Hechalou franchise
2026 filing · April 10, 2026Growing
Hechalou at a glance
A tea shop serving specialty teas and other drinks. At the end of 2025 there were 4 Hechalou locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Hechalou International LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Alhambra, California
- Typical size
- 600–1,200 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $268K–$474K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $42,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross revenues, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- None now
- No brand fund
- Renewal fee
- $20,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 4
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 4
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +4
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 4
- Most in Arizona, Oregon and Texas
From Hechalou International LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Hechalou among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Hechalou | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $370,750 | Costs more than 51% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $42,000 | Higher than 54% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 4 | Fewer than 74% of franchises |
How much a Hechalou franchise costs
Opening one Hechalou costs an estimated $268,000 to $473,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Hechalou International LLC, 2026 filing, page 17
Hechalou franchise fee
The franchise fee is $42,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Hechalou International LLC, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross revenues, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | No brand fund |
| Transfer Fee | $10,000, subject to state law |
| Renewal Fee | $20,000 |
| Additional On-Site Training/Consultation Fees and Possible Expenses | $400 per day per trainer/consultant |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Hechalou International LLC, 2026 filing, pages 12 and 31
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Hechalou does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Hechalou International LLC, 2026 filing, page 50
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $450K–$780K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Hechalou compares
Of the 56 bubble tea franchises on this site, Hechalou is the 29th cheapest to open and the 38th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Hechalou | Typical bubble tea brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $268K | $264K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $474K | $502K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $42K | $40K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 4 | 8 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 100% | 0% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 19 of 56 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 56 brands in bubble tea franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 (+1) | 0 | +1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 (+3) | 0 | +4 | −1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Hechalou International LLC, 2026 filing, page 51
Where Hechalou locations are
At the end of 2025, Hechalou had franchised locations in 4 states. The most are in Arizona, Oregon and Texas.
- Arizona1
- Oregon1
- Texas1
- Washington1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 1 |
| Oregon | 1 |
| Texas | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Source: Hechalou International LLC, 2026 filing, page 51
Who owns Hechalou?
Hechalou franchises are sold by Hechalou International LLC.
From Hechalou International LLC’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 9–11. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Hechalou International LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on pages 9–11, bankruptcy on page 11
Hechalou filings
The figures on this page come from Hechalou International LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 10, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 10, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other bubble tea franchises
All bubble tea franchises
Hechalou is also on these lists: food franchises.