Meet Our Founders
Our Family
Hello to my potential franchisee partners! My name is Dan Chong, my lovely wife is Mai, and we have two kids, Bailey and Harper. In 2019, we as a family made the decision to open our own business and live the American dream. We put our 15 years of food service industry experience and knowledge together to open up “TEAlicious” in Bonney Lake, WA.
The most important thing to us is family, so we wanted to become part of the community, and not just have a business with that city's address.
For us, great customer service is our #1 goal. From the moment one of our customers steps inside, till the moment they leave, we want them to have what I call, the “TEAlicious Every Time” experience.
Dan Chong CEO
Growing up, Daniel’s mom owned a Teriyaki restaurant; he loved being a part of the daily routine, visiting her, seeing the regular customers and being able to help. He learned about work ethic, the importance of customer service and doing things right the first time.
After completing his undergraduate degree, he worked with a temporary staffing company and saw how many people really do want to work and be proud of what they do every day. He realized he was most happy when serving others and making them happy! He decided to return to his roots to do what he really loves.
Owning and operating his own restaurant with his wife Mai and now franchising the brand they built together, he is looking forward to helping people live up to their fullest potential.
Supporting franchise owners who join TEAlicious will allow him to share his experience in operations, restaurant management, marketing and communications - helping aspiring entrepreneurs become successful, too.
Daniel holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Media Communications from University of Washington.
Mai Chong COO
Mai is the inspiration and creative force behind the TEAlicious brand, from our image to our menu and each of our delicious drinks.
Mai grew up in Hanoi, Vietnam and drank bubble tea every day when she was a young girl. As a teenager, and later for her undergraduate degree she studied abroad traveling to Singapore, Toronto, New Zealand, Japan, Belgium, Paris, and Seattle. During her travels she experienced many varied cultures including their food and drinks. While reminiscent of home and her childhood, bubble tea was different every place she went. During her graduate studies in Seattle, she worked in Vietnamese restaurants and was convinced she could create even better bubble tea, with different versions that everyone – not just those with Asian heritage - would enjoy.
Combining her interior design education, creativity and international experiences with the work ethic instilled in her by both her parents, she designed the store, menu and drink recipes when she and her husband Dan decided to open TEAlicious. Eager for the world to taste her creations, she has trained all of the founding cafe employees to be able to quickly and deliciously make all menu items.
Now, Mai is ready to support new franchise owners in their onboarding and help them to lead their team to recreating each of our delicious menu items and bubble tea beverages in their own TEAlicious café.
What The Locals Have To Say!
“We’ve had TEA in multiple different areas and this is definitely the best that we’ve had.” ~Christian
“From the first time we came, it was just super welcoming, and just like made you feel like a valued customer.” ~Sarah
