach was originally intended to be the brand’s flagship U.S. store, Chagee opted to have its Century City location take on that role. Opening earlier this year in April, the store reflects the American iteration of a concept born in 2017 in Yunnan.
Chagee has rocketed to over 6,400 locations worldwide, from China to Thailand and Singapore to Malaysia. And just ahead of this Century City debut, Chagee went public on the Nasdaq under the ticker “CHA.”
Its cult status comes from fresh-brewed teas and velvety milk teas served in cups so ornate they’d look at home in a Dior fine china set.
As for drinks? Think peach oolong tea latte, roasted oolong, jasmine green tea latte, and a blended caramel tea frappe—plus a full roster of tea lattes (with dairy or oat milk) and brewed teas. The magic is in their AI-powered brewing system, which extracts each cup in under a minute, delivering a shockingly consistent pour every time. And because great tea deserves great bites, pastries from Farmshop will be in the case—think jasmine tea-infused cruffins, ricotta cake, chocolate chip cookies, and buttery croissants.
What’s Chagee’s other U.S. location—and will Long Beach feel the same?
The flagship U.S. space itself feels like a minimalist daydream that some have called an outright rip-off of Dior: Blonde wood walls. Iconic black-and-white floral bags. A Hollywood-themed mural. A wall display charting the tea-brewing process. Noguchi-style lanterns cast a warm glow over couches, café tables, and planters dotted with small trees. Outside, a patio offers more seating for sipping in the California sun while staff work the brewing machines behind the counter, calling out orders to an already curious crowd.
Will Belmont Shore look the same? That is up in the air—but expect a full overhaul of Dave’s bright, saturated, graffiti-centric vibe.
Chagee Modern Tea House will be located at 5246 E. 2nd St. in Belmont Shore.
