Heytea reopens franchise applications after 19 months, adding business planning requirements

Heytea has reopened its official franchise application channel after a suspension of around 19 months. Alongside restoring access, the brand has updated its application guidance: investors must submit more detailed operating plans and assess business risks realistically. For those considering a franchise in China, the key points are the application requirements and the limits of the approval process, rather than simply the opportunity to open a store.

Partner applications reopen

According to a report published by 21st Century Business Herald on 8 September, the Heytea GO mini-programme restored its “Become a Partner” application option on 7 September 2026. This is the first time Heytea has reopened its official franchise application channel since suspending applications in February 2025.

Prospective investors can now apply through the official channel again, but submitting an application and entering into a partnership are separate stages. The updated guidance makes clear that an application does not establish a partnership, and that the brand reserves the right to reject applicants who do not meet its requirements during the review process.

Investors should therefore not treat completing the application as permission to open a store, nor use it as a basis for making irreversible lease or fit-out commitments in advance.

Beyond funding: explaining how the store will be managed

The updated requirements cover investment funds, preferred locations and the expected payback period. Applicants must also submit a detailed business partnership plan explaining how they intend to manage their stores and what strengths their team brings.

These questions extend the application beyond financial readiness to practical operating arrangements. Before applying, prospective partners should clarify who will be responsible for the store, how much time and effort the team can commit, and which operating assumptions underpin their expected returns.

However, asking applicants to state an expected payback period does not mean the brand endorses or guarantees it. Investors should also distinguish their own return expectations from the rights and obligations set out in the eventual contract.

Store figures offer context, not evidence of individual returns

According to data from restaurant industry platform Narrow Door, cited by 21st Century Business Herald, Heytea had 3,545 operating stores as of July 2026 — more than 1,000 fewer than at its peak in October 2024.

These third-party figures provide context on the size of the network before franchise applications reopened. They do not, however, directly explain why individual stores left the network, nor establish whether a proposed location would be profitable. Changes in the total store count and the operating results of a specific investment are different measures.

When assessing a new store, investors still need to focus on local rents, staffing, customer footfall and their capacity to sustain investment, rather than deciding solely on the size of the brand’s network.

Clarify the terms of the partnership before applying

Heytea has also reminded investors to assess operating risks realistically. Anyone preparing to apply should treat access to the official application channel, the approval process and the subsequent contract as three separate stages, checking each in turn.

Practical tip: set out your funding arrangements, team responsibilities and operating expectations before submitting an application. Until you have a clear review outcome and have checked the contract, do not treat the reopening of applications as approval to open a store or a guarantee of returns.