Wayne and Stephanie, passionate about their Taiwanese heritage, opened the first Tapioca Express store in the San Gabriel Valley in 1999 – one of the very first boba chains in the United States. Since the beginning, Tapioca Express has harvested the finest ingredients from Taiwan and continually provides quality teas, boba, and snacks. However, we did not foresee that boba’s popularity would manifest into its own culture and become an everyday lifestyle. Today, Tapioca Express expands across California and into other states, including Washington, Texas, and Virginia. In our two decades of experience in brewing, we focus on nurturing and enriching communities with the finest teas, coffee, and boba.
Wayne and Stephanie, passionate about their Taiwanese heritage, opened the first Tapioca Express store in the San Gabriel Valley in 1999 – one of the very first boba chains in the United States. Since the beginning, Tapioca Express has harvested the finest ingredients from Taiwan and continually provides quality teas, boba, and snacks. However, we did not foresee that boba’s popularity would manifest into its own culture and become an everyday lifestyle. Today, Tapioca Express expands across California and into other states, including Washington, Texas, and Virginia. In our two decades of experience in brewing, we focus on nurturing and enriching communities with the finest teas, coffee, and boba.
Wayne Lin founded Tapioca Express in 1999 with a simple yet powerful vision: to share high-quality, trend-forward Taiwanese tea culture with communities across the United States. Born in Taiwan and raised in Los Angeles, Wayne blends the best of both worlds—traditional flavors with modern American tastes.
With a deep dedication to food and beverage innovation, Wayne personally developed the brand’s proprietary recipes for over 150 drinks and snacks. From handcrafted milk teas to bold fusion bites, his creations continue to define Tapioca Express’s signature taste.
Driven by a passion for quality and wellness, Wayne is always ahead of the curve—introducing healthier options and staying on top of emerging food trends. His commitment to excellence ensures that every Tapioca Express location delivers not only delicious flavors but also consistency and authenticity.
More than just a founder, Wayne is the heart behind the brand.
Being business owners has given us financial security and the freedom to manage our own schedules. We’ve built a great team and trained managers so we’re not tied to the store every day, which gives us a great work-life balance.
What sets Tapioca Express apart is their flexibility and lower startup and royalty fees compared to other franchises. Plus, our customers love signature items like the Snow Bubble, Yogurt Frost, and our famous Crispy Popcorn Chicken—it’s a customer favorite that keeps people coming back.
In 1999, Stephanie personally developed every recipe, carefully selecting each ingredient to create the perfect fusion of traditional Asian flavors and American tastes. Starting with our first store in Alhambra, California, Tapioca Express became America’s first boba tea and Asian snack food franchise.
With the booming demand for boba tea and Asian snacks across America, Tapioca Express offers franchisees a unique opportunity to join an established brand in a growing market. Our diverse menu of milk teas, smoothies, frostis, and Asian snacks has proven appeal across multiple demographics.
Ready to build your future with America’s most experienced boba tea franchise? Join the brand that pioneered the industry and continues to lead through innovation, quality, and proven success.
Tapioca Express harvests the finest ingredients from Taiwan and provides quality teas, boba, and snacks to our customers.
Certain foods and beverages sold or served here, and other exposure sources such as packaging, utensils, furniture, surfaces, or receipt paper, can expose you to chemicals including DEHP in certain plastics and BPS in receipt paper, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/restaurant
