heytea opened its first U.S. Gelato Lab+ at 863 Broadway in New York City.
Part of heytea lab, the brand’s most elevated store format globally, Gelato Lab+ takes a product-development approach it has refined over the years: translating its signature tea bases and beloved drinks into other forms — this time, as gelato and sorbet. Seven core gelato and sorbet flavors, plus one limited-edition flavor, are made fresh in store daily using real fruit, fresh milk, and unexpected ingredients such as sticky rice and black sesame.
Mango Coconut Sticky Rice Gelato turns heytea’s namesake drink into a pairing of jasmine tea–mango gelato and coconut sticky rice gelato, with chewy grains of sticky rice folded throughout. Inspired by heytea’s classic Crisp Grape Boom drink, Grape Basque Cheesecake Gelato balances bright, tangy grape with rich, creamy Basque cheesecake flavor gelato. The dairy-free Jasmine Yuzu Sorbet layers Green Jasmine tea with yuzu, fresh-pressed apple and lime, then finishes with fresh lime zest. “Cement” Black Sesame Gelato blends milk, cream and roasted black sesame paste for a smooth texture and deep sesame flavor.
At heytea, “lab” is not a back room; it is a playground for exploring what tea can become next. Each laboratory module expresses tea in a different form—drinks, gelato, cakes or baked goods. When an experiment is ready to stand on its own, a module can graduate into a dedicated store format, such as Gelato Lab+. A heytea lab is, therefore, a store format that brings one or more of these experimental modules together with the brand’s classic drink menu.
The gelato experiment began in 2019, when gelato joined the menu as a lab module at heytea’s OCT Harbour store in Shenzhen. In February 2025, the lab model traveled to the U.S. for the first time in Times Square, where the store debuted 10 globally exclusive tea lab drinks and sold more than 3,500 cups on opening day.
The same curiosity shapes the space. Inspired by an “unfinished” concept, the interior keeps original brick, exposed structure and selected mechanical systems in view. The result is an open space where old and new, structure and creativity, and process and outcome find a shared rhythm.
“We’re excited to bring another lab to the city. New York has always rewarded curiosity, and it continues to be where we try new ideas,” said Jelynn Jiang, senior brand manager for International Markets at heytea. “We hope the Gelato Lab+ becomes the kind of neighborhood spot people return to for a favorite, while still checking the menu to see what we’re releasing next.”