About Lelecha (Lele Tea)
Lelecha is a Chinese new-style tea chain founded in 2016 in Shanghai. It became famous for pairing premium tea drinks with freshly baked soft European buns, a combination that defined its boutique store model. Its icon product is the Dirty Bun, a chocolate bun that once sold out daily, alongside the cheese-foam fruit teas it pioneered.
The brand grew from its first Shanghai store to more than one hundred locations in China's major cities, and in 2023 it launched a franchise model. It has also begun international expansion with openings in New York and Los Angeles, bringing modern Chinese tea to new audiences.
Since December 2022, fellow Chinese tea chain Nayuki has been its largest shareholder with a 43.6% stake, supporting supply chain and digitalisation, while Lelecha continues to operate as an independent brand with its own website and store network. Its current offer combines leaf teas, fresh fruit, coffee and bakery in design-led spaces aimed at young urban customers.
The brand grew from its first Shanghai store to more than one hundred locations in China's major cities, and in 2023 it launched a franchise model. It has also begun international expansion with openings in New York and Los Angeles, bringing modern Chinese tea to new audiences.
Since December 2022, fellow Chinese tea chain Nayuki has been its largest shareholder with a 43.6% stake, supporting supply chain and digitalisation, while Lelecha continues to operate as an independent brand with its own website and store network. Its current offer combines leaf teas, fresh fruit, coffee and bakery in design-led spaces aimed at young urban customers.