CHAGEE's Indonesia playbook: scaling tea culture across Jakarta and Bali

In Indonesia, CHAGEE is building two distinct brand worlds – one optimised for Jakarta’s density and another shaped by Bali’s sense of place – while keeping a single philosophical core.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke with Adinda Yozari (pictured), general manager of CHAGEE Indonesia, to unpack its strategy in the country. After opening at PIK Avenue in April 2025, the brand quickly expanded across Greater Jakarta. But the trigger for expansion was not just footprint – it was behaviour. 

“We saw strong and consistent demand across Greater Jakarta. Indicators such as queues, repeat visits, social sharing told us the concept was resonating beyond novelty. By the time we reached 36 stores across Greater Jakarta, we had enough confidence in our operations and our team to take the next step,” she said.

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That next step was Bali – not just as a volume play, but as a brand-defining market.

“Bali was the natural choice. It has a unique energy – it draws both domestic travellers and international visitors, and it has a community that genuinely values experience, craft, and quality. That is very aligned with what CHAGEE stands for. Our goal is not to just open more stores, we wanted to build something meaningful for the long term,” she said.

One brand, two behaviours

CHAGEE’s core proposition – a “third space” anchored in tea – remains consistent. But how that space is used diverges sharply between Jakarta and Bali, and the brand is leaning into that contrast.

“In Jakarta, we see a lot of customers using the space to work or study. People come in with their laptops, settle in for a few hours, and treat the store as a productive environment away from home or the office,” Yozari said. “So we cater for that: good lighting, comfortable seating arrangements, an atmosphere that feels calm and focused.”

Bali, by contrast, shifts from productivity to presence.

“In Bali, the purpose shifts slightly. The space is much more social. At our Discovery Mall Kuta location, for example, we designed a section of the store with circular and layered seating that is specifically meant to facilitate conversation and casual hangouts.”

This duality reflects a broader strategic insight: Indonesia is not one market, even within a single brand system. Jakarta demands functional consistency; Bali rewards emotional immersion.

From localisation to belonging

Where many brands stop at visual localisation, CHAGEE is pushing deeper into cultural integration – particularly in Bali.

“Localisation only feels authentic when it goes beyond the surface,” Yozari said. “We worked with local craftspeople on the hand-carved stone mural in our store, we sourced natural materials locally for the interior, and we are releasing a Bali-exclusive merchandise collection in Q2 2026 featuring the Jalak Bali bird and Bunga Kamboja motifs, symbols that actually mean something to people here.”

This extends to product strategy. The company launched a Bali-exclusive fruit tea series – Lychee Jasmine Fruit Tea, Yuzu Jasmine Fruit Tea, and their Frappe versions – that was designed with the Bali experience in mind.

When you are in Bali, in that heat and that energy, something bright and refreshing just makes sense.

Crucially, localisation is also operational.

“We also hired locally from the beginning. The team in our Bali stores are part of the Bali community… Authenticity is hard to manufacture, but it is easier to build when the people representing your brand genuinely belong to the community you are entering.”

The implication is clear: cultural credibility is being measured not by aesthetics, but by participation in local ecosystems.

Experience as the growth engine

CHAGEE’s marketing engine is built around experience-led engagement, but its success metrics go beyond footfall.

“We do look at the immediate numbers, but those are not the metrics that tell us whether we built something lasting,” Yozari said. “App downloads are a big one for us, because someone downloading the app is telling us they want to come back. UGC matters too… We also track whether customers are trying new drinks during and after an activation.”

This reflects a shift from campaign-based ROI to behavioural signals – intent, advocacy, and depth of engagement.

The same philosophy applies to influencer and celebrity strategy.

“Honestly, celebrity appearances open the door, but they cannot do everything… once someone walks in, it is entirely up to us – our drinks, our space, our team, and the experience we create – to give them a reason to stay and come back.”

Designing for participation, not just reach

In Indonesia’s highly social digital landscape, CHAGEE is deliberately engineering campaigns to move beyond passive visibility.

“For us, participation starts with giving people something worth engaging with, and that begins with design and storytelling,” Yozari said, citing the Hojicha launch as an example of narrative-led visual identity.

But digital is only half the equation. Real community is built offline as much as online, she said. For the Hojicha launch, they created a Zen Space, and for the Hello Kitty Holiday Home collaboration, they hosted a standalone pop-up at PIK Avenue.

“These gave people a shared experience to be part of, not just content to scroll past.”

Reframing tea for a new generation

Despite Indonesia’s entrenched coffee culture, CHAGEE is not positioning itself in opposition.

“We do not see coffee as a competitor. Tea has always had a deep place in Indonesian culture, and what CHAGEE brings is a modern interpretation of that,” Yozari said.

We are not asking people to choose between coffee and tea. We are just showing that tea can be just as exciting, social, and relevant.

Pricing, meanwhile, is calibrated around frequency rather than exclusivity.

“Our drinks are made fresh to order using real tea leaves and fresh dairy… But we also want to be somewhere people can visit regularly, not just as a treat.”

For CHAGEE, the transition into a lifestyle brand is not merchandise-led – it is behaviour-led. “When someone chooses to spend time in a CHAGEE store… that is already lifestyle.”

Merchandise simply extends that relationship.

Scaling without dilution

As CHAGEE expands across Indonesia and Southeast Asia, the risk is not competition – it is inconsistency.

Internally, the company evaluates success as much through cultural health as commercial performance, tracking indicators such as staff retention, the level of interest in new store openings, and internal Net Promoter Scores to gauge team sentiment.

Ultimately, however, it is customer feedback that anchors consistency across markets.

“We actively gather feedback and let those insights shape our decisions, whether that is about the store experience, the menu, or how we show up in a new city,” Yozari said. While the product remains standardised, the surrounding brand experience is deliberately adapted to local customer behaviour and context.

“That is how we try to grow without losing what makes CHAGEE feel like CHAGEE.”

Be part of PR Asia Indonesia 2026 on 15 July 2026 – the first time this regional communications flagship lands in Jakarta – bringing together communications leaders ready to redefine influence, reputation, and impact!

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