After Gong Cha Exit, Cai Ca Stakes a Claim With Soy Milk Tea and Health Grades

A new local brand rises after a sudden gap in bubble tea

After the sudden closure of Gong Cha across Singapore in October 2025, a familiar industry figure has stepped back into the spotlight with a homegrown concept. Cai Ca, created by former Gong Cha Singapore chief executive Kang Puay Seng, has taken over six shuttered stores and relaunched them with a focus on soy milk tea, fruit teas, and classic brews. The changeover happened within weeks, keeping teams in place and giving regulars something new to try instead of leaving empty storefronts.

Kang, who also co-founded the Mr Bean soy milk chain, built Cai Ca around two ideas. The first is to design drinks that fit Singapore’s Nutri-Grade labelling rules, which steer consumers toward lower sugar and lower saturated fat choices. The second is to pair beverages with snacks that turn a cup into a small treat on the go. The result is a menu that highlights a soy milk and tea fusion using Japanese yellow soybeans, with options like chewy pearls and glutinous rice balls for added texture. Most items are graded B or C under the Nutri-Grade scheme, while the brown sugar selections sit outside that range.

Rather than replicate the former network, Cai Ca started lean. The brand reopened at Lot One, Bugis Junction, NUS UTown, King Albert Park, Northpoint City and Century Square. The mix touches heartland malls, a campus hub, and busy downtown footfall corridors. Management says the priority is to build a clear identity, tighten quality, and expand only when the concept is proven and the right sites are available. That approach reflects the rent pressures and lease expiries that shaped which units reopened first.

Who is behind Cai Ca and how fast did it come together

Kang is no stranger to Singapore’s beverage scene. He helped bring Gong Cha back to Singapore in 2017 after an earlier franchise exit and has long experience with soy drinks through Mr Bean. When the local Gong Cha franchise ended at the end of September, he and his team regrouped and built a new brand at speed. The objective was twofold, to keep people employed and to keep serving tea, while giving customers a fresh experience with a local identity.

The team kept more than 20 full time staff, an important factor in relaunching quickly with consistent service. Seasoned store managers and tea makers moved with the transition, while procurement and operations support adapted to a different ingredient list and branding. The compressed timeline meant long nights reworking recipes, testing sugar levels, and calibrating tea extraction so the switch would be seamless for customers walking back into their neighborhood store.

Lean footprint by design

The decision to restart with six units was deliberate. Several former sites were no longer viable because of higher rent or expired leases, and the group chose to anchor in a range of catchments, from the west side shopping cluster around Lot One and King Albert Park to the student heavy NUS UTown. Century Square adds an eastern presence, while Bugis Junction and Northpoint City are reliable high traffic nodes. The brand plans to add new sites only when operations and branding are mature enough to scale.

What is different on the menu

Cai Ca’s headline idea is a soy milk and tea fusion. The chain uses soy milk produced from Japanese yellow soybeans, which brings a smooth mouthfeel and a nutty aroma that pairs well with roasted and floral teas. Customers can still order classic milk tea, fresh milk tea, fruit teas, and pure tea options if they prefer dairy or lighter profiles.

Signature combinations include Da Hong Pao Chewy Pearl Soy Milk Tea for a roasted note with chew, Osmanthus Soy Milk Tea for a floral lift, and a creamier option called soy brulee. The store lineup also features Peach Fruit Tea and Golden Osmanthus Tea for non dairy drinkers. For a snack pairing, the menu offers glutinous rice balls that can be enjoyed alongside the drink. Sugar and ice levels are adjustable, which lets customers bring calories and sweetness down while keeping the tea character intact.

Health push and Nutri-Grade rules, explained

Nutri-Grade is Singapore’s labelling system that assigns beverages a grade from A to D based on sugar and saturated fat content. It was first applied to prepacked drinks, then extended to freshly prepared beverages from Dec 30, 2023. Stores that sell made to order beverages must now display grades on menus and dispensers, and there are limits on advertising for lower graded items. The policy aims to make sugar and fat content visible so consumers can compare choices quickly.

In practice, an A grade signals the lowest sugar and saturated fat, while a D grade indicates the highest. Most bubble tea menus today cluster around B and C, in part because of the sugar needed for syrups, pearls, and toppings. Cai Ca says 32 of its drinks sit in B or C, with brown sugar items as the exception. That puts the brand in the mainstream of current tea shops that have cut back on sugar while keeping flavor. The focus on soy milk also helps reduce saturated fat relative to some dairy preparations, although the final grade still depends on total sugar and fat in the drink as sold.

The new rules have nudged tea chains to rethink recipes, offer more fruit and pure tea options, and give customers clearer sugar and ice controls. Cai Ca enters the field with those expectations already baked in, which may help it build a consistent identity around lighter profiles and cleaner labeling.

