From Zhengzhou to Jakarta: The rise of Mixue
Mixue Ice Cream & Tea began in 1997 when founder Zhang Hongchao opened a tiny shop near a university campus in Zhengzhou, China. With just one ice cream machine and a mission to deliver affordable treats, he set the foundation for what would become one of Asia’s fastest-scaling F&B giants.
By 2025, Mixue has grown into a cultural force with over 45,000 stores globally, surpassing both McDonald’s and Starbucks in store count. This expansion is driven largely by Asia’s growing appetite for low-cost indulgences and the brand’s ability to scale through franchising.
In Indonesia alone, Mixue operates more than 2,600 outlets — many in secondary cities underserved by global chains. Its setup costs are low, its menus are simple, and its appeal cuts across class and age. It’s not just a product — it’s a phenomenon.
Localized innovation and cultural fit
More than price, Mixue wins because it listens. In Vietnam, flavors like matcha coconut and taro oat milk have gone viral on TikTok. In the Philippines, collaborations with local creators for limited-edition Snow King tumblers sell out in days.
Mixue’s stores are also visually consistent — white tiles, red logos, and cartoon mascots — but each one hosts promotions that reflect its community. From Ramadan offers in Malaysia to local-language marketing in Thailand, Mixue understands that hyper-local relevance drives loyalty.
Its mascot, Snow King, is now more than a brand figure — it’s a regional pop icon. From plush toys to social stickers and YouTube animations, Snow King is quietly building Mixue into a lifestyle label.
Editorial insight: Franchising as a force multiplier
What sets Mixue apart in Asia’s competitive F&B landscape isn’t just its affordability — it’s the operational model. Over 99% of its outlets are franchises. That means local entrepreneurs, often first-time business owners, power its expansion while taking real ownership of outcomes.
This bottom-up growth model contrasts sharply with top-down corporate chains. By offering training, centralized logistics, and bulk sourcing power, Mixue supports partners while keeping overheads low. In turn, franchisees bring deep local knowledge and a drive to succeed.
It’s a strategy custom-built for Asia — where family-run shops still dominate retail and where scaling often means going wide, not deep.
Future outlook: Retail empire or regional bubble?
As of 2025, Mixue is preparing to enter South Asia and the Middle East. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia are top priorities. The company is also eyeing its IPO in Hong Kong, having raised $444 million in pre-IPO funding to fuel international growth.
At the same time, it’s taking steps toward sustainability — reducing plastic usage, investing in greener cold chain logistics, and experimenting with recyclable cup materials. While critics argue that quality control could suffer at scale, the brand’s tech-enabled supply chain offers resilience.
Mixue is also exploring partnerships with convenience store chains and delivery platforms, hinting at a strategy to go omnichannel in urban areas. Whether it can maintain its charm while scaling remains to be seen. But its blueprint — fast, local, franchised — is already reshaping Asia’s F&B map.
Conclusion: A new Asian model for global growth
Mixue shows that growth doesn’t have to come from Silicon Valley or Seoul. It’s building a distinctly Asian playbook: culturally fluent, locally driven, and price-sensitive without being cheap.
By blending dessert with design, franchising with fun, and community with consistency, Mixue is doing more than selling ice cream. It’s rewriting what it means to be a mass-market brand in Asia — and the world is starting to notice.
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