Freshly produced tapioca pearls | Photo credit: Loob Holding

Petaling Jaya-based Loob Holding, which owns the Malaysian bubble tea chain Tealive, has opened a new state-of-the-art production tapioca pearl production facility in Selangor. 
 

The RM 10m ($2.2m) site has been opened in collaboration with Loob Holding’s Chinese joint venture partners Zhejiang Boduo International Trade Co Ltd and Shanghai Panfei International Trade Co Ltd.  

With a production capacity of 400 tonnes of tapioca pearls per month, the plant is one of the largest in Malaysia. A standard bubble tea beverage uses approximately 50 tapioca pearls weighing around 60 grams.  

CEO Bryan Loo said production currently caters for Tealive’s 800 domestic stores but will soon be expanded to include international markets, starting with the Philippines. 

“Building this tapioca pearl plant aligns seamlessly with our pursuit of excellence. By controlling the entire production process, from sourcing the finest ingredients to crafting our signature tapioca pearls, Tealive ensures that every sip of our beverages reflects the pinnacle of quality and flavour. And we will continue to make further investments – for example, by installing a fully-automated packaging line next year,” he said. 

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Founded in 2017, Tealive serves more than five million customers per month across its Malaysia stores. The bubble tea chain also operates stores in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Myanmar, the Philippines, the UK and Vietnam. 

Speaking to World Coffee Portal in October 2023, Loo said the business was currently focusing on expansion in Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, where it has a growing presence in Manila and Cebu.  

Loob Holding also operates the Bask Bear coffee chain in Malaysia, alongside sparkling water appliance maker Soda xpress and ready-to-drink (RTD) kombucha brand Wonderbrew.