The crowded field Cai Ca is entering

Singapore’s bubble tea market is both lively and saturated. Established names compete with a steady flow of fresh entrants, and popular malls often host several tea counters in one corridor. Lot One in Choa Chu Kang now counts multiple brands including Cai Ca, which creates strong choice for consumers and sharp competition for operators.

Standing out usually requires more than limited time toppings or social media flash. Product quality, staff speed, and recognizable taste profiles keep regulars coming back. Cai Ca’s bet is that a clear health emphasis, a comfortable soy milk tea taste, and an agile local team can win daily habits. Smaller companies often have less room for heavy discounts, yet they can iterate on recipes, toppings, and seasonal specials quickly because decisions sit close to the shop floor.

Will soy milk tea win over Singapore palates

Soy is already part of everyday dining in Singapore. Traditional dessert beancurd and hawker stall soy milk set a baseline of familiarity, and chains like Mr Bean expanded those habits into convenient snacks and chilled drinks. That cultural comfort lowers the barrier for a soy milk tea that blends tea fragrance with a beany aroma and a creamy texture.

The shift also speaks to dietary needs. Many East Asian adults are lactose intolerant to some degree, which makes dairy free alternatives attractive. Soy provides protein without the lactose found in milk and usually contains less saturated fat, especially if the drink is not topped with cream. Cai Ca’s glutinous rice balls and chewy pearls give the cup a dessert like texture without requiring heavy cream, which may appeal to customers looking for a treat that fits within personal sugar targets.

What happens next for Gong Cha

Gong Cha was founded in 2006 in Kaohsiung, entered Singapore in 2009, exited in mid 2017 when its outlets were converted to LiHo, then returned in late 2017 under a different local operator. In October 2025 it closed all its Singapore stores. The brand has said it will relaunch in 2026 in partnership with new local franchisees as part of a wider revamp. That timeline gives Cai Ca a window to build a following and refine operations while legacy fans wait to see how the returning player positions its menu and prices.

Early reception and where to find Cai Ca

Early signs point to curiosity and a steady flow of first time orders, from campus foot traffic at NUS UTown to family shoppers at Lot One and Northpoint City. Community pages have flagged the outlet opening at Century Square, which occupies a former Gong Cha unit. The brand’s store listings describe a focus on natural aroma and a careful blend of tea with Japanese soy milk, a message that aligns with the health focused positioning.

As of now, the six outlets are located at Lot One, Bugis Junction, NUS UTown, King Albert Park, Northpoint City and Century Square. The company has signalled that more campus presence is likely as student demand is a strong fit for value and sugar control. Pricing and hours vary by location, and custom orders for sugar and ice are available across the menu.

Business outlook and challenges

Cai Ca’s upside rests on whether it can keep quality consistent across stores, maintain reliable supply of Japanese soy milk, and train staff to extract tea with precision during rush periods. Soy and tea are sensitive to temperature and steep time, so even small shifts in prep can change flavor and mouthfeel. A chain built quickly needs clear standards and tight oversight to keep cups tasting the same from campus to mall.

Competition is intensifying around health cues. Rivals can respond with their own soy lines, fruit forward menus, and more items in B grades. Marketing restrictions on higher graded drinks also nudge all players toward clearer sugar disclosure. Cai Ca’s local story and speed of product development are advantages, yet growth still depends on careful site selection and measured expansion to avoid rent shocks. If the brand can hold its B and C profiles while delivering distinctive tea flavors, it can carve out a durable place in a market that rewards both taste and transparency.

What to Know

• Cai Ca has replaced six former Gong Cha outlets in Singapore with a soy milk tea focused menu.
• The brand was founded by former Gong Cha Singapore chief executive Kang Puay Seng, who also co-founded Mr Bean.
• Stores reopened at Lot One, Bugis Junction, NUS UTown, King Albert Park, Northpoint City and Century Square.
• Most of the 32 drinks are graded B or C under the Nutri-Grade system, with brown sugar items as exceptions.
• The menu features a soy and tea fusion made with Japanese yellow soybeans, plus fruit teas, pure teas, and classic milk tea.
• Glutinous rice balls and chewy pearls are available as snack style accompaniments.
• Gong Cha closed all its Singapore outlets in October 2025 and plans to relaunch in 2026 with new franchisees.
• Cai Ca is pursuing careful expansion, citing rent pressures and expired leases at some former sites.
• Nutri-Grade labelling for freshly prepared drinks has been compulsory since Dec 30, 2023, prompting lower sugar recipes across the sector.
• Competition remains intense, and Cai Ca is betting on a health first identity and agile product development to stand out